Industry 4.0 Technologies for Environmental Sustainability: Intended and Unintended Consequences (CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance)

Industry 4.0 technologies are expected to have a positive impact on the global economy by promoting autonomous interoperability, agility, flexibility, decision-making, efficiency or cost reduction, which are also expected to be resource efficient. However, new and emerging technologies can also have potentially harmful social and environmental impacts that must be considered. The goal of this book is to provide a deeper understanding of how Industry 4.0 technologies can benefit or harm the environmental sustainability of companies. To this end, it presents a classification of Industry 4.0 technologies and evaluates for each typology the positive and negative aspects of their implementation. Thus, the book considers Industry 4.0 technology and environmental sustainability from the perspective of management on the one hand and from the perspective of technology users on the other. The book is of interest to researchers from various disciplines who approach Industry 4.0 technologies from a business perspective, and on the other hand to managers and strategic consultants who want to promote sustainable change in their companies. Introduction Contents Chapter 1: Environmental Sustainability and Firms ́ Competitive Advantage 1.1 ``All Roads Lead to Rome ́ ́: Environmental Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals, Circular Economy 1.2 The Rise of the Organizations and the Natural Environment 1.3 Environmental Sustainability and Firms ́ Competitive Advantage 1.4 Drivers of Corporate Environmental Sustainability 1.5 The Role of Innovation in Firms ́ Environmental Proactivity References Chapter 2: Fourth Industrial Revolution and Firms ́ Digitalization 2.1 The Fourth Industrial Revolution 2.2 The Industry 4.0 ́s Enabling Technologies 2.2.1 Big Data and Analytics 2.2.2 Autonomous Robot 2.2.3 Simulation 2.2.4 Horizontal and Vertical System Integration 2.2.5 Internet of Things 2.2.6 Cybersecurity 2.2.7 Cloud Computing 2.2.8 Additive Manufacturing 2.2.9 Augmented Reality 2.3 Fourth Industrial Revolution and Companies ́ Competitive Advantage 2.3.1 Possible Benefits of I4.0 Technologies 2.4 I4.0 Technologies as Instruments to Enhance Companies ́ Sustainability 2.4.1 I4.0 and Economic Sustainability 2.4.2 I4.0 and Social Sustainability 2.4.3 I4.0 and Environmental Sustainability References Chapter 3: I4.0 Technologies Adoption and the Environmental Sustainability 3.1 A Methodological Approach to Analyze the Rise and Growth of Theoretical Discussions 3.2 Descriptive Results of the Bibliographic Research 3.3 Co-occurrence Analysis of Recent Trend 3.4 Be Digital or Be Green: An Integrative Framework References Chapter 4: Unveiling the Positive and Negative Effects of Blockchain Technologies on Environmental Sustainability in Practice 4.1 Blockchain as a Disruptive Technology 4.1.1 Advantages and Disadvantages Associated with the Use of Blockchain 4.2 Blockchain for Environmental Sustainability 4.3 The Positive and Negative Effect of BC on Environmental Related SDGs 4.4 Conclusion References