While the pandemic has taught us the value of a healthy lifestyle, it has also ingrained in us a deeper awareness of our environment and how it has immensely suffered in the past hundred years as a result of calamitous CO2 emissions and climate change.
In 2019, over six million people from 180 countries rallied to the streets to appeal to the United Nations climate summit for more projects that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Customers, investors, and other stakeholders are scrutinizing the climate impact of huge companies in today’s market. Business leaders across the world are now under a lot of pressure to create ways to reduce the carbon emissions of their day-to-day operations. This is where technology and artificial intelligence come into play.
AI and other similar technologies can help companies decarbonize their operations. Businesses may even be rewarded with a range of financial incentives for using AI to improve their daily processes. But how far can AI reduce carbon emissions for a large company?
How AI Can Help Reduce Carbon Emissions
Tech companies, governments, and investors are growing keener for AI-based business systems. These inventions use algorithms to identify, collect, and monitor patterns in data to help companies make better forecasts and decisions. It can also help companies predict and limit the impact of their CO2 emissions.
Measure Future Carbon Emissions
Companies that measure their carbon footprint have a better grasp of where the majority of their emissions come from. Once they recognize where the issue lies, they can take steps to limit the carbon intensity of their operations. Using existing carbon footprint data, AI can predict future greenhouse gas emissions. AI technologies and data optimization approaches can enhance efficiency in transportation, manufacturing, and other areas of business. As a result, companies can reduce their operating costs as well as their carbon footprint.
Carbon emissions reductions are beneficial to the environment. As more firms assess their consumption patterns and take measures to reduce their carbon impact, global warming can be delayed.
Design Energy-Efficient Infrastructure
The construction industry accounts for a significant portion of worldwide energy use and has a persistent negative environmental impact. Efficiently designed and operated buildings can significantly improve a company’s energy savings. AI can track a company’s energy usage and provide suggestions on how to reduce and improve consumption without sacrificing the company’s productivity.
Studies show that AI technology can help companies improve energy efficiency by more than 30%. For example, AI systems can boost power storage and optimize green energy installations, activating wind and solar power into the power grid as required. As a result, carbon emissions related to financial services, production, and other operations are reduced significantly.
Improve Worker Safety and Compliance
A business must meet three parameters for sustainability to be considered “green.” These parameters are divided into social, environmental, and governmental. AI-based systems can boost worker safety by ensuring companies stay compliant with current industry laws and standards. Additionally, it can monitor worker conformity to business safety regulations and standards.
For instance, cameras may be installed in certain areas of the office to evaluate employee behavior. Managers and supervisors can identify when workers are wearing the appropriate clothing or safety equipment. Other dangers in the organization can also be identified by the AI system, and relevant operations or safety sectors can be notified for further action.
Optimized Logistics
According to recent data, the transportation industry is one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions come primarily from burning fossil fuels to power trucks, trains, cars, and planes. AI technology can boost company distribution and logistics operations, significantly reducing a company’s carbon footprint.
AI-powered software can give efficient routes for product delivery while keeping sustainability in mind. In fact, logistics organizations now utilize route optimization technologies in most of their trucks because they bring considerable financial and environmental benefits.
Why Should Businesses Care About Their Emissions?
Stakeholder expectations and social responsibility norms will influence a company’s climate policy. Nevertheless, the consequences of climate change on business operations are now so obvious and definite that the problem is better tackled with strategic tools rather than philanthropic ones.
Final Thoughts
Climate change is now a political reality and is increasingly influencing commercial rivalry. Greenhouse gas emissions will be more closely monitored, controlled, and taxed. Companies that continue to view global warming as a corporate social responsibility matter instead of as a business concern risk facing dramatic impacts.
Carbon emissions must be treated as a cost by business leaders, as they are going to be in the near future. Enterprises must analyze and decrease their susceptibility to climate-related economic and ecological shocks.
There isn’t an all-encompassing approach to improving business emissions. Every company has unique requirements and preferences. The solution you choose will depend on your particular industry and strategy.
