2022 Tech Trends to Drive a More Sustainable Future

5G Networks

5G and connected technology can contribute to reaching the goal of net zero carbon across the UK. It will not only reduce harmful emissions but its application in agriculture, remote healthcare and education will go a long way to drive positive change and inclusion at mass scale. Powered by 5G, the application of smart connected solutions, such as smart grids and autonomous vehicles, could see the UK save up to 269 mega-tonnes of CO2 by 2035, almost equivalent to England’s total emissions in 2018 (20 megatonnes).*

*O2 article "O2 reveals vision for a greener, connected future: 5G to play a key role in building a greener economy" - August 2020

Smart Buildings & Offices

Most sources today agree that around 40% of CO2 emissions and more than 50% of electricity consumption are from our buildings.* Companies can automate their lighting and HVAC systems and use smart building trends to create an energy-efficient workspace and better understand the opportunities for floor plan use. Energy consumption in a building can be reduced by up to 35% with the use of smart technology.**

*Frost & Sullivan "Using Data to Drive Workplace Innovation and Sustainability" white paper 2021

**Irisys article "5 Key Benefits of Smart Buildings" - March 2019

Green Supply Chain

Internet of things, mobile, blockchain, cloud — these technologies can be implemented at almost every stage of the supply chain and help companies decrease the environmental impact of their business and products. HSBC reports that 31% of companies worldwide plan to introduce sustainability-focused changes to their supply chains, and 7 of the 10 largest global FMCG companies have carbon emissions reduction goals that include helping suppliers to go ‘green’.*

*Supply Chain Digital article "New Research Indicates Greener Supply Chains Mean More Profit" - April 2021

AgTech

From smart robots that gather data from crops to reducing livestock manure, the agriculture sector encompasses a range of innovative technological developments to improve efficiency and mitigate greenhouse gases. Agriculture should also 'move away from CAPEX-heavy financial management toward a modern OPEX model creating an opening for new types of financing and fintech solutions.'*

*Forbes article "Five Trends Farmers And Tech Companies Are Betting The Farm On" - January 2022

Smart Charging

The UK has set a goal of banning sales of conventional fossil fuel vehicle sales by 2030 and only allowing zero-emission vehicles from 2035 – five years earlier than had originally been planned.* As opposed to traditional charging devices that aren’t connected to the cloud, smart charging allows the charging station owner to monitor, manage, and restrict the use of their devices remotely to optimise energy consumption.

*GridBeyond "Global energy trends 2022" white paper 2022