Industry 4.0 technologies enabled digital carbon footprint to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases

This study discusses the contributions of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies to improve current industrial processes in energy consumption and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. As manufacturing practices are increasingly needed to be sustainable, I4.0 boasts novel technological solutions for optimizing energy usage and provides a drive for improving environmental sustainability. Adopting a comprehensive literature review, the study presents some potential technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing and Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) which adds uniquely to energy efficiency and emission reduction. The research methodology includes a detailed analysis of previous studies using Bibliometrics analysis and Systematic process for automating the review (SPAR4) and technological frameworks to assess the effectiveness of such technologies in real-world applications. The study identifies several notable contributions of I4.0, such as the employment of AI in emissions monitoring, IoT in real-time energy management and predictive maintenance for less wasteful energy consumption. Besides this, cloud computing helps in efficient data centre operations and AR/VR allows advanced operational efficiency through high-end training and design applications. The findings from the study reflect that I4.0 technologies brings enormous benefits in terms of energy management and emission reduction. However, gaps exist in the scalability of such technologies, especially for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the integration of renewable energy sources. The future research should be focused on overcoming these challenges, especially standardizing data protocols, enhancing the interoperability of technologies and developing cost-effective solutions for SMEs. This study provides an insight into the potential and challenges of I4.0 in the pursuit of energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact.