Is There a Smart Sustainability Transition in Manufacturing? Tracking Externalities in Machine Tools over Three Decades

Only one third of studies on the Industry 4.0–sustainability link have been conducted in manufacturing, despite its centrality to “ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns” (UN Sustainable Development Goal nr. 12). The European Ecodesign Directive singled out machine tools as key to the sustainability transition, not least due to their high energy usage and their increasingly becoming enmeshed in cyber-physical production systems. This paper aims to find out whether the digital transformation underway in machine tools is sustainable as well as to identify its central technological pathways. Externalities in machine tools are tracked over three decades (1990–2018) by means of a multi-method setting: (1) mapping the Technological Innovation System (TIS) of machine tools; (2) co-occurrence analysis of transnational patent families, in order to reduce geographical and market distortions (Questel’s FAMPAT); and (3) analysis of the incidence of digital and sustainable technologies in machine tools patent applications (WIPO PATENTSCOPE). A smart sustainability transition is currently not hampered by a lack of smart technologies but rather by the sluggish introduction of sustainable machine tools. Cyber-physical and robot machine tools have been found to be central pathways to a smart sustainability transition. Implications for harnessing externalities reach beyond the machine tools industry.

Meat supply chain in the perspective of UN SDGs

This paper presents an overview of the meat supply chain in the perspective of main UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). To perform this overview, meat supply chain was presented with five main stakeholders (livestock farmers, slaughterhouses, meat processors, retailers and consumers). As this chain is specific, four SDGs have been revealed as most important, as follows: SDG6 — Clean water and sanitation; SDG7 — Affordable and clean energy; SDG12 — Sustainable consumption and production; SDG13 — Climate action. Discussion and literature review was performed for each of the four UN SDGs. In addition, other UN SDGs of interest for this supply chain have been briefly presented.

Marketing Scholarship and the Sustainable Development Goals: Thoughts on Moving Forward

This article is a commentary on how marketing scholarship can be more relevant as it tackles the human development challenges presented by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The commentary argues that as businesses are transforming themselves into purpose-driven organizations, marketing needs to be a part of that transformation. SDG 1 No Poverty and SDG 12 Sustainable Consumption and Production are discussed within the article. The commentary also tackles the institutional barriers that work against path-breaking SDG marketing scholarship: normative promotion and publication expectations along with the practitioner-academic research divide. Without realigning the incentives that reward original, boundary-spanning SDG marketing scholarship, the marketing discipline will be stuck in a cycle of rewarding one behavior while hoping for another.

Consumer Satisfaction towards Green Products: Empirical Insights from Romania

The current model of linear economy is causing accelerated consumption and an extensive use of natural resources that accentuates the effects of the current global environmental crisis. In this context, green products are becoming a key element in the transition to a sustainable consumption and production model. The main goal of this paper is to identify the factors predicting youth consumer satisfaction towards green products and to analyze the public perception of green brand products in Romania. Considering these goals, a questionnaire was developed and applied to 268 participants. The results show that a positive attitude towards green products and the level of information held by the consumers about them are significant predictors of green product satisfaction. Moreover, the importance of products being green significantly predicts the purchase of such products. Further implications and research directions are discussed towards the end.

Environmental Cost in Indonesia Spillover Effect Between Consumption and Production

Reducing environmental costs is a significant concern for Indonesia's future. This paper explores Indonesia's environmental costs from emissions and forest resources and identifies the priority sectors in terms of economic and environmental performance. We use environmentally extended input–output analysis for calculating the environmental costs and further extension with linkages analysis to identify the priority sectors. The study finds that the total environmental costs of emissions due to final demand is around 7% of the GDP. This environmental cost is significantly due to domestic products with household consumption being the largest contributor. The top 10 sectors in the Indonesian economy are responsible for about 70% of the total environmental costs of emissions. Based on pollutant source, SOx, NOx, CO2, and CH4 contribute more than half of emissions' ecological costs. We also find that forest resources' environmental cost is only 7.5% of the total environmental cost. Last, this study finds that key sectors of economic and sustainability points of view are textile manufacturing; publishing, printing, and reproduction of recorded media; chemicals n.e.c.; manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products; construction; and other land transport. Finally, this paper discusses the policy options for Indonesia to promote sustainable consumption and production in terms of reducing environmental costs while managing economic development.

Evolution and Current Challenges of Sustainable Consumption and Production

This review paper examines the past, present, and future of sustainable consumption and production (SCP). The history of the Sustainable Development Goal No. 12 (i.e., to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns) is presented and analyzed. A definition of the sustainable consumption is given and the role of education is explained. The present status and existing trends of SCP are introduced by analyzing unsustainable behavior and the existing dilemma, namely sustainable growth or degrowth. A very broad range of methods is used for measuring and evaluating SCP within sustainable development. To forecast the future of SCP, important trends are presented. The future development of SCP will follow several megatrends and it will require reduced personal and collective consumption (degrowth). Energy usage in buildings, renewable energy sources, and energy storage will be important in that respect. Transportation emissions will continue to be lowered. Waste, especially food waste, shall be reduced, and consumer products shall become more durable. All waste must be collected and separated to be reused. SPC is elaborated in view of the two approaches—Industry 4.0 (smart factory), and the “Sixth Wave” evolution. Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, resource efficiency, and zero waste will be at the forefront of future activities. A circular economy requires extension of product lifetimes, and the reuse and recycling of products. Reducing emissions, pollution and specific energy, water, and raw material usage (especially critical raw materials), as well as the role of digitalization, will be important.