Our editors curate highly rated brands that are first assessed by our rigorous ratings system. Buying through our links may earn us a commission—supporting the work we do. Learn more. If you like trendy and sexy lingerie, you might be wondering where you can find more sustainable alternatives to Victoria’s Secret. We’ve got you. […]
The post 16 More Sustainable Alternatives to Victoria’s Secret appeared first on Good On You.
As Australia braces for what could be one of the hottest summers on record, the need for meaningful climate change action is clear. Creating a clean environment is paramount, with nations and corporations setting goals for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Yet industry remains a significant contributor to these emissions, both in Australia and globally. To move towards sustainable manufacturing, companies must change their industrial processes to lessen their environmental impact.
In recent years, the fusion of digital technology, automation, and energy management has sparked a major shift in the industrial sector towards decarbonisation and more sustainable practices.
This transformation is redefining how businesses operate and evaluate success. We’re seeing a shift from a traditional profit-focused model to one prioritising sustainability, environmental responsibility, and innovation. This change is propelled by ethical considerations and increasing pressure from various stakeholders, including investors, consumers, and governments, who are scrutinising corporate environmental practices now more than ever.
Change is therefore essential, and digital technologies play a vital role in achieving sustainable industrial manufacturing.
Embracing digital advancements for sustainability
According to Schneider Electric’s latest Sustainability Index, 78% of business leaders think that digital technologies play a pivotal role in achieving sustainability goals. A further 82% of businesses believe that the benefits of adopting sustainable technology outweigh the costs.
The shift towards sustainability requires a comprehensive review of existing processes, equipment, organisational culture, and technology. The aim is to identify and address inefficiencies and waste. Technology is crucial in this transition, involving measures ranging from replacing inefficient equipment to advanced applications like digital twins and artificial intelligence. These facilitate product redesign for circular economies.
Data-driven decision-making is another key element of industrial sustainability. Manufacturers are urged to use centralised, cloud-based optimisation and project management technologies that provide valuable data-driven insights. These insights enable informed decision-making on environmental actions. Investing in these solutions can result in reduced energy consumption and process efficiency improvements, positively impacting the bottom line.
Businesses can further embrace sustainability by ’digitally retrofitting’ their operations. Intelligent energy management systems (EMSs) offer real-time insights into energy performance, adjusting consumption based on factors such as weather conditions and occupancy. These systems ensure only necessary energy is used, resulting in less waste and lower energy costs.
Technological advancements have made traditional practices, such as relying on bills and spreadsheets, obsolete. Leading changes include the use of digital twins, monitoring, visualisation, and automation. These are proving effective in expanding companies’ understanding of sustainability and reducing emissions.
Collaborative efforts for a greener tomorrow
The path to industrial sustainability is a collective effort. Collaboration among businesses is crucial in adopting digital solutions and electrified technologies for a more sustainable future.
Sustainability goes beyond environmental responsibility, promoting innovation and agility within organisations. Achieving industrial sustainability involves optimising operational efficiency, intelligent energy consumption, and waste reduction.
But one business acting in silo can only get us so far. To achieve the drastic reduction in emissions that we need in order to meet 2050 targets, this will require all industrial players to take action.
The Industrial Sustainability Triad
Sustainability these days encompasses software, automation, and energy. Schneider Electric refers to this as the ’industrial sustainability triad’. This emerging paradigm encapsulates the sustainability journey, with digital technology playing a central role in shaping more environmentally responsible and efficient industrial operations. Organisations that have harnessed the potential of this digital triad are seeing significant reductions in capital expenditure, downtime, and carbon footprint, as well as a boost in profitability.
Investing in sustainable manufacturing benefits both the environment and business. It involves taking a strategic approach with technology and automation, incorporating decarbonisation and innovative technologies.
Yet the change towards a sustainable economy won’t happen in one day. Manufacturers should start by introducing small technologies in some parts of their factories. Then focus on developing smart technologies, such as IT, data and communication infrastructure. In the meantime, industrial sustainability will continue to evolve through the synergy of digital technology, automation, and energy.
Wherever you’re starting from, now is the time for Australia’s industrial sector to embrace modern technology and approaches to achieve sustainability goals.
Carlos Urbano is Vice President of Industry, Pacific Zone at Schneider Electric, responsible for the continuing growth of the Industrial Automation and Process Automation businesses. Carlos has held multiple roles in Schneider Electric over the past 15 years, most recently as Industry Business Director at Schneider Electric Brazil.
Top image credit: iStock.com/ferrantraite
Australian businesses find themselves at the crossroads of sustainability and climate action. The imperative to reduce carbon emissions has never been more pressing, and with decarbonisation targets in place, Australian businesses must navigate this new era of environmental consciousness.
Addressing climate change is not just a matter of environmental responsibility; it is now a fundamental business imperative. Society is in the midst of an energy transition fuelled by net zero imperatives yet stalled by overwhelm from lack of clarity as to the most effective way forward.
The digital key to a sustainable future
The path to achieving net zero emissions is not solely reliant on new energy sources. In fact, it’s far easier and better to save a unit of energy than it is to make one greener. Real transformation hinges on optimising energy consumption and demand-side management. It requires a multifaceted approach: consumption reduction, replacing legacy infrastructure, and electrification.
The power of digital in catalysing that change is starting to be realised. Advanced automation, metering, and monitoring allow companies to understand and manage energy consumption effectively, thereby enhancing operational efficiency, reducing waste, and extending the lifespan of equipment.
By deploying smart devices, apps, analytics, and software, energy can be used more efficiently, driving immediate carbon reduction. Also crucial is a flexible, digital grid that can accommodate energy generation from industry and households and enable demand response.
Electrification, combined with digital technologies, can substantially reduce emissions. In commercial buildings, for instance, the adoption of electric and digital technologies can reduce energy demand by up to 40%.
Sustainability as a competitive advantage
Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Index reveals that a significant majority of businesses are realising the value of the competitive edge that sustainability offers.
Companies embracing sustainability are taking tangible steps to improve energy efficiency and adopt renewable energy sources. These actions not only insulate them from energy supply and pricing volatility but also support bottom line results through operational efficiency gains.
However, despite growing awareness and commitment to sustainability, many businesses still fall short in implementing decarbonisation strategies. Only half of the respondents in the same survey reported having a decarbonisation strategy in place. Yet, to achieve the necessary emissions reductions in time, businesses must set ambitious targets and embark on the journey toward sustainability…now.
More than target-setting
While Australia has set a net zero 2050 target, much greater advancement is needed to meet the intervening 2030 milestone marking our progress and likelihood of success. Government funding for low-emissions technology is a positive step, but collaboration across government, businesses, and individuals also plays a key role in accelerating the energy transition and ensuring initiatives to reach net zero are encouraged and facilitated.
Both the technology and the mindset already exist to make deep inroads to reducing our collective carbon footprint. It’s up to businesses to harness the existing technology and drive innovation in emerging technologies to meet the accelerated pace required to address climate change.
The time for incremental change has passed. Companies must act urgently to prioritise digitalisation, implement robust decarbonisation strategies, and embrace sustainable transformation to secure a sustainable future.
As an ‘Impact Company’, Schneider Electric celebrates and encourages those who join us. To be ‘Impact Makers’ is our call to action for people and companies to collectively contribute to a more energy resilient, electric, and net zero world. The moment for impact is now.
Pacific Zone President, Schneider Electric, Gareth O’Reilly is a global citizen with multinational leadership experience whose international perspective shapes his vision for the technology market. Gareth’s passion is to change how businesses operate, enabling companies to create value to meet the technical, financial and sustainability challenges of the future.
Top image credit: iStock.com/Supatman
Close to $22 billion in U.S. offshore wind projects have been delayed or canceled, but the Virginia utility is moving forward with the largest facility in U.S. waters.
Air pollutants from these plants were associated with the death of half a million elderly Americans from 1999 to 2020.
The post Pollution from coal-fired power plants causes far more deaths than previously thought appeared first on Sustainability Times.
