Digital transformation = industrial sustainability
Author : Jocelyn Golding, Schneider Electric
08 January 2025
The personal drivers of digital transformation (DX) will vary from business to business, but what is shared across the industrial supply chain is that advanced technologies offer a route to industrial sustainability. The key is that their deployment should be based on climate science.
Digital transformation and sustainability journeys of industrial companies are intrinsically linked. While each journey will have a unique approach and pace depending on the size and budget of the business, it is a journey that the entire supply chain is on.
As 2025 begins, it acts as a key milestone for net zero 2050 targets, prompting facilities of all sizes and specialisms to review sustainability activities and advance climate strategies in line with digital transformation.
UK industry faces additional pressure under the Emissions Trading Scheme as the Government has been tightening caps on emissions to incentivise industry to invest in green technologies.
Positively, UK industry has already been making strong progress towards its targets, showing a massive emissions reduction of 52 percent since 1990. As the sector explores digital transformation technologies to improve efficiency and profitability further, data-driven enhancements have been used to support businesses as they contribute to the collective effort of industrial decarbonisation.
The great climate system
Understanding the climate science that underpins industrial decarbonisation will help businesses steer their digital transformation journeys for the most benefit, both in terms of sustainability and business goals. Climate science offers the vital metrics that businesses can focus on, like energy efficiency and resource allocation that businesses can apply to their specific processes.
For example, a manufacturer looking to improve sustainability may have already deployed an advanced and efficient production line that operates at a high level of energy efficiency. However, leveraging a digital twin for product agility also means the operator can take action on effective use of every energy and material resource.
This example is just one improvement in one setting, but industry represents 16 percent of the UK’s total carbon emissions so by multiplying DX improvements across industry, it’s possible to make a sizeable contribution to decarbonisation of industry.
But this just covers the known, industrial businesses should commit to lifelong learning of climate science to uncover insight that can improve their performance in terms of specific processes. People in roles from purchasing and legal to IT and facilities need specific advice. For example, marketing colleagues can learn about greenwashing legislation to make sure they don’t make incorrect environmental claims.
Developing knowledge around sustainability is not just for end users and business owners. Practically every industrial job role will benefit from climate science understanding, especially for a solutions provider.
OEMs and system integrators already play a vital role in deploying technology that aligns with sustainability objectives, as the experts within the supply chain designing solutions that prioritise energy efficiency and circular economy principles. This level of packaged sustainability works to differentiate OEMs and SIs in a crowded marketplace and help them position themselves as impact makers for industrial sustainability.
Taking action
The first step in a sustainability or DX journey is setting a strategy. Companies that want to align business goals with sustainability objectives must set a benchmark that takes a holistic view of operations. They can then outline the actionable steps to achieve that, such as deploying automation, exploring electrification, and leveraging data-driven insights in line with climate science to develop green business practices.
The foundation for these tactics is putting in place a data architecture that allows for interoperability so that businesses can future-proof operations against net zero targets, creating a culture of continuous improvement and decarbonisation.
Schneider Electric Sustainability School
Having recently been named as the world’s most sustainable company by Time magazine and Statista, Schneider Electric has opened up its own in-house training to provide sustainability knowledge and skills to the industrial workforce and beyond.
The Sustainability School is a pathway to bring in-demand expertise and practical tools into a business and elevate a brand’s reputation as an impact maker.
Businesses looking to build sustainability expertise, design for decarbonisation, and advance net zero readiness should enrol today.
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