The IoT could help the UK cut 17.4M tonnes of CO2

IoT could help the UK reduce 17.4 million tonnes of CO2 A report by Vodafone and WPI Economics found that emerging technologies such as IoT and 5G could help the UK cut 17.4 million tonnes of CO2 each year. Earlier this year, the UK enacted a target to reduce carbon emissions by 78 per cent by 2035 as part of its drive to reach net zero by 2050. Susanne Baker, associate director for climate, environment and sustainability at TechUK, said: “It is vital that government, regulators and business work together to tackle climate change and reach net zero by 2050.” “Digital technology has great potential to help us achieve our climate goals. Digital technology is already emerging as an important tool to support the net-zero transition, and as this report shows, today’s digital technologies can have an even more significant impact on reducing our carbon footprint across the economy . With COP26 just around the corner, it’s time to act. Technologies including the Internet of Things and 5G will be key to delivering efficiency improvements that reduce our carbon footprint while minimizing the impact on people’s ability to live, work and travel without significant disruption. . The new report – “Connecting for Net Zero: tackling the climate crisis with digital technology” – focuses on three important but high-polluting sectors: agriculture, manufacturing, and transport. Agriculture provides sufficient income for all citizens but has historically produced large amounts of carbon in the process. The report estimates that around 4.8 million tonnes of CO2e – equivalent to the production of three billion pints of milk – could be saved annually by introducing smart sensors to better monitor crops, soil, fertilizer, feed, and water at source – to improve efficiency and reduce waste. . Manufacturing helps improve lives, but does so at a significant cost to the environment. Around 3.3 million tonnes of CO2e will be saved every year – equivalent to the production of nearly 600,000 cars – by integrating new technologies such as artificial intelligence and smart building solutions to improve production lines and energy efficiency. Transport is important for visiting loved ones, work, daily tasks and seeing the world, but it is also the biggest polluter. Figures from the Department for Transport found “little change over time in transport emissions”, with a three percent reduction in 2019 from 2009. Around 9.3 million tonnes of CO2e can be saved every year – the equivalent of taking two million cars off the road – thanks to solutions including improved telematics, which enables logistics companies to shorten delivery routes and reduce downtime through intelligent route planning. Andrea Dona, Network Director, Vodafone UK, said: “Significantly reducing emissions from traditionally carbon-intensive sectors – such as manufacturing, transport, and agriculture – is one of the biggest opportunities of the coming decade. “Business and government must work together to drive the adoption of technology that will increase efficiency and help the UK decarbonize faster to meet key environmental targets.” For its part, Vodafone recently announced that its European operations are now powered by 100 percent renewable electricity. The operator plans to reach net zero for its UK operations by 2027 and globally by 2040. Last year, Vodafone UK estimated that 54 percent of its 123 million IoT connections enabled customers to reduce emissions.