A Preliminary Concept for an IT-Supported Industrial Symbiosis (IS) Tool Using Extended Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA)—Impulses for Environmental Management Information Systems (EMIS)

In light of advancements in information technology, economic innovation and changing demands for environmental information, information systems are of great importance as it is the basic fundament for a broader agenda of environmental management and sustainable development within and between companies. In the field of information systems, the full potentials of synergies between environmental management and information systems, as well as of Industrial Symbiosis (IS) and the method Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) have not yet been realized to the possible extent. Previous research has shown that significant environmental and economic benefits have been achieved by implementing and applying MFCA. Additionally, it offers great potential by applying it beyond its original scope and purpose, especially in IS. This paper reveals various impulses for Environmental Management Information Systems (EMIS) by the extended fields of application of the method MFCA in the context of IS, proposing a preliminary concept for an IT-supported IS tool for the identification and assessment of IS opportunities based on a conducted systematic literature review. By incorporating a variety of environmental management tools and techniques such as material flow accounting (MFA) and MFCA, EMIS can be expanded modularly adapting to the information needs of the company as well as their internal and external stakeholders, driving significantly the dynamics and speed of (further) development of existing and future approaches.