Corporate Digital Responsibility

Digital technology is reshaping businesses across much of the world, but as companies introduce digital technologies into their business activities, they are facing new sets of responsibilities. While many businesses have enthusiastically embraced the economic benefits of these digital technologies, the social and environmental impacts of these developments have received much less attention. With this in mind, this chapter reviews how the leading information technology companies publicly address their social and environmental responsibilities. The chapter includes an outline of digital technologies and their potential social dimensions and environmental impacts, a brief review of the emerging academic and professional literature to provide some reference and context for the review, details of the method of enquiry and frame of reference adopted by the authors, a review of how the leading information technology companies publicly reported on their social and environmental digital responsibilities, and some general reflections on these social and environmental responsibilities.

The Economic, Social, and Environmental Impacts of Generalization of Solar Water Heaters

This paper aims to quantify the three main aspects of sustainable development, the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the generalization of solar water heaters in Marrakech. In order to conduct this Impact assessment study, we used both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The impact assessment analysis has been done on three different levels: households, Tourism, and private and public institutions. The generalization of SWH at the scale of the city of Marrakech will be in this perspective the origin of a profit today neglected. The resulting impact, both economically and socially, would be great. It is also beneficial and concerns the natural and sanitary environment. Nationally, the direct financial impact of the generalization of SWH at the direct city level is around $ 15 million. The generalization of solar water heaters in Morocco will reduce the national energy bill by 1.3%.

Socio-environmental Impact of Research

Reflecting about the future of Earth and its inhabitants is essential to ensure a possible tomorrow. Therefore, socio-environmental impact shall become a universal and inevitable concern of researchers, educational institutions and scientific research regulatory agencies. Social and environmental impacts, in all senses, must be considered into any production of knowledge. Some questions help incorporate this conduct in academic research: How can research ensure effective socio-environmental impacts on society? What is the best way to conduct research so that it has positive social and environmental impacts from the beginning? How can research be fully dedicated to generating positive socio-environmental impacts in every step? We concluded that socio-environmental impacts must be considered just as much or even more important than those of socioeconomic and technological nature.

Socio-Environmental Vulnerability of Water in the Estuary of the Metropolitan Region of Santos (Brazil)

Santos and São Vicente Estuarine Complex (SSEC) is a densely populated coastal area that houses the main port in Latin America and the most prominent Brazilian industrial complex. Irregular occupations in preservation areas result in a disorderly increase in population, with negative social and environmental impacts. We evaluated the average annual growth of 74 slums occurring in this area and variations in water quality from 2005 to 2018. We monitor the growth of the occupied areas and estimate their respective populations. The average annual population growth was over 6% per year (p.a.). Invasions of new areas and verticalisation of already occupied areas represent 85% of the growth seen. The monthly polluting loads exceeded 450 tonnes or 2,086,000 m3, compromising the waters and local and regional public health. We strongly recommend re-urbanising the area using the resource savings caused by water loss to reduce the risks of ecosystem degradation, damage to health and disease spread.

Impacto Socioambiental da Pesquisa

Reflecting about the future of Earth and its inhabitants is essential to ensure a possible tomorrow. Therefore, socio-environmental impact shall become a universal and inevitable concern of researchers, educational institutions and scientific research regulatory agencies. Social and environmental impacts, in all senses, must be considered into any production of knowledge. Some questions help incorporate this conduct in academic research: How can research ensure effective socio-environmental impacts on society? What is the best way to conduct research so that it has positive social and environmental impacts from the beginning? How can research be fully dedicated to generating positive socio-environmental impacts in every step? We concluded that socio-environmental impacts must be considered just as much or even more important than those of socioeconomic and technological nature.

Unfinished Paths—From Blockchain to Sustainability in Supply Chains

Blockchain technology has been promised as a solution to social and environmental issues in supply chains. The potential includes reduction of vulnerable party exploitation and avoiding environmentally harmful practices. Yet, it remains unclear how these potential improvements are created and whether blockchain can truly contribute. Therefore, this field study explores and identifies the mechanisms for blockchain technology to facilitate positive social and environmental impacts in supply chains. We applied an explorative qualitative research approach and interviewed blockchain technology implementers and practitioners that allowed a detailed analysis of this problem despite the scarcity of practice data. The results include the development of a middle-range theory that shows barriers and drivers of blockchain-based technologies in supply chains, introduces the concept of blockchain-enabled system, and outlines expected outcomes and impacts. We further identify four impact pathways that describe how blockchain-enabled system create positive impact: (voluntary) market mechanisms, plausibility checks, smart contracts and tokenisation, and peer-to-peer trust. The study contributes by providing insights into “how” blockchain-based technologies in supply chains can lead to social and environmental impacts. The study also furthers the discussion on blockchain technology’s role in supply chain implementation and addresses the yet unresolved problem of measuring the impact of such blockchain-enabled systems.

Sustainable Development Goals in Strategy and Practice: Businesses in Colombia and Egypt

Businesses may adopt strategies and practices that support sustainable development goals. Such strategies include considering social and environmental impacts as well as prioritizing socio-environmental benefits at a higher level than profits. Supportive practices comprise enhancing social benefits and limiting environmental harm. What SDG-related strategies and practices are businesses pursuing? Are businesses implementing practices and strategies? Do the practices and strategies differ across societies? A survey of representative samples of 399 businesses in Colombia and 413 businesses in Egypt was conducted in 2021, by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. The owner-managers reported that they frequently had strategies that considered social and environmental impacts of business operations, and they prioritized socio-environmental considerations over financial goals. In Columbia, there were more frequent practices that enhanced social benefits and limited environmental harm than in Egypt. In addition, strategies were implemented in practices supporting the SDGs more in Colombia than in Egypt. Our findings contribute to understanding business strategies that consider SDGs and their implementation in practices that are embedded in society.

Overview of sea conservation policies in Brazil and social and environmental impacts in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

The ocean and its areas of influence are fundamental environments for life on the planet, harbor ample biodiversity and are the basis of support for many vulnerable families and communities, which justifies the implementation and effectiveness of laws and policies for the conservation of marine resources throughout the world. With the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus, many impacts have intensified in these environments, which emphasizes the importance of research that considers these effects and the political scenario in which the pandemic erupted. The objective of this discussion was to evaluate the social and environmental impacts associated with the resources of the sea, verifying the effectiveness of public policies and highlighting the importance of social inclusion, environmental education and shared responsibility. The study area was the Brazilian coast and the research methodology was based on the analysis of secondary data, analysis of official reports and documents, as well as a qualitative bibliographic review of scientific articles, presenting comparisons and interdisciplinary discussions between Brazil and other countries. in order to build a narrative review on the subject, presenting hypotheses for improvements in the post-pandemic scenario. The study reveals that there is a large gap between theory and practice with regard to sea conservation policies, which is enhanced by the political crisis in Brazil and its social, economic and environmental effects, generating impacts and externalities that affect national interests and international. It is concluded that, in the post-pandemic scenario, there will be a great need for joint actions to mitigate the intensified impacts of the pandemic, and it is up to the government to support the most affected and seek to ensure the practical effectiveness of the sea. conservation policies and effective environmental education actions.