A new demand for contact-free sensing technologies has led to the rise of the touchless sensing market. It is projected to reach $15.3 billion in 2025, up from $6.8 billion in 2020. This represents an increase of 17.4%, according to MarketsandMarkets. One new example comes from thyssenkrupp Elevator.
The company launched a mobile app that allows tenants to operate elevators with their smartphone or wearable device. The app is part of its AGILE elevator enhancement suite of solutions. Also, an administration portal allows the building management to process user requests individual or in batch uploads. The portal can integrate with most access control companies.
In addition to the mobile app, another important touchless solution is thyssenkrupp Elevator’s Social Distancing Service. It can be paired with the AGILE platform and helps tenants to stay safe by limiting elevator passengers so they can maintain physical distance.In my book, Sustainable in a Circular World, I wrote a detailed case study about what thyssenkrupp Elevator is doing both internally and with its elevators to contribute to being more sustainable. Here is a portion of that case study.
Elevators have been in buildings for hundreds of years. They have even found their way into some of the most elaborate of homes and into the highest peaks in the world. As these vertical transport capabilities get more sophisticated, they are showing up at some of the most unimaginable heights.
There was a time when people referenced these movable rooms as cage lifts from the depths of coal mines; to rollercoasters, tram-like elevators, and even robots, and with the pandemic we have seen the rise of touchless solutions and kick-button solutions. The point is elevators are changing faster today than they have in 100 years previously.
Sustainable Design Manager, Monica Miller Brown, at thyssenkrupp Elevator admitted that most people struggle with the idea of closing the loop when it comes to talking about circularity and sustainability. For instance, traction elevator systems are equipped with an energy recovery function that allows for energy generated by braking to be put back into the building’s power grid.
This energy regeneration can account for up to 50% of the energy used by the elevator itself. The company understands that efficient vertical transportation is critical to efficient land use and sensitivity to the environment and society.
thyssenkrupp Elevator has committed to a set of environmental goals that include operational use of an innovation smart-routing system to optimize use and reduce energy consumption.To read the rest of the case study, purchase the book today.
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A new demand for contact-free sensing technologies has led to the rise of the touchless sensing market. It is projected to reach $15.3 billion in 2025, up from $6.8 billion in 2020. This represents an increase of 17.4%, according to MarketsandMarkets. One new example comes from thyssenkrupp Elevator
The company launched a mobile app that allows tenants to operate elevators with their smartphone or wearable device. The app is part of its AGILE elevator enhancement suite of solutions. Also, an administration portal allows the building management to process user requests individual or in batch uploads. The portal can integrate with most access control companies.
In addition to the mobile app, another important touchless solution is thyssenkrupp Elevator’s Social Distancing Service. It can be paired with the AGILE platform and helps tenants to stay safe by limiting elevator passengers so they can maintain physical distance.
In my book, Sustainable in a Circular World, I wrote a detailed case study about what thyssenkrupp Elevator is doing both internally and with its elevators to contribute to being more sustainable. Here is a portion of that case study.
Elevators have been in buildings for hundreds of years. They have even found their way into some of the most elaborate of homes and into the highest peaks in the world. As these vertical transport capabilities get more sophisticated, they are showing up at some of the most unimaginable heights.
There was a time when people referenced these movable rooms as cage lifts from the depths of coal mines; to rollercoasters, tram-like elevators, and even robots, and with the pandemic we have seen the rise of touchless solutions and kick-button solutions. The point is elevators are changing faster today than they have in 100 years previously.
Sustainable Design Manager, Monica Miller Brown, at thyssenkrupp Elevator admitted that most people struggle with the idea of closing the loop when it comes to talking about circularity and sustainability. For instance, traction elevator systems are equipped with an energy recovery function that allows for energy generated by braking to be put back into the building’s power grid.
This energy regeneration can account for up to 50% of the energy used by the elevator itself. The company understands that efficient vertical transportation is critical to efficient land use and sensitivity to the environment and society.
thyssenkrupp Elevator has committed to a set of environmental goals that include operational use of an innovation smart-routing system to optimize use and reduce energy consumption.
To read the rest of the case study, purchase the book today.
Want to tweet about this article? Use hashtags #IoT #sustainability #AI #5G #cloud #edge #futureofwork #digitaltransformation #green #ecosystem #environmental #circularworld
Electric motorcycles haven’t been as quick to catch on as other electric vehicles. Now, a new report shows the technology holds strong potential in the next 10 years due to increasingly rigorous emissions standards, new incentives, and the establishment of low and zero emission zones.
A new report from Guidehouse Insights shows the global annual unit sales of e-motorcycles are expected to grow from nearly 1.1 million in 2021 to 3.6 million by 2030. This is due to a number of factors including: cost decreases, improvements to battery technology, and fleet electrification opportunities.
China currently holds a large portion of the market, accounting for 90% of e-motorcycle unit sales in 2021. Its dominance in the market will decrease to 42% by 2030, as other countries grow far more quickly. We will see a rise in this market in India, the rest of Asia Pacific, and Europe.
In my book, Sustainable in a Circular World, I share the example of how electrification of vehicles can help on large campuses. Here is an excerpt from the book:
It comes down to transitioning traditional energy supplies through solar supplies and energy efficiency, recycling programs, water bottle refilling stations, organic farming, reimbursements for going green, shuttle buses and carpooling, and so much more on campuses.
The University of Michigan is just like any other university, and of course, is part of the Big Ten, which means it has a lot of operational expenditures and capital investments. For instance, campus buses are run on biodiesel or electricity. It is transitioning its HVAC systems to use renewables and is investing in solar parks on its campuses. It is also looking at transitioning to natural gas.
The energy question discussion has to be viewed via two separate lenses. One is the operational lens of a university, which aims to transition to net zero carbon. There is an extremely high priority that renewable energy becomes a big part of the discussion, a big part of the deployment. The second is the endowment where it’s really more about the university investing its capital from which it draws funds to support operations. This includes investment in fellowships as well as investments in the campus all while improving buildings and whatever else it does to ensure resilience and adaptation to this ever-changing climate change.
Perhaps there is an opportunity for electric motorcycles on a more global scale in the next decade. One thing is for sure, we will certainly see widespread adoption in China and a growing interest in other countries to the East.
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What type of long-term impact will the COVID-19 pandemic have on energy? The good news is predictions show that the impacts of behavioral changes due to the crisis are small and the long-term impact is modest—but there are still other hurdles that lurk ahead.
To address the various pathways for the energy transition, McKinsey’s new Global Energy Perspective identifies some common themes that stand out. These include:· As the world rapidly exhausts its carbon budget, there is a growing momentum towards decarbonization of the global economy.· Fundamental trends shaping the energy transition in the coming decade remain in place and appear resilient to the COVID-19 crisis.· Fossil fuels continue to play an important role in the energy system.· Electricity demand grows through direct electrification and the update of green hydrogen. Renewables quickly ramp up and account for half of power generation by 2035.· Investment flows remain stable in the next 15 years, with several tipping points ahead in the energy transition.
One interesting point it makes is the fact that change is too slow to reach the 1.5 degrees C pathway. McKinsey predicts global energy-related emissions will remain flat until 2030, followed by a gradual, approximately 25% decline until 2050. That isn’t good enough to reach the goals set forth. carbon dioxide emissions need to reach net zero by 2050 in order to move to that 1.5 degrees C, which will require stronger ambition and accelerated implementation at a global scale. The coming decade is going to be particularly important, as it will require a decline in global emissions of more than 50% by 2030.
In my book, Sustainable in a Circular World, I dig into this topic a little bit deeper. Here is a quick excerpt from the book.
Here’s a known fact: the first global warming prediction was made as far back in 1896. It was actually made when Svante Arrhenius had estimated the burning of fossil fuels would eventually release enough carbon dioxide to warm the Earth by 5 degrees C. The fundamental physics underlying the calculations has not changed, according to scientists, but not surprisingly, predictions on the other hand are all over the place when it comes to really putting a finger on what exactly the future holds.
We will get into a greater discussion on the Paris Agreement in the next chapter. But for now, let’s acknowledge the Paris Agreement’s underlying objective is not without merit—global collaboration, social justice, and systemic change. The goal of getting all countries to set a low-carbon agenda for all world countries to be supportive and complementary is lofty and worthwhile, but is it reasonable in a world that global leaders march to the beat of their own drum when it comes to pollution and building coal plants, and the like?
I go a lot deeper in the book about the Paris Agreement and you can learn more in this vlog. More importantly, what are your thoughts? What are some of the biggest hurdles that lurk ahead for our energy?
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It’s that time of year when companies are reviewing their ESG (environmental, social, and governance) performance from the previous year. They are also comparing their progress to their existing goals. It’s important to recognize the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on these goals.
One such company is PSEG (Public Service Enterprise Group), a publicly traded diversified energy company. It recently launched its first ESG Performance Report. This report comes in addition to its Climate Report and its Sustainability Report. The objective here is to increase disclosures and transparency. It also makes the company’s data clearer and easier for the public to find and understand.
Some of the impressive strides include a $1 billion expansion of its energy efficiency programs to help customers save energy and money; advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; corporate giving initiatives and commitments to organizations providing pandemic response; reduction of methane emissions; production of a 2020 Climate Report consistent with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures framework and continued issuance of the Sustainability Report, among others.
In my book, Sustainable in a Circular World, I highlight a number of examples just like this one of how companies are meeting or exceeding ESG goals. But I also argue there is a fourth pillar you should consider. Here is an excerpt:
Many organizations insist the three pillars are the most important when we talk about sustainability. We are talking about the environmental, social, and governance, the fourth pillar intersects with all the other pillars and will easily intersect with any of the other pillars that will arise from innovative future generations and that is digital transformation.
• Digital Transformation: The ability to transform and disrupt nations and countries for generations brings it all together.
• Environmental: Maintain air quality, reduce CO2 emissions, eliminate exposure to water contaminants, improve aging infrastructure systems, innovative technologies, and processes.
• Social: Protect and sustain human health, address water scarcity, stop child trafficking, end human right violations, ensure inclusion and diversity.
• Finance/Execution: Reducing costs, improving customer satisfaction, and creating greater societal value for generations, all while increasing stakeholder profits.
What makes this so important is that this raises questions about how we deploy money from either pension funds, or sovereign wealth funds, or government money, to actually create public good, is an undervalued asset that gets into this whole sustainability conversation.
As more ESG and sustainability reports come out in the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see how the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately did play into ESG.
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We have to know our history, or we will be doomed to repeat it. When it comes to sustainability, we need to understand the Paris Agreement—and what it means for world nations coming together to achieve a goal to move from grey to green.
In my book, Sustainable in a Circular World, I explain the historical context of the Paris Agreement. A sampling of the historical background provided in the book is:
“In 2015, there was huge support of the Paris Agreement, vowing to attempt to limit the planet’s warming to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F), attempting to go back to pre-industrial levels. Many nations were more than willing participants to improve the climate.
Today, however, some of these nations are discovering these targets are extremely ambitious. When U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn into office as the 45th President of the United States, he was determined that America should withdraw from the Paris Agreement. President Trump said compliance with the terms of the Paris Accord created onerous energy restrictions on the United States and would cost the United States a loss of about $3 trillion in GDP (gross domestic product) and 6.5 million industrial jobs.
Whether you consider President Trump’s decision to be reckless or brazen to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, his point was it would never succeed. It was doomed to fail if other egregious polluters did not commit to climate change immediately.
In 2015, China had successfully argued that it was still a developing economy and it was for this reason it deserved developing nation status and should not have to share the same burden of curbing emissions as a developed nation whose pollution went unchecked for decades. China was granted the request and is able to continue to increase its emissions for another staggering 13 years under the accord. This only fueled the ire of the leader of the free world and confused other environmentalists.
China abruptly reversed its thinking in November 2020. It has stated that as a world leader it is now pledging to lead by example, befitting a country that aspires to be a superpower.
All of this was coming at a time when the U.S., was transitioning leadership from then former President Trump to President-elect Joe Biden who has said he will reinstate the United States in the Paris Agreement once he has taken office.”
So what lies ahead for the Paris Agreement in 2021 and beyond? A new report from Production Gap finds to follow a 1.5°C-consistent pathway, the world will need to decrease fossil fuel production by roughly 6% per year between 2020 and 2030. Countries are instead planning and projecting an average annual increase of 2%, which by 2030 would result in more than double the production consistent with the 1.5°C limit.
What comes next for the Paris Agreement is still very much unknown, but either way we need to continue to move toward being more Sustainable in a Circular World.
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