Paper Type
Complete
Paper Number
1342
Description
The benefits of Information Systems for sustainability are praised with solutions to climate change becoming more urgent. The sustainability effects of newcomers in this field, such as Digital Twins, have not yet been studied holistically, which could conceal potential harmful effects. Therefore, we aim to investigate the sustainability effects of Digital Twins based on a systematic literature review. We reviewed 26 case studies and categorized the effects of Digital Twins in the three dimensions of sustainability. We show that Digital Twins indeed can have positive sustainability effects, such as reducing carbon emissions or energy consumption. However, none of the studies measured the resource consumption associated with Digital Twins, which makes a conclusive sustainability assessment difficult. Besides synthesizing the effects, this review comprises an overview of the applications of Digital Twins in the context of sustainability. Lastly, we identify research gaps which lead to various implications for theory and practice.
Recommended Citation
Spleth, Philipp; Korbel, Jakob J.; and Zarnekow, Rüdiger, "Sustainability Effects of Digital Twins: A Review" (2024). PACIS 2024 Proceedings. 5.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2024/track18_sustain/track18_sustain/5
Sustainability Effects of Digital Twins: A Review
The benefits of Information Systems for sustainability are praised with solutions to climate change becoming more urgent. The sustainability effects of newcomers in this field, such as Digital Twins, have not yet been studied holistically, which could conceal potential harmful effects. Therefore, we aim to investigate the sustainability effects of Digital Twins based on a systematic literature review. We reviewed 26 case studies and categorized the effects of Digital Twins in the three dimensions of sustainability. We show that Digital Twins indeed can have positive sustainability effects, such as reducing carbon emissions or energy consumption. However, none of the studies measured the resource consumption associated with Digital Twins, which makes a conclusive sustainability assessment difficult. Besides synthesizing the effects, this review comprises an overview of the applications of Digital Twins in the context of sustainability. Lastly, we identify research gaps which lead to various implications for theory and practice.
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Sustainability