Industrial sustainability: integrating sustainability principles and the latest industrial revolutions

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Abstract

The term net-zero is frequently used in the literature; it refers to a situation in which an organization removes emissions using science-based methods and simply neutralizes residual emissions to reach balance in a given period [1]. Net-positive, however, means more than just being neutral. It implies that the complete footprint must be examined in order to demonstrate measurable changes in the environment and/or society when compared to a baseline [2]. Net-zero and net-positive are the two major principles influencing the industrial sustainability paradigm. Industrial sustainability is best understood as a co-evolutionary process shaped by successive Industrial Revolutions (IRs), each of which has fundamentally restructured socio-technical and economic systems. Digitalization, cyber-physical systems, AI (artificial intelligence), and the IOT (internet-of-things), for instance, have enabled new approaches to improve industrial systems and use resources more efficiently. These technologies have facilitated predictive maintenance by monitoring events in real time and making data-driven decisions [3]; this, consequently, has resulted in reduced waste and more environmental efficiency. However, IR 1.0–3.0's approach to sustainability has been mostly incremental, with a focus on technical advancements for financial sustainability. Conversely, IR 4.0 could better expand its coverage to other sustainability pillars: environment and social. The current shift to IR 5.0 has, however, resulted in a more inclusive and human-centric attitude than previously observed. IR 5.0 emphasizes resilience, human well-being, and ethical governance, moving beyond the narrow operational and financial gain logic of past IRs and embedding sustainability more deeply within socio-

Keywords

industrial revolutions / industrial revolution 6.0 / circular economy / net-zero / net-positive / regenerative system

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