A four part series.

Data form the foundation of understanding the world as it is today and shape it for tomorrow. Climate data, traffic, data, health data, economic data—it’s all measured and verified to ascertain, understand and, if possible, optimise current conditions. To make all this possible, you need sensors that collect weather data, smart metres to record energy consumption, networks to transmit all these data, plus hardware and software to process and analyse them and to create models and prognoses. This all works very well already in some areas, but in others results are still very fragmented.

Part 2: Carbon neutrality.

Businesses and industry are working hard towards meeting the demands for climate neutrality, but even the initial act of evaluating their situation is proving difficult. A large number of providers have developed software solutions to automatically determine company-wide carbon footprints and energy consumption. Not only do these solutions make life a lot easier, but they also help in taking a structured approach to making reductions. At Planetly, the process is split into four steps—calculate, reduce, compensate, communicate. Cozero promises a Return on Carbon Investment (RoCI) on the path to decarbonisation. Tools like these are, in fact, powerful means that businesses like to make use of in order to fulfil sustainability requirements.

Leaders for Climate Action.

‘Leaders for Climate Action’ is a group of over 500 tech companies coming together to help tackle climate change. The website lists over 1,600 entrepreneurs and managers as members, representing 200,000 employees in 38 countries. Nearly one million tonnes of CO₂-equivalents are said to have already been saved or compensated for. The community organises campaigns and events, and shares member company use cases and action guides such as for supply chain tracking or design solutions for fewer returns in e-commerce. Mastermind Groups are set up so that members can discuss various topics and share ideas and companies that present qualified measures are awarded a Certified Climate Goals badge. As most of the members’ have online business models, the spotlight is on digital infrastructures, for example, data centre operations, data transfers, software architectures and hardware use. Everywhere you look, there is room for optimisation.

Quick calculation: plane - car - train = videoconference.

If two people fly from Stuttgart to Berlin for a meeting, they cause 470 kg of CO₂ emissions. If they travel by car, the figure is 380 kg, by train only 65 kg. For a four-hour video conference, the two of them consume only 1 kg.