According to a report by London consultancy WPI Economics, adopting 5G and IoT can minimize 78% of the United Kingdom’s carbon emissions by 2035. Deployment of these technologies in the manufacturing, transport, and agriculture sectors would reduce the UK’s overall emissions by as much as 4% a year. This number is equivalent to 17.4 million tons of carbon being brought into the atmosphere.
Digital technology would also result in 87% of the carbon savings from transportation. In the countryside, on the other hand, 38% would come from the agriculture sector.
Important numbers to consider per sector
Smart IoT sensors used in growing crops and monitoring soil, fertilizer, feed, and water, have a huge potential to reduce waste and boost efficiency. The numbers state that 4.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions are reduced.
In the automotive sector, using IoT and 5G helps delivery companies to plan shorter routes, and cut idle time. Using less fuel saves the UK 9.3 million tonnes a year of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
Utilizing AI and machine learning together with smart building solutions can make production lines faster and more energy-efficient. That can result in cutting 3.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
IoT and overall environmental sustainability
According to the European Commission, the Internet of Things was named a “transition enabler” in how buildings, appliances, and the energy systems of buildings can be synchronized to optimize the flow of energy and reduce emissions. Once fully operational, IoT has been projected to reduce overall global carbon emissions by around 20%.
A heightened awareness of environmental issues is a chance for companies to look beyond traditional climate management. Combining IoT and sustainability involves many factors. Connecting different devices and older-generation equipment, overcoming the brownfield hurdle, and actually getting rewired for the Internet of Things are all challenges that need to be addressed.
IoT is proving to be beneficial, not only in consumers’ homes and business processes but also to the environment. The progress towards overall digitalization is bringing us all into a smarter and more environmentally sustainable future.
