The development of a framework to align the use of technologies in industries to the sustainable development goals

Abstract

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is acknowledged that South Africa, and the rest of the world, faces sustainability challenges. Ideally, and in order to contribute towards sustainability, industries should continuously improve their activities through technological innovation and advancements. However, not all technological advancements contribute positively towards sustainability. Technology and technological innovation are seen by many as a major factor that can contribute towards sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is thus argued that sustainable development could be signi cantly in uenced by technological innovation, and it is evident in literature that society and technology co-evolve and exert in uence on one another. Therefore, one can infer that by aligning the objectives of industries with those of the technologies by means of SDGs, industries can positively in uence the SDGs, and therefore also sustainable development, with the help of technology. The present study investigates the role of technology (existing and emerging) in fostering sustainable development, and aims to highlight how sustainable development and SDGs are fostered within South Africa. The study further investigates how current frameworks guide industries towards choosing technologies within the context of sustainable development and to evaluate the applicability of such frameworks to the aim of aligning the objectives of industries with those of the technology by means of SDGs. Ultimately, the key objective of this study is to developed and e ective framework to decision makers within industries that will ultimately provide guidance in choosing between technologies; the aim being to select technologies that contributes towards SDGs. A systematic literature review is conducted to identify technologies that are used to support sustainable development within a South African context. Several technologies are identi ed, and emerging technologies, that holds potential to contribute towards sustainable developments, are identi ed and discussed. There are various bodies in existence exist within South Africa that aim to ensure that positive progress is being made regarding planning and implementation of sustainable development, and given the focus of this research, the processes, focus areas and actions relating to how sustainable development is fostered in South Africa is identi ed as well as the challenges associated with achieving sustainability. Challenges include, for example, a lack of progress reporting on SDGs within South Africa. Further, the current status of South Africa is discussed in terms of SDGs and the various technologies could improve and/or contribute to the SDGs are highlighted. Existing frameworks and their guidance towards choosing technologies are investigated, whereafter a short list of attributes are identi ed. These frameworks' applicability to the design requirement is determined and reveals that there is no existing framework that connects an industry and technology through the means of SDGs. Guided by the eight phases of Jabareen's Conceptual Framework Analysis, the framework is iteratively developed. The validation process is completed through a series of interviews with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and the application of a case study, where after the incorporation of the validation ndings are integrated into the re ned framework. The unique contribution that this study makes is the connection between industry and technologies through the means of SDGs. The framework guides the decision maker in choosing between technologies for implementation that foster similar SDGs to those of the industry. The validation results indicate a positive response; however, further studies on implementation, tracking the framework's performance through its implementation and the critical issues that arise from this are required.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit word erken dat Suid-Afrika en die res van die wêreld uitdagings vir volhoubaarheid ervaar. Ideaal gesproke, en om sodoende by te dra tot volhoubaarheid, moet nywerhede hul aktiwiteite voortdurend verbeter deur tegnologiese innovasie en vooruitgang. Nie alle tegnologiese vooruitgang dra egter positief by tot volhoubaarheid nie. Tegnologie en tegnologiese innovasie word deur baie gesien as 'n belangrike faktor wat kan bydra tot volhoubare ontwikkeling en die volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings. Daar word dus aangevoer dat volhoubare ontwikkeling aansienlik beïnvloed kan word deur tegnologiese innovasie, en dit blyk duidelik uit die literatuur dat die samelewing en tegnologie saam ontwikkel en invloed op mekaar uitoefen. Dit kan dus afgelei word dat die nywerhede die volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings, en dus ook volhoubare ontwikkeling, met behulp van tegnologie, positief kan beïnvloed deur die doelwitte van nywerhede met dié van die tegnologieë te bepaal deur middel van volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings. Hierdie studie ondersoek die rol van tegnologie (bestaande en opkomende) in die bevordering van volhoubare ontwikkeling, en beoog om te beklemtoon hoe volhoubare ontwikkeling en volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings binne Suid-Afrika bevorder word. Die studie ondersoek verder hoe die huidige raamwerke industrieë lei om tegnologie te kies binne die konteks van volhoubare ontwikkeling en om die toepaslikheid van die soort raamwerke te evalueer ten einde die doelwitte van nywerhede met dié van die tegnologie deur middel van volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings te koördineer. Die hoofdoelstelling van hierdie studie is om 'n raamwerk op te stel wat e ektief leiding gee aan besluitnemers binne nywerhede om n keuse te maak tussen tegnologieë; Die doel is om tegnologieë te kies wat bydra tot volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings. 'N Sistematiese literatuuroorsig word gedoen om tegnologieë wat gebruik word om volhoubare ontwikkeling, binne 'n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, te identi seer. Verskeie tegnologieë is geïdenti- seer, terwyl opkomende tegnologieë, wat potensiaal het om tot volhoubare ontwikkelings by te dra, geïdenti seer en bespreek is. Daar is verskeie liggame wat binne Suid-Afrika bestaan, wat daarop gemik is om te verseker dat positiewe vordering gemaak word met betrekking tot die beplanning en implementering van volhoubare ontwikkeling. Met betrekking tot die navorsing, die prosesse, fokusareas en aksies wat verband hou met hoe volhoubare ontwikkeling bevorder word binne Suid-Afrika, sowel as die identisi sering van die uitdagings wat geassosieer word met die behaal van volhoubaarheid. Uitdagings sluit byvoorbeeld 'n gebrek aan vorderingsverslagdoening oor volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings in Suid-Afrika in. Verder word die huidige status van Suid-Afrika in terme van volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings bespreek en hoe die verskillende tegnologieë kan bydra tot die volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings. Bestaande raamwerke en hul leiding ten opsigte van die keuse van tegnologie is ondersoek waarna 'n kort lys van eienskappe geïdenti seer is. Hierdie raamwerk se toepaslikheid op die ontwerpvereiste is vasgestel en gevind dat daar geen bestaande raamwerk bestaan wat 'n bedryf en tegnologie deur middel van volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings verbind nie. Gelei deur die agt fases van Jabareen se Konseptuele Raamwerk Analise, word die raamwerk iteratief ontwikkel. Die bekragtigingsproses is voltooi deur middel van 'n reeks onderhoude met vakkundiges en die toepassing van 'n gevallestudie, waarna die inwerkingstelling van die validering bevindinge in die verfynde raamwerk geïntegreer is. Die unieke bydrae wat hierdie studie bied, is die verband tussen industrie en tegnologie deur middel van volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings. Die raamwerk lei die besluitnemer na die keuse tussen tegnologie vir implementering wat soortgelyke volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelstellings aan dié van die bedryf bevorder. Die validasie resultate het 'n positiewe reaksie aangedui; egter, verdere studie is nodig met implementering, die opsporing van die raamwerk se prestasie deur die implementering daarvan en die kritiese probleme wat hieruit ontstaan.