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Internet of things (IoT) is the technology enabler in smart city adoption and creates circular economy (CE). The purpose of this chapter is to find out the relationship nexus between IoT, smart city and CE and its practical constraints in execution. This chapter elaborately maps the empirical evidence available in the literature survey of smart city development, information and communication technology (ICT) and CE. The contributions from outstanding scholars and current topics are analyzed using high citations index. The authors referred the topics with scholarly publishers and validated the data. Following that, significant technology subjects such as big data and analytics, as well as intelligent information systems, are individually examined. The findings are the challenges in implementing IoT and its interoperability capacity due to interlinking of different devices and systems. Another key challenger as well as drivers are data volume and quality, privacy, complexity and governance. The research can help policymakers, IT infrastructure provider, bureaucrats and all other concerned stakeholders to get sensitized on the implementation of IoT at smart city infrastructure. It also describes about the importance of collaboration and embracing open innovation (OI) while implementing IoT. This study is innovative in its approach and referred literature in the field of IoT, smart city, and CE by high citation index (HCI). It also researched about the various constraints in building CE through technology deployment and discusses about multilayer and multifunctional collaboration.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting is crucial for organizations, especially in the current era where sustainability holds significant importance. Proper utilization of ESG reporting offers long-term benefits and enhances overall corporate well-being. This study explores fundamental aspects of ESG reporting, elucidating the reporting process, its advantages and requirements. An analysis highlights key impacts on businesses and their influence on consumer behaviour. The disclosure of ESG reporting and its determinants, such as business size and profitability, is discussed. Additionally, the study underscores the role of promoting diversity and inclusion as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) function. Global firms undertake diverse initiatives to advance sustainability. The study emphasizes the triple bottom line theory as a strategy for sustainable development. ESG is recognized as a valuable tool for ensuring sustained growth and development in businesses. The research underscores the imperative for businesses to adopt sustainable measures consistently. Overall, the findings stress the significance of ESG reporting in the contemporary business landscape, linking it to corporate success, responsibility and the pursuit of sustainable practices.

The advent of the 21st century marks a pivotal era where rapid urbanization intersects with technological advancements, giving rise to the concept of smart cities. These urban environments harness information and communication technologies to improve service efficiency and enhance the quality of life. Parallel to this development is the emergence of circular economy (CE) models, recognized globally as an essential response to environmental challenges. This chapter delves into the integration of CE principles in smart cities, emphasizing a shift from traditional linear models towards sustainable, resource-efficient urban landscapes. Exploring the evolution of smart cities and CEs, this chapter highlights synergies and potential benefits of this integration while acknowledging significant challenges. These include technological, infrastructural, financial, policy-related and social–cultural barriers. Through a comprehensive analysis of literature, case studies and best practices, effective strategies to overcome these challenges are presented. This chapter emphasizes the roles of technological innovation, policy reform, stakeholder engagement and community involvement in driving this transformation. This chapter identifies future research areas and emerging trends, underscoring the profound impact of integrating CE principles in smart cities. This integration is pivotal for shaping sustainable and resilient urban futures, thereby redefining the paradigm of urban development in the modern era.

It's no longer a secret that a hassle-free life and better human development index are only possible in smart cities with appropriate and efficient deployment of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies where the best results of data analysis are being used. Technology is becoming more productive using circular economy while employing all the dimensions of AI where integration of results is being incorporated as an outcome of data analysis received from different segments i.e., Traffic Management, Public Safety, and Movement, Security and surveillance, Waste Management Systems, or the Energy Management, etc. This chapter specifically talks about areas where AI is facing challenges in the implementation and administration of smart cities while covering the intrinsic challenges faced in specialized domains such as Public Sanitation, Virtual Parking Management, Traffic Congestion, Security Surveillance, and many more discussed as case study relating to the functioning of the circular economy. In the last, we have summarized the impact of AI on the CE and its future scope where AI can play a better role in increased productivity, increased efficiency, robust safety and finally economic benefit for long-term stable economic stability, development and inclusive growth.

In the context of modern urbanization, optimizing resources such as energy, materials, water and labour is no longer solely an environmental concern but a strategic economic necessity. This chapter underscores the vital connection between smart cities and resource efficiency, highlighting sustainable practices as crucial amidst the ever-expanding urban landscape. This chapter commences by demystifying key terms like ‘smart city,’ ‘data analytics,’ ‘artificial intelligence’ and ‘resource efficiency.’ It illuminates how these concepts intertwine and emphasizes their pivotal roles in shaping urban sustainability. Furthermore, this chapter unravels the multifaceted components of smart cities, showcasing their real-world use cases and the techniques of data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) driving transformative changes. It draws from an extensive body of research, exemplifying how various data analytics techniques have been leveraged in the realm of smart cities. Towards its conclusion, this chapter provides a comprehensive overview of these techniques and their applications, shedding light on their potential to revolutionize resource management in urban environments. In essence, this chapter serves as a valuable compendium of knowledge, offering insights into the critical synergy between smart cities, data analytics, AI and resource efficiency. It underscores the imperative for cities to harness data-driven insights and technological advancements to achieve sustainable and prosperous urban futures.

The ongoing adverse effects of climate change have led scientific think tanks to aim towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets with affordable and clean energy (Sustainable Development Goal 7). One of the significant contributors to the escalating emissions rate is the use of conventional vehicles. The uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) is a promising solution for a cleaner economy. However, increased penetration poses various challenges to the power system. There is a need to explore alternatives, such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs), to use the advantages of both electric and conventional vehicles and bridge the gap between them. However, the transition to hydrogen-based transport requires intensive study of its key benefits and issues, the actions that need to be taken to achieve a changeover concerning light and heavy vehicles and whether such kind of transformation is likely or even possible. This chapter highlights the brief history and mechanics of HFCVs. It further analyses the various benefits and challenges which the technology poses. Additionally, it addresses critical questions regarding the feasibility of the shift towards hydrogen fuel to satisfy the world's rapidly growing energy needs and meet net-zero targets based on real-life applications. This chapter will be a valuable resource for further research, development and education efforts in HCFVs to assist in the rapidly growing transportation needs for automobiles and other vehicles.

This chapter critically discusses the literature on the subject of circular economy. It defines the circular economy at the outset and advocates its adoption in smart cities. It briefly explains the multiple phases of industrial revolution and the slow and gradual shift from a linear economy which is based on make-use-dispose model to a circular economy which relies on reusing and recycling the products produced in the production cycle. It then critically examines the legal challenges that can be associated with such a system. It draws on the lessons learnt from cities such as Amsterdam which has successfully implemented the system of circular economy. This chapter also delves into the Columbian waste management system to understand the market functioning in the waste management sector which is handled by private enterprises in the country. Moreover, the public–private partnership model in the Chinese city Suzhou is explored, and exciting methods of using this model were found.

As more and more cities adopt resilient, inclusive and sustainable principles, circular economy (CE) emerges as a critical ally in developing smart cities. The technology-driven environment of smart cities and CE's resource-efficient principles are perfectly compatible, overcoming challenges and highlighting benefits like increased resource efficiency. The integration of CE in smart cities is thoroughly analyzed in this chapter using VOSviewer and RStudio, tracing its history and pointing urban innovators towards a circular future. The categorization of obstacles to CE implementation in smart cities, the provision of knowledge about barriers and the facilitation of methodical solutions constitute a critical focus of research. Additionally, by analyzing pertinent literature, this investigation highlights the importance of integrating the concepts of the CE and the smart cities, illuminating the interdisciplinary nature of this field. This synthesis provides policymakers and planners with the knowledge they can use to advance sustainable urbanization effectively.

This chapter aims to comprehend the challenges of urban mobility in smart cities and the measures to mitigate these challenges. This chapter also tries to study how sustainable mobility can be achieved to improve the quality of life in smart cities. In this direction, this chapter reviews various newspapers, academic reports, travel reports, government portals, government websites and research papers. Results and discussions are then carried out based on such data. So, the sources of data are secondary in nature. This chapter presented an overall comprehensive discussion on urban mobility, its challenges and the measures to combat these challenges. Further, this chapter confirmed that sustainable mobility helps in improving the quality of life. Practically, this chapter offers many implications to urban transport companies, providers, government and policymakers. Urban transport companies, providers, government and policymakers may be able to understand that the path to leading a quality life in today's smart cities lies in sustainable mobility. This chapter is original in the sense that the researchers, to their limited knowledge, could not find a chapter that discusses the challenges posed by smart cities in the form of urban mobility, and that sustainable mobility is the only path to enhance the quality of life by making the environment sustainable.