Green manufacturing is crucial for a low-carbon future

Climate change is indisputable, as is its impact on our planet’s invaluable but finite resources. Indeed, this is one of the most pressing paradoxes of our time: how do we strive for industrial growth while also being mindful of the traditional environmental impact of production?

We must find the right balance. Everyone feels this urgency. The world is on a fast track to consume four Earths’ worth of resources by 2050. A recent United Nations report warned that CO2 emissions must be cut nearly in half by 2030 to safeguard the planet from additional threats of climate change.

Without a doubt, the time for change is now. Green manufacturing, an emerging industrial trend with an achievable, long-term future for sustainability, addresses these environmental challenges at a systemic level. It answers the call to action.

What is green manufacturing?

In short, green manufacturing is primarily about changing business and manufacturing practices, as well as the mindset of stakeholders, to mitigate the industrial impact on climate change and other environmental concerns.

Green is not a hollow word. There are tangible ways to drive sustainable practices both within manufacturing facilities, across the supply chain, and through the customer base.

What are the results?

• Reduced use of natural resources and energy;
• A lower carbon footprint worldwide;
• Technology advancements that optimize efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability across the full manufacturing life cycle, including the supply chain; and
• The building of a strong foundation for a global circular economy.

Decarbonize energy

The huge payoff of a green manufacturing approach is energy savings. Here, environmental and business benefits go hand-in-hand. We see a bright future for decarbonizing energy.

Deliver digital innovation

Thanks to IIoT technology and the development of smart, connected devices, manufacturers can prioritize resource efficiency projects alongside productivity goals. Connected assets throughout a facility can yield insights into real-time and historical energy use, enabling industrial enterprises to streamline energy and resources from a bottom-line perspective. And when energy is among a company’s top expenses, this view of it is critical.

Adapting for the future

Green manufacturing is simply good business. It offers revolutionary advances in productivity and efficiency without the downsides of waste or pollution. Economic growth can and must be decoupled from environmental degradation.

The true power of green manufacturing will reveal itself when the entire industry begins to detach one from the other, thus accelerating the planet toward a low-carbon reality. This green mission is possible.

Original source: World Economic Forum
Published on 22 January 2019