Purpose: In this paper, the authors aim to explore the relationship between the concepts of Industry 4.0 and circular economy (CE) as a contribution to the management decision on emerging countries. By analyzing the trends of scientific production to ascertain the interface of both constructs, the purpose of this paper is to identify limitations for Industry 4.0 and CE implementation in Brazil, as well to present an original framework and strategic pathways to overcome limitations for emerging countries.Design/methodology/approach: Supported in the Brazilian case, the authors draw a framework using the structuralism approach to indicate pathways for the strategic positioning of emerging economies that consider their limitation and potential for competitive advantage. By understanding country-related limitations such as social and economic contingencies, the authors conceive a structure of implications for Brazil’s capacity to develop CE in the digital era.Findings: Results show that Brazil has a reasonable, institutional and stable environment, as well as strong regulatory policies for solid waste that can stimulate CE in the country. However, it requires more communication between actors, especially public and private institutions, performing long-range relationships. Also, the country requires consolidation of industrial policies and investments in the remanufacturing process in the supply chain. Likewise, despite Brazil’s ability to take advantage of CE’s benefits, the country presents a huge lack of qualification to fulfill the competences that the digitization process demands. Economically, Brazil has been fighting against an economic crisis since 2014 that has limited general investments, especially in the industrial sector. Industry presents low performance and decreasing GDP participation, which leads to constant overseas production transfer as a consequence of the workforce’s high costs.Research limitations/implications: The authors can affirm that Brazil is far behind developed countries in searching for the capacity to provide CE through technological industrial change. The main problems are related to the lack of articulation of public and private spheres to promote new digital business models. Therefore, the structured framework enables managers and public agents to provide solutions and to properly address supply chain bottlenecks in emerging economies.Originality/value: Exploring the relationship between the concepts of Industry 4.0 and CE through the specific lens of the structuralist method, this work can contribute to the management decision on emerging countries, looking into four important perspectives: political, economic, social and technological.

Purpose: This paper aims to analyse systematically previous literature that sought to understand the formation of circular supply chains (CSCs) and propose a research agenda for implementing circular economy 4.0 in the wholesale industry.Design/methodology/approach: The research is based on a systematic literature review.Findings: There is a prevalence of research related to manufacturing and how industrial complexes can establish practices linked to the circular economy. The reviewed papers in this study can be classified into three perspectives: systemic analysis, institutional perspective and operational perspective. Considering these categories and the wholesaler perspective, there is a scope to explore Industry 4.0 technologies applications with wholesale distributors and their contributions to the reverse flow of waste along the CSC. In addition, it is interesting to examine the interpretation of wholesale distributors on circularity, and how these members can contribute to filling the information gaps between industries and retailers based on the concepts of circular economy and Industry 4.0, and how they can contribute to establishing public policies for proper waste recycling methods.Originality/value: First, this research considers the wholesaler the exclusive supply chain member under the influence of Industry 4.0 and highlights its importance in firms' circular operations. Second, it provides an inclusive plan for the other stakeholders to interact with the wholesaler echelon to design and operate under 4.0 technologies to consolidate effective CSCs.

Sustainability initiatives and Indigenous realities are increasingly engaging with each other across the world. Developed through diverse frameworks and supported by public and private actors, these initiatives involve claims of conservation and development. However, notions of development often assume common ground between Indigenous realities and sustainability initiatives, neglecting foundational differences that can lead to contemporary forms of colonization and violence. In this article, we explore how sustainability initiatives and Indigenous realities engage with each other by empirically examining the Paiter Suruí Carbon Credit REDD+ Project in Rondônia, Brazil. Drawing from a political ontology lens, we analyze moments of engagement between Indigenous realities and external actors, through which we theorize what we call ethical imposition and ontological violence—the disruption of foundational modes of life due to the unilateral enforcement of one’s own ethical framework onto others. We argue that despite the potential benefits of such programs, sustainability initiatives can ultimately lead to the disruption of Indigenous ways of life through the imposition of external ethical frameworks.

The article aims to verify the perspectives and the challenges for the direct investment with mixed Brazilian capital in the production of ethanol from sugarcane in African countries. For method were considered interviews and secondary data collection in the light of the main theories of the economic current, reasons for foreign investment, analysis of the macroeconomic environment of the company when addressing factors related to trade theories, location, balance of payments and exchange rate, as well as analysis of the aspects at the of the firm. As the main results from the answers obtained by the interviewees, there is a tendency for Brazilian companies to invest in ethanol production in other countries, including those located on the African continent, since Brazil has a consolidated demand market for ethanol, as well as other points that refer to the known regulatory environment of investors, the availability of land and labor; corporate debt and others in problem recovery caused by the 2008 international financial crisis, climatic factors, sugar in the international market and the price of gasoline in the domestic market accompanies the international market price.

Goal: This paper aims to analyze the economic feasibility of the inclusion of solar energy boiler in the production process in a chemical industry. Design/Methodology/ Approach: The research method used was documentary analysis in organizational reports, interviews with suppliers and observation. For the feasibility analysis of the solar energy inclusion project, Payback, Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Net Present Value (NPV) calculations were performed. Results: Results show that the adequacy of the production system from the use of solar energy contributes to the three areas of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), that is, economical because its contributions to the organization's long-term cost reduction, social by ensuring greater safety to workers around the boiler and environmental by reducing the rate of greenhouse gases emissions from burning fossil fuels. Limitations of the investigation: The paper limitations are related to the fact that the study was made from data collected in a single organization from chemical industry sector to trace the feasibility of the project, this fact does not allow us to assume generalizations to other companies in the sector. Practical implications: The study shows the importance of adopting new production systems based on cleaner energies and what contributions can be achieved on sustainability by organizations, society and the environment. Originality/Value: By analyzing the feasibility of adapting a production system to a chemical industry, the study contributes to the field of research on environmental management and sustainability.