2020 was a year of big corporate sustainability pledges. Microsoft resolved to be carbon negative by 2030, and to remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than it releases. US multinational Starbucks pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent. It also pledged that 50 per cent of its water usage for coffee production and operations will be preserved or renewed. Politically too, the signs are encouraging. There have been ambitious commitments from EU, China, and other countries. The US will rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate change. And more than 370 companies – with market capitalisation of over $3.6 trillion – have committed to reduce emissions in their quest for attaining a net-zero future by 2050. New-age technology at the core of sustainability initiatives: A Capgemini Research Institute report, Sustainable Operations: A comprehensive guide for manufacturers, lays out a comprehensive 6R approach – Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Recover, Redesign, and Remanufacture – for achieving business sustainability. It clearly charts the organic linkage between technology and sustainable manufacturing. Breakthrough Energy, a group of organisations that aims to accelerate innovation in sustainable energy, commissioned Capgemini Invent to identify from the bottom up 55 high-impact climate Technology Quests. The selection was based on a comprehensive review of more than 200 state-of-the-art clean tech projects. The study describes how investments in next-gen clean technologies can accelerate Europe’s economic recovery and transformation from the bottom-up. Organisations can leverage digital technologies like AI, AR/VR, Digital twins to drive their sustainability agenda. A climate modelling exercise that Capgemini conducted with a climate change start-up estimates that by 2030, AI-enabled use cases have the potential to help organisations fulfil 11-45 per cent of the ‘Economic Emission Intensity’ targets of the Paris Agreement, depending on the scale of AI adoption across sectors. Big businesses are taking clear leads in their respective areas. Danone and Walmart are embracing regenerative farming. Car-makers like Daimler, which is the original developer of the internal combustion engine, are preparing for an electric transportation future. AI-enabled use cases in automotive can deliver around 8 per cent of the more than 35 per cent reduction required by 2030. Unilever was able to reduce its energy costs by using digital twins claims, resulting in huge savings in operating costs. Similarly, by mapping its entire store, fulfilment, and distribution network using AI, IKEA identifies the next-best possible location for returned items. This means returned items can be recycled or sold, reducing the amount of returned merchandise that ends up in landfill. In the new normal, with technological innovation becoming a key lever of progress through the use of embedded software, data, and new-generation wireless connectivity, the thrust is to make technology useful, accessible, and ethical. Ultimately, the aim should be to ‘unleash human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future.’ Capgemini sustainability – a quest to Be the Benchmark! Capgemini is committed to achieve sustainability goals. We also help our clients achieve their sustainability objectives with our technology and consulting capabilities. The company set a target of achieving carbon neutrality no later than 2025 and become a net zero business by 2030. This ambition is built on our progress in achieving 30 per cent reduction in carbon emissions per employee in January 2020, a decade ahead of schedule.
