Green Enterprise Architecture (GREAN)—Leveraging EA for Environmentally Sustainable Digital Transformation

Niels Vandevenne (), Jonas Van Riel () and Geert Poels
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Niels Vandevenne: IC Institute, 2580 Beerzel, Belgium
Jonas Van Riel: Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Geert Poels: Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-39

Abstract: Digital Transformations (DT) play an increasingly important role in academia and business, yet their significant Environmental Footprint (EF) is often overlooked, sidelining their potential for Environmental Sustainability (ES). This paper bridges this gap by integrating ES into the discourse of DT, proposing Green Enterprise Architecture (GREAN) as a method for sustainable transformation. Utilizing a Design Science Research approach, we developed an artefact outlining a comprehensive strategy for embedding ES in DT across various layers of an organization. The tool’s need was validated via a systematic literature review (SLR), highlighting the significant research gap in Green Enterprise Architecture. The artefact provides concrete Courses of Action (CoAs) for incorporating ES into the organizational strategy, business, data, application, and technology layers and proposes relevant capabilities to address this. The paper further presents an ES-aware business capability modelling, an innovative business modelling approach that integrates environmental sustainability principles by using (in a novel way) the presentation and analysis methods that capability mapping offers. The proposed artefact serves as a starting point for environmentally sustainable DTs. Future research directions include in-depth exploration of each enterprise layer for ES, real-world validation of our proposed tools and concepts, and the expansion of these into a full framework.

Keywords: enterprise architecture; environmental sustainability; digital transformation; capability-based management; organizational strategy; sustainable digital business (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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