Information technology is a powerful tool for meeting environmental objectives and promoting sustainable development. This collection of papers by leaders in industry, government, and academia explores how information technology can improve environmental performance by individual firms, collaborations among firms, and collaborations among firms, government agencies, and academia. Information systems can also be used by nonprofit organizations and the government to inform the public about broad environmental issues and environmental conditions in their neighborhoods.


Several papers address the challenges to information management posed by the explosive increase in information and knowledge about environmental issues and potential solutions, including determining what information is environmentally relevant and how it can be used in decision making. In addition, case studies are described and show how industry is using information systems to ensure sustainable development and meet environmental standards.

The book also includes examples from the public sector showing how governments use information knowledge systems to disseminate "best practices" beyond big firms to small businesses, and from the world of the Internet showing how knowledge is shared among environmental advocates and the general public.


Table of Contents


Front Matter
Information Systems and the Environment: Overview and Perspectives
The Information Technology Revolution and Industrial Ecology
The Information Revolution and Sustainability: Mutually Reinforcing Dimensions of the Human Future
Intellectual Property Rights in Data
Information Systems within the Firm
Improving Environmental Knowledge Sharing
Using Environmental Knowledge Systems at DuPont
Environmental Information Management Systems at Rhône-Poulenc
Environmental Knowledge-Sharing in Manufacturing
Modular Design for Recyclability: Implementation and Knowledge Dissemination
Environmental Information in Supply-Chain Design and Coordination
Simulation Models for Information Sharing and Collaboration
Opportunities for Collaboration and New Technologies
Industrial Research and Development Collaborations: Increasing Environmental Knowledge for Competitive Advantage
InfoSleuth: An Emerging Technology for Sharing Distributed Environmental Information
Public Access to Environmental Information
Internet Global Environmental Information Sharing
Knowledge Networking for Global Sustainability: New Modes of Cyberpartnering
Biographical Data
Index