Planetary transformation in 3, 2, 1… Blast off!

# CREATE IT

It’s like all of humanity comes to a breaking point. One industrial revolution after another have led us to the modern era, yet this has not been without a huge impact on the planet. The warning signals are getting stronger. The consequences for the climate may be catastrophic, yet however dire things may seem, they can still turn around. The current tech revolution could offer hope. The digital transformation of the planet is beginning. That is our only path forward.

TREND In his documentary A Life on Our Planet, renowned natural historian and television personality David Attenborough highlights how serious our situation is. Forests aflame, melting glaciers, devastating droughts, extreme weather. The collapse of our entire ecosystem seems unavoidable. Despite this sobering message, we still have a chance, Attenborough argues. It will require a genuine change in thinking and attitude, not only from each of us, but also in how our economy is set up as a whole.

Tech firms are currently leading the charge to transform our planet and fundamentally change our approach to business. Digitization and automatization, the foundation on which Industry 4.0 rests, are no longer just buzzwords for social media. Their benefits are twofold, with the first taking center stage during the pandemic: technology allowed companies, schools and society as a whole to continue operating even during lockdown.

An IT-driven revolution

Then we have the second benefit. Through projects conceived by development teams at tech firms, the digital revolution is giving humanity an emergency brake. Clean digital technologies are one of the key factors in environmental sustainability. Human inventiveness, intelligence and creativity have brought our planet to the very edge of sustainability, and those same attributes are what can bring us back again.

Modern IT improves energy efficiency and use of natural resources, dramatically reduces emissions and prevents biodiversity loss. While we need innovation to survive, the digital transformation of our planet also represents a unique opportunity for the business sector.

The numbers speak loud and clear. According to the Environmental Technology Atlas, which Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation & Nuclear Safety has published for the last 12 years, the global Green Tech market will achieve turnover of approximately €4.6 billion euros this year alone. Global turnover in environmental technologies and efficient use of resources is predicted to hit €9.4 billion by 2030, representing an average annual growth of 7.3%.

According to the Center for the Future of Work, companies should not think of tech-based environmental initiatives as red (costs), but as green (investment opportunities). The pandemic has encouraged a spike in climate-focused tech startups, and experts estimate that within eight years investment in similar projects and business innovations alone will skyrocket to €3.4 billion worldwide.

TREND

Smart grids

These power and communications grids make it possible to regulate electricity production and consumption in real time. They help cut waste and dependence on fossil fuels, promote more efficient energy use, and provide usage data to further optimize energy use.

Environmental sensors / IoT

Placed in ecosystems, these sensors guarantee continuous data flow to monitor environmental conditions, detect the impact of human activity on natural resources, and improve response times to fires and other extreme phenomena. They also help improve transport efficiency and shape sustainable urban design, etc. The sensors collect data for years and require very little energy to run.

Big data, analytics

Essential tools for monitoring our planet’s health. Big data and data analytics help us to understand and diagnose entire ecosystems, assess their health, optimize resource allocation and enact protective measures. The large multinationals that have joined in the European Green Digital Coalition understand that as well. Their goals include a true transformation of the continent and achieving carbon neutrality (net zero). Signatories to the EGDC declaration include the CEOs of companies like Microsoft, IBM, Orange and SAP.

Sustainability as a trend

On a global scale, Europe is writing the rulebook for digital transformation, with Germany as one of the main players: Germany makes up 3% of the global economy, but 14% of global production in Green Tech.

New digitization and automation technologies have the potential to act as catalysts for today’s attempts at sustainability. The possibilities stretch far beyond the established concepts like energy-saving lights and renewable energy sources. The driving force behind real planetary transformation is artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and data analytics. These new technologies allow tech firms to make our world a better place.

Born-digital documents

The best document is one that never takes paper form. Born-digital documents also include technologies like blockchain, a specific form of electronic database for monitoring and reporting on supply chain sustainability levels.

Artificial intelligence

AI’s importance for environmental sustainability cannot be overstated. Its ability to learn and improve pattern recognition will help us better understand the impact emissions and human activity have on the environment in general. Its primary use, however, lies in modeling optimal scenarios for the changes that must be made.