# Industry 4.0 Maturity Model Assessing Environmental Attributes of Manufacturing Company
## 1 Introduction  
Industrial revolutions were characterised by innovations in mechanics (the First Industrial Revolution), electronics (the Second Industrial Revolution), and information technologies (the Third Industrial Revolution) [1]. The Fourth Industrial Revolution combines several key technologies and enables the realisation of production in which individual machines and products communicate with each other. The concept is based on the German government's high-tech strategy, which was presented at the Cebi 2013 trade fair in Hanover [2]. It is characterised by information technologies and intelligent cyber-physical systems (CPSs) leading to automation of production processes, gradually replacing the human workforce, and creating the need for establishing modern workplaces. Cameras, transmitters, sensors, code readers, and other higher generation technological devices will help to achieve this, taking over both repetitive, simple tasks and dangerous activities, as well as the intelligent decision-making processes that people currently carry out [3]. According to experts [4], this should lead to an increase in production productivity by up to one-third, compared to the current situation. Industry 4.0 has arrived just in time for the most critical decade for climate action. The environmental economy concept is widely discussed in many circles due to its qualitative and quantitative aspects. The environmental economy is defined as an economy that aims at reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities, as well as contributing to sustainable development without degrading the environment [5]. It is closely related to ecological economics, but for our purposes, the environmental aspect is presented in smart factory processes with a focus on environmental production. The environmental aspect is critical here since it intends to reduce environmental impacts and risks and, at the same time, achieve organisational profit and market share objectives [6]. The environmental paradigm has its roots in environmental management [7]. Environmental supply chain management adopts environmentally friendly initiatives that can be deployed to decrease the environmental impact [8]. This can be through thereduction of waste such as energy, water, air emissions, solid and hazardous waste. According to [9], environmental initiatives should be considered in the initial phase of product design and raw material acquisition and continue throughout the various manufacturing stages, the delivery and distribution of the product to the customer, and the disposal of the end product. The scope of the environmental supply chain ranges from initiatives implemented through reduce, reuse and recycle, rework, return, remanufacturing, and reverse logistics [10]. According to [11], there are options for environmental production chain management, for example, reducing the quantity of material used by reducing the quantity of material needed to produce. Additionally, alternative materials are essential because by implementing them, we can use them to replace the original material with ones with less environmental impact. Recycling materials that make up the product and searching for alternative products which perform the same function is also a way of \"going environmental\". Product recycling and reuse and eliminating excessive functions such as stopping production of unused or less used product features are other ways of implementing \"environmental\" standards into production. Digital technologies, as one of the Industry 4.0. pillars, can accelerate the reduction of global emissions by up to 15 per cent by 2030 while being responsible for only 1.4% of global emissions [12]. The objective of the article is to support the move from resource consumption, pollutant emissions, and more extensive manufacturing towards environmentally responsible manufacturing (ERM). The objective is intended to be fulfilled by the proposed Industry 4.0 maturity model dealing with the environmental attributes of a manufacturing company.