Literature review: The role of information systems in sustainable development

Information systems (IS) have emerged as a critical tool in advancing sustainable development by promoting efficient decision-making, improving resource management, and reducing environmental impact. This review explores the multifaceted role of IS in driving sustainability across environmental, business, educational and societal domains. Green IS efforts such as sustainable procurement systems contribute to minimize enterprises’ ecological footprints by the means of promoting the energy-efficient practices and workable resource management. In business, IS enhances sustainable performance and competitiveness through advanced decision support systems (DSS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools, enabling organizations to optimize operations and strategically manage growth. IS also plays a remarkably important role in fostering social sustainability, particularly through the development of sustainable online communities and knowledge-sharing platforms. In education, information and communication technologies (ICT) drive progress toward sustainable development goals by supporting mobile learning and distance education. However, employing sustainable IS encounters challenges like managing data security the perceived costs and complexity of implementation. On the other hand, IS offers significant opportunities to align technology with sustainability principles benefiting both organizations and society as well. This review highlights the need for further research and development of IS frameworks that help to support long-term sustainability goals.