Sustainability of Digital Transformation for the Environment

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Background

On 2 June 2022 in Stockholm, an UN-backed coalition of 1,000 stakeholders from over 100 countries launched an Action Plan to steer digitalization towards accelerating environmentally and socially sustainable development. The Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability aims to help reorient and prioritize the application of digital technologies to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Inspired by this Agenda, we have directed our research interest toward the search for approaches to sustainable digital transformation for the environment. This Research Topic is a part of our initiative at the annual international scientific conference ‘Digital Transformation in Industry’ (DTI), held by the Institute of Economics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The main research problem lies in the uncertainty of the impact of digital transformation on environmental sustainability. Empirical examples available show that digital technologies are increasingly being used to improve environmental resilience. However, along with this, there are negative externalities of a different kind. The search for a compromise and consistency of interests is of fundamental importance here. Therefore, we can affirmatively say that the use and implementation of digital technologies leads to large-scale changes in many areas, which can either exacerbate or eliminate inequalities. Digital transformation in industry is part of the overall digitalization movement, but it accounts for the greatest impact on the environment. Emerging new business models may include elements of responsible policy. And here, the Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) concept is a productive solution. However, questions about the practical implementation of the ESG remain open.

The implementation of Environment, Social, and Governance principles at many enterprises remains largely declarative, while attention should be paid to the use of digital solutions for sustainable development, rational allocation of resources, and improving the quality of life in society. Such solutions can be digital platforms for distributed research of climate, environmental risks, level and quality of life, digital twins of technological processes and products that allow tracking the carbon footprint, and many other digital technologies. Another perspective field of research is the ESG-possesses assessment, the methodology of which is still imperfect and is reduced to simple ratings. In the regional aspect, it was quite interesting to compare the development of the digital space and environmental risks, digital and social inequality, etc. All this would make it possible to synchronize the ‘green” and ‘digital’ transition of industrial enterprises, to achieve maximum economic, social, and environmental effects.

This Research Topic aims to address issues and search for interdisciplinary approaches that contribute to harmonious and sustainable development. The key aspect here is to determine the impact of the digital transformation of industry on the environment. We are interested in the issues of assessing the current state and analyzing the prospects, solutions that will contribute to a sustainable digital transition, and methods, and approaches that accompany this process.

Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:
• Digital transition of the industry: challenges and barriers for the environment
• Adaptation of Environment, Social, and Governance metrics to the digital transition of the industry: risks and opportunities
• Best regional practices for digital transformation in the industry of green transition
• Environment, Social, and Governance concepts in digital transformation strategies of industrial enterprises
• Digital and ecological transitions: convergence and divergence
• Organizational, managerial and financial mechanisms for supporting digital transformation in the industry for environmental sustainability
• Social and environmental effects of digitalization

We welcome the following types of publications for this Research Topic: Original Research, Systematic Review, Review, Policy and Practice Reviews, Mini Review, Perspective, Community Case Study, Conceptual Analysis, Policy Brief, and Brief Research Report.

Keywords: ecosystem, Digital twin, Industrial policy, Sustainable environment, Network cooperation, Information systems, Sustainable development, Technology management, Digital communications, Social aspects of digitalization, Intelligent products, Digital ecosystems

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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