Director-General of industry group GSMA, Mats Granryd has warned the world might fail to reach a United Nations (UN) net zero carbon footprint target by 2050 without adopting smart technology, which the organisation’s research showed could contribute almost 40 per cent of the required global emissions savings.
Commenting on fresh GSMA research issued with support from the Carbon Trust, Granryd called for action to harness the capabilities of mobile technology and connectivity, which he described as a key to achieve the UN’s goal.
“As low and zero-carbon technology evolves, people might think we will need to rely on future technology solutions to meet net zero goals. At the GSMA, we disagree. We believe that many of the smart tools and technology needed to drive down carbon emissions, especially in the energy sector, already exist”.
Cuts by sector
The GSMA explained mobile connectivity and smart technology are “significantly underused” in energy-intensive industries.
In the energy sector, smart technology is currently used in around 35 per cent of solar grids and 10 per cent of wind.
The GSMA predicted smart technologies could cut carbon dioxide emissions from these facilities by 4 gigatonnes by 2030, but warned of a 1 gigatonne rise without such deployments.
There are also a potential 2.8 gigatonnes of savings to be had in the transport sector through deploying digital infrastructure for electric vehicles and optimising fleet management.
Smart building technology including power meters could also cut around 2.2 gigatonnes, while the manufacturing industry could shed 1.4 gigatonnes.
The GSMA urged political and business leaders to consider its research as they are set to convene at the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference starting on 31 October.
