AVEVA has joined companies across the technology and energy spectrum to underscore the multifaceted role of digitalisation in helping to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across the ecosystem at AVEVA PI World conference
The conference discussed how data-led innovation can help unlock sustainability benefits at every level.
Nine in ten companies expect to accelerate their sustainability activities over the coming year as businesses recognise their role in tackling climate change, an AVEVA-commissioned survey of over 850 c-suite and digital transformation experts shows.
Four in five leading industries want to increase their digital investments to drive sustainable business models, demonstrating the enormous potential of advanced technologies such as smart data, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing in enabling net zero and lower carbon industrial operations, explained Lisa Johnston, chief marketing officer and chief sustainability officer at AVEVA.
“Companies around the world have committed to reducing their environmental footprint. AVEVA believes the business community must now go further, by way of positive contributions to sustainability through our activities and partnerships – or in other words, our sustainability handprint. Given the nature of the capabilities AVEVA provides to our customers, our solutions make a constructive impact on environmental sustainability,” Johnston added.
Digitalisation strategies to achieve net-zero commitments
Data-led innovation plays a significant part in achieving net-zero goals, panelists said. Panel attendees learned actionable strategies towards building climate-positive organisations.
1. Incorporate sustainability into your KPIs: Olivier Blum, chief strategy & sustainability Officer at Schneider Electric, ranked the world’s most sustainable company, said companies should develop sustainability strategies in the same way they have strategies for other areas, such as finance or human resources.
2. Use data to predict innovation: Continuous data monitoring means that fleet represents 1,000 different experiments providing feedback to produce future assets, said Jesper Skov Gretlund, senior manager, Numerical Competence Centre, Ørsted. Innovation is a continuous process of refinement, and advanced technologies such as AI and big data facilitate that process. Ørsted is on track to becoming carbon-neutral by 2025.
3. Extend your handprint with partnerships: Neste works with suppliers that share its sustainability commitments on its path to achieving carbon neutrality in production by 2035. The company uses data collected across its value chain to improve its operations and to help other companies reduce their emissions, said Salla Ahonen, vice-president of Sustainability, Neste.
4. Measure everything for sustainability at scale: Thousands of companies are setting net-zero targets, but achieving them requires better measurement tools, said Lucas Joppa, chief environment officer at Microsoft.
The panel concluded that industries are no longer forced to compromise competitiveness in the short term to pursue a more sustainable future. The thought leadership forum for AVEVA’s partner executives was open to all registered delegates at AVEVA PI World.
The event is part of a series of AVEVA initiatives to support an inclusive, net-zero economy in line with a 1.5°C pathway as the world works to hold off the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
