Businesses are increasingly under pressure to adhere to high environmental standards to help prevent climate breakdown. It’s a process that many businesses are integrating into their ESG initiatives but one that still presents difficulties. Here we look at how AI can be leveraged to improve sustainability and contribute towards a company’s green policies and environmental goals.
AI applications
Today, AI is increasingly integrated into organisations’ structures and processes, whether by automating routine tasks or providing a personalised employee experience. However, it also has the potential to present solutions to sustainability issues in the workplace that help not only the planet but also contribute towards an organisation’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks.
Here at Brighter, we already have a Carbon Reduction Policy in place, which uses technology to help us monitor and report back on our ESG goals to reduce our carbon footprint. However, AI can help organisations go even further in improving their sustainability. Let’s look at some areas in which AI is being used to boost sustainability.
Energy consumption in data centres
With the increased use of data in the workplace, data storage has become a complex issue. Most organisations use data centres to store the information they produce and hold, many perhaps without realising the impact that AI has on the amount of energy this requires. Goldman Sachs recently reported that the use of AI will result in a 160% increase in power demand by 2030 and that data centres worldwide will consume 3-4% of all the world’s power by this time, doubling carbon dioxide emissions.
However, AI also has the potential to reduce energy use in these data centres, cutting emissions and providing a sustainable solution. AI can optimise renewable energy sources, balance power grids and improve efficiency. It can analyse energy-intensive processes and highlight any inefficiencies in a system, allowing remedial action to be taken. It can detect high levels of energy consumption and emissions, expose areas of waste, and be used in predictive maintenance to automate routine tasks, optimise energy consumption and minimise downtime, cutting energy use substantially.
Optimising resource use in manufacturing
In recent years, manufacturing and industrial services have considerably reduced the amount of energy the sector consumes – it’s now at the lowest quarterly total this century – but it’s still the third highest user of business energy (electricity and gas combined) behind the commercial and miscellaneous services sector and public administration, using 42,042,450 MWh every year.
AI has the capability to reduce energy usage in manufacturing even further and optimise resources throughout the sector. Energy efficiency can be increased by the use of sensors linked to an AI smart building system, adjusting lighting, ventilation, heating, cooling and water consumption to ensure optimal conditions in real-time and helping to reduce emissions, energy consumption and operational costs. Production processes can also be analysed to detect any inefficiencies, and AI can recommend adjustments to optimise resource use.
As the demand for sustainability increases, through pressures from customers, talent and regulatory compliance, businesses who put green policies and environmental goals at the top of their agenda have the potential to out-perform their rivals, not just through potential cost-savings but also through enhanced reputation. Leveraging AI to increase sustainability enables more transparent decision-making, more effective communication and more environmentally sustainable outcomes.
For expert advice on any of the topics discussed in this blog, contact Brighter Consultancy.
