Potential and limitations of digital twins to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

Asaf Tzachor; Soheil Sabri; Catherine E. Richards; Abbas Rajabifard; Michele Acuto

doi:10.1038/s41893-022-00923-7

Potential and limitations of digital twins to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

Asaf Tzachor^*, Soheil Sabri, Catherine E. Richards, Abbas Rajabifard, Michele Acuto

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148 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Could computer simulation models drive our ambitions to sustainability in urban and non-urban environments? Digital twins, defined here as real-time, virtual replicas of physical and biological entities, may do just that. However, despite their touted potential, digital twins have not been examined critically in urban sustainability paradigms—not least in the Sustainable Development Goals framework. Accordingly, in this Perspective, we examine their benefits in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals. Then, we discuss critical limitations when modelling socio-technical and socio-ecological systems and go on to discuss measures to treat these limitations and design inclusive, reliable and responsible computer simulations for achieving sustainable development.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	822-829
Number of pages	8
Journal	Nature Sustainability
Volume	5
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-00923-7
Publication status	Published - Oct 2022

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© 2022, Springer Nature Limited.

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abstract = "Could computer simulation models drive our ambitions to sustainability in urban and non-urban environments? Digital twins, defined here as real-time, virtual replicas of physical and biological entities, may do just that. However, despite their touted potential, digital twins have not been examined critically in urban sustainability paradigms—not least in the Sustainable Development Goals framework. Accordingly, in this Perspective, we examine their benefits in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals. Then, we discuss critical limitations when modelling socio-technical and socio-ecological systems and go on to discuss measures to treat these limitations and design inclusive, reliable and responsible computer simulations for achieving sustainable development.",

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AU - Tzachor, Asaf

AU - Sabri, Soheil

AU - Richards, Catherine E.

AU - Rajabifard, Abbas

AU - Acuto, Michele

PY - 2022/10

Y1 - 2022/10

N2 - Could computer simulation models drive our ambitions to sustainability in urban and non-urban environments? Digital twins, defined here as real-time, virtual replicas of physical and biological entities, may do just that. However, despite their touted potential, digital twins have not been examined critically in urban sustainability paradigms—not least in the Sustainable Development Goals framework. Accordingly, in this Perspective, we examine their benefits in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals. Then, we discuss critical limitations when modelling socio-technical and socio-ecological systems and go on to discuss measures to treat these limitations and design inclusive, reliable and responsible computer simulations for achieving sustainable development.

AB - Could computer simulation models drive our ambitions to sustainability in urban and non-urban environments? Digital twins, defined here as real-time, virtual replicas of physical and biological entities, may do just that. However, despite their touted potential, digital twins have not been examined critically in urban sustainability paradigms—not least in the Sustainable Development Goals framework. Accordingly, in this Perspective, we examine their benefits in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals. Then, we discuss critical limitations when modelling socio-technical and socio-ecological systems and go on to discuss measures to treat these limitations and design inclusive, reliable and responsible computer simulations for achieving sustainable development.

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Potential and limitations of digital twins to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

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