How Digital Transformation Makes You More Sustainable
Businesses must consider their impact on the environment because young consumers are more environmentally conscious than any other generation. In fact, 93% of Generation Z says that whether brands make an effort to be sustainable is an important factor when making purchase decisions.
So is your digital transformation helping make your company more or less green?
There is no doubt that technology in generaland the industrialization of our world has contributed to global warming; even some of the most modern digital technologies are making it worse. At the same time, there are ways that digital can be massively helpful to your company’s “green” footprint and to the planet overall.
Let’s take a look at both sides of this equation.
8 WAYS DIGITAL IS HELPING US BECOME MORE GREEN
Digital is enabling us to reduce consumption in our daily lives. The media industry is a great example of drastically cutting down on consumable “stuff.”
Think about all of the CDs and DVDs that are sitting in landfills. Digital technology like streaming platforms have significantly decreased the need for hard copies of music, movies, and television series.
Additionally, when there are less consumables being manufactured and purchased, there are fewer trucks needed for shipping those products to retail stores, which cuts down on carbon emissions.
Offices and workplaces becoming paperless is another example of how digital is allowing us to use less daily. Less paper use translates to fewer trees being cut down to manufacture paper products.
More and more people are opting to share or rent theirpossessions and properties using digital platforms.
Airbnb allows homeowners to list their properties for rent when they aren’t being used so they don’t go to waste when the owner isn’t using them. This has become particularly popular with vacation homes; sharing these properties cuts down on the number of new vacation homes that need to be built.
Workplaces are sharing office space, as well. Many companies now use digital “hoteling” tools that allow employees to reserve an office when they need one, letting the company lease fewer floors, which allows the same building footprint to serve more tenants. This also saves on power because one less floor needs to be heated, cooled, and cleaned. Furthermore, many companies are using digital meeting tools like Zoom and collaboration tools like Slack which enable employees to work from home, further reducing the need for office space.
Ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft allow people to request a ride from their mobile device and get where they need to go without owning a vehicle. Fewer cars on the road equals less harmful pollution, and more sharing means we may be able to manufacture less cars, saving energy and materials.
In fact, there are sharing platforms today for just about everything, fromswimming pools to tools and home cooked meals.
Electricity can be conserved through digital technology. Smart homes and office buildings now have the ability to sense when a room is empty and can adjust lighting and temperature accordingly to avoid wasting power.
Aside from electricity, think about all the digital tools we have that help cut down on waste in general. For example, cars now have sensors that help prevent accidents, which, in addition to saving lives, reduces waste from totaled vehicles that would otherwise need to be replaced.
Some factories now utilize IoT (“Internet of Things”) smart sensors that send notifications when it’s time for equipment to be serviced. This helps keep expensive equipment and machinery well maintained and extends their working lives, which results in fewer replacements.
Most car engines today create emissions and pollutants that are harmful to the environment.
Digital has enabled us to drive less. For example, when the COVID-19 pandemic started, many people began to work remotely and were no longer commuting to the office.
Tools like Zoom make this possible.
