Gertrude Stein’s mantra-like phrase “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose” might picture its concrete truth. Sustainability has become somewhat of a polarizing concept as it feels too complicated, often expensive up front and somehow unsustainable in the long term. And yet, it is what it is, say necessary. What should companies do to support sustainability efforts while staying competitive?
In broad strokes, sustainability implies addressing the needs of today without compromising our future. And yet, in an era of geopolitical uncertainty which threatens progress in collaborative climate efforts and where being competitive requires using emerging tech with an inherent negative environmental impact, being sustainable feels increasingly complicated.
It’s not just because training ChatGPT might use as much water as manufacturing 370 BMWs or 320 Teslas and generate 8.4 tons of CO2 annually—double an average person’s output. Or because Google reports that 15% of its energy use is attributed to AI/ML. The trend towards Edge Intelligence might also have a significant negative impact on the environment. But all in all, AI is just a part of the equation. The burning of fossil fuels – mainly for electricity, heat and transport – makes the largest contribution to climate change.
Paradoxically, this is where emerging tech -and particularly the integration of AI and IoT- brings about significant environmental benefits. Dave Lafferty, Founder of Scientific Technical Services who has 45 years of experience in the energy sector and is very active in the clean technology community, is convinced that “organizations should look at monetizing their environmental efforts rather than viewing them as simply an expense.”
“For example, today the Oil and Gas industry sends people out to the wellhead to monitor for methane emissions. This is both costly and dangerous. By transitioning to IoT devices to monitor for the methane, you get 24/7 coverage, reduced labor costs, and improved safety”, he puts. “IoT also brings more actionable insights so that you can mitigate your risks quicker by identifying not only the source of the emission but also the volume of which it’s emitting”, he adds.
Therefore, IoT can provide cost-effective continuous monitoring of assets allowing you to move from a reactive to a proactive environment. “The key is to use IoT to reduce the carbon footprint of your existing operations and also to use it to accelerate the energy transition”, says Lafferty.
Extended longevity In this spirit, at IOTSWC24, Hervé D’Halluin, Traceability and RAIN RFID leader at Decathlon, made it clear that a disruptive product traceability system, based on RFID, is “very efficient” and key for circularity. Even more when considering that “all physical things will be connected.”
That is the reason why Dr. Liesbet Van der Perre, professor at KU Leuven in Belgium, who has examined the ecological footprint of IoT devices, underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and new hardware and network based approaches to steer IoT sustainability.
Other experts point at the need to enhance IoT devices’ lifespan by changing their architectural design and applying blockchain technology to promote transparent and decentralized processes for device provisioning and tracking. This is even more necessary as the number of connected IoT devices will peak at 18.8 million this year, according to IoT Analytics (other sources provide higher estimates).
“A good example of blockchain use would be where you track phishing nets by installing tags on them. This allows you to track the assets and record when they’re being recycled. It also encourages the operator from just disposing of the nets in the ocean once they’re worn out”, says Dave Lafferty, who is also part of a volunteer organization called Global Energy Mentors.
“However, it’s very important that any initiative considers the full life cycle of the project including the commissioning and decommissioning of the asset”, he adds.
“Digital Twins can also be very useful because they can be used during the design and construct phase but also in the operation and decommissioning phase. A good example is the decommissioning of oil/gas platforms offshore,” he points out.
At the end of the day, meeting sustainability goals requires, first, that every stakeholder feels they have the agency to make change and then the will to collaborate for the common good. Technical standards, legal change and social awareness may also help to enhance resilience for the digital future. IOTSWC25, which is just around the corner, will focus on helping companies going beyond UN SDGs to be more competitive and greener by featuring successful cases of intelligent solutions coupling efficiency and real sustainability. For whatever some may say, it’s still crucial to slow down climate change. Figures are already off the charts. We’d better take action.
Article by: Anna Solana