“Digital technology can be a major accelerator and positive driving force for sustainability in 2024”. SUSXL TALKS

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Proposition:

“In order to achieve positive acceleration in sustainability practices in 2024, businesses and governments need to adopt the best uses of new digital technology to leap past old ‘business as usual’ rationales to new, better ways of thinking and doing”. Agree/ Disagree?

Panelists:

Hugh Eaton OBE, MA, BCG, ex-Microsoft VP Worldwide Government

Toby McCann: Head of Air Solutions and Sustainability, Thales

Afiya Chohollo: Co-Founder, CloudFO, prev. VP, Onfido

Bernard Lebelle: CEO, The Green Link (AI), EDHEC professor

About this Discussion

In this talk, we look at the potential use of digital technology in fast-forwarding business and governmental sustainability efforts. We suggest that digital technology can serve as an accelerator and positive driving force for sustainability implementation in 2024. Davis Mukasa invites panellists Hugh Eaton from BCG, Toby McCann from Thales, Afiya Chohollo, co-founder of CloudFo, and Bernard Lebelle, CEO of The Green Link and EDHEC professor, to provide diverse business and government-level perspectives on the topic.

Summary

Hugh Eaton addresses the challenges governments face with emerging technologies, emphasising the need for guidance and alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to navigate governance expectations effectively. Toby McCann builds on this by providing a framework for simplifying technological decisions, highlighting the importance of reducing greenhouse gases, enhancing energy efficiency, and ensuring economic viability. Afiya Chohollo offers an optimistically cautious stance, recognizing the potential of digital solutions but raising concerns about their environmental impact and the need for SMBs to understand their full lifecycle impact. Bernard Lebelle expands on the discussion, presenting digital technology as a multifaceted tool that can serve as a search engine, impact kick-starter, and scaling enabler for sustainability efforts.

Themes

The key themes from this talk encompass the integration of digital technology and sustainability, acknowledging apprehension and uncertainty among stakeholders while emphasising the need for frameworks for decision-making and alignment with governance expectations such as UN Sustainable Development Goals. The discussion underscores the role of regulation and compliance in driving innovation and sustainability efforts, alongside concerns about the environmental impact and the importance of lifecycle assessment. Despite these challenges, there is an overall tone of optimism tempered with caution, highlighting digital technology's multifaceted role as a catalyst for positive change. These themes collectively emphasise the complexity of integrating digital technology into sustainability strategies while maximising opportunities for positive impact.

Speaker Presentations

Hugh Eaton OBE, Senior Consultant, BCG: [08:38]

"A Government Level Perspective"

Hugh Eaton emphasizes the challenges governments face amidst the rapid advancement of technology, highlighting uncertainty rather than fear as the predominant sentiment. He discusses the importance of providing governments with guidance aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to navigate these changes effectively. Eaton underscores governments' unique responsibilities, including protecting life and property from climate change and setting and meeting targets, which necessitate coherence and synthesis in sustainability governance. He invites engagement in supranational or national forums, emphasising the increasing integration of sustainability considerations into government contracts and the importance of SME involvement in policy development. Eaton concludes by encouraging participation in initiatives like the All Party Parliamentary Group in the UK to facilitate SME engagement in policy-making for the benefit of the nation.

Toby McCann, Head of Air Solutions and Sustainability, Thales?[15:42]

"An Industry Level Perspective"

Toby McCann echoes the complexity and overwhelming nature of integrating sustainability and digital technology, emphasising the importance of simplifying technological decisions. He outlines four key considerations for evaluating technology: its impact on reducing greenhouse gases net overall, enhancing energy efficiency, operating within a relevant timescale, and making economic sense. McCann discusses Thales’ focus on scope three emissions reduction and their efforts to alleviate customer fears and uncertainties regarding new technologies like automation and artificial intelligence by fostering trust and understanding. He provides practical examples such as digital flight management software optimising flight paths to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and simulation technologies aiding in testing and decision-making for sustainability initiatives. McCann concludes by expressing his interest in exploring computing efficiency, edge computing, and reducing energy demands in server infrastructure to advance sustainability goals, highlighting the importance of ongoing learning and community support in this endeavour.

Afiya Chohollo, Co-Founder CloudFo?[21:26]

"An SMB Perspective"

Afiya Chohollo approaches the discussion with a stance of cautious optimism, acknowledging the potential of technology and digital solutions to address climate issues while emphasising the importance of responsible application. Drawing from her industrial and finance background, Chohollo highlights how technology has historically driven efficiency improvements and waste reduction, primarily motivated by cost considerations. She sees promise in digital technologies like IoT and simulation for optimising processes and enabling preventative maintenance, emphasising the convergence of financial and sustainability metrics. Chohollo views regulation and governance as positive drivers for innovation, drawing parallels with privacy regulations like GDPR. She stresses the need to support small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in understanding the end-to-end impact of digital technologies on their operations and supply chains. While optimistic about emerging solutions, Chohollo raises concerns about the environmental impact of digital technologies themselves, urging for a comprehensive understanding of their full lifecycle impact. Her approach is characterised by a balance between optimism for technological advancements and caution regarding their environmental consequences.

Bernard Lebelle, CEO, The Green Link, EDHEC Professor in Sustainability [26:29]

"An Overarching Perspective"

Bernard Lebelle contributes to the discussion with a multifaceted perspective on digital technology, emphasising its potential as an accelerator and scaling-enabler for positive impact. He raises questions about the readiness to fully adopt automated technologies like drones in place of human pilots, not just as a technological challenge but also as an ethical and insurance issue. Lebelle highlights the environmental concerns associated with digital technologies, such as water usage, while also suggesting potential solutions like quantum computing to reduce energy consumption. He delineates three perspectives on digital technology: as a powerful search engine facilitating access to vast amounts of data, as an aid in improving efficiency through simulation and research, and as a means of enhancing transparency and accessibility to sustainability metrics through digital assessments and reporting frameworks. Lebelle underscores the importance of digitising consulting and advisory services to make expertise more affordable and accessible to companies, thus amplifying their climate impact mitigation efforts. Overall, he presents digital technology as a versatile tool that can drive positive change and sustainability initiatives across various sectors.

Conclusions

In conclusion, this SUSXL TALKS session illuminates the promising yet nuanced landscape of integrating digital technology with sustainability efforts. The panellists' insights underscore the importance of navigating challenges such as uncertainty, regulation, and environmental impact while harnessing the potential of technology as a catalyst for positive change. With a blend of optimism and caution, the discussion emphasises the need for comprehensive understanding, balanced approaches, and effective governance to drive sustainable outcomes in the ever-evolving digital age. As businesses and governments continue to grapple with these complexities, the session serves as a beacon for fostering collaboration, innovation, and responsible stewardship in shaping a more sustainable future.

Summary of Key Points

The key themes from this talk include:

Integration of Digital Technology and Sustainability: The central focus of the discussion revolves around exploring the potential for digital technology to accelerate and positively influence sustainability efforts in business operations.

Apprehension and Uncertainty: Acknowledgment of the apprehension and uncertainty surrounding the integration of digital technology with sustainability efforts, reflecting the need to address fears and hesitations among stakeholders.

Government Challenges and Governance Expectations: Highlighting the challenges faced by governments in adapting to emerging technologies and meeting governance expectations, with an emphasis on providing guidance aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Frameworks for Decision-making: Discussion on frameworks and guidelines for simplifying technological decisions, including considerations such as reducing greenhouse gases, enhancing energy efficiency, ensuring economic viability, and aligning with sustainability goals.

Role of Regulation and Compliance: Recognizing the role of regulation and governance in driving innovation, compliance, and sustainability efforts, drawing parallels with privacy regulations like GDPR.

Environmental Impact and Lifecycle Assessment: Concerns raised regarding the environmental impact of digital technologies themselves, particularly regarding water usage and the need for comprehensive understanding and assessment of their full lifecycle impact.

Optimism and Caution: An overall tone of optimism coupled with cautiousness regarding the potential of digital technology to drive sustainability initiatives, with an emphasis on balancing benefits with costs and addressing challenges effectively.

Multifaceted Role of Digital Technology: Presentation of digital technology as a multifaceted tool that serves as a search engine for navigating vast amounts of data, an impact Kickstarter for enhancing transparency and accessibility, and a scaling enabler for amplifying climate impact mitigation efforts.

These themes collectively underscore the complexity and importance of integrating digital technology effectively into sustainability strategies, while addressing challenges and maximising opportunities for positive impact.

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