Supply chain sustainability in the information and communication technologies industry
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- The information and communications technology (ICT) industry has transformed modern society to be more efficiently connected. It also contributes to a range of sustainability challenges such as climate change and inequality. Advancing the ICT industry in an environmentally, socially, and economically responsible manner is imperative given the accelerated rate of adoption of ICT products and services. Therefore, improved analysis methods are needed to address the interdisciplinary challenges we face in sustainable design and management of ICT products and services. My dissertation seeks to understand ICT sustainability and explores mechanisms of evaluating, communicating, and mitigating the life cycle sustainability impacts of the ICT industry through three studies. The first study focuses on understanding the theme and trends in ICT companies' public sustainability disclosures. Here, I identify the key narratives, stakeholders, and certifications that are critical to ICT companies' sustainability reporting. Second, I explore a functionality-based life cycle assessment (LCA) approach that helps maximize ICT product life cycle sustainability at the early design and conceptualization stage. Finally, my third study introduces the notion of "Use Supply Chain" to analyze the sustainability implications of digital behavior tracked by ICT devices. I propose a framework to quantify the climate change impacts of individuals when they are directly engaged with digital devices using the Screenomics approach. The three studies contribute to a more forward-looking, nuanced, and complete understanding of the sustainability impacts of the ICT industry. They provide empirical support to climate change and sustainability management at a meaningful, actionable level through design, management, and educational programs.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2021; ©2021 |
| Publication date | 2021; 2021 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Shi, Lin, (Industrial ecology researcher) |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Brandt, Adam (Adam R.) |
| Degree supervisor | Iancu, Dan |
| Thesis advisor | Brandt, Adam (Adam R.) |
| Thesis advisor | Iancu, Dan |
| Thesis advisor | Mach, Katharine J |
| Degree committee member | Mach, Katharine J |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Lin Shi. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2021. |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/sx581nv7677 |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2021 by Lin Shi
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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