iTWire - Climate

Lenovo reports industry-leading women in tech roles, progress toward 2030 emissions reduction goals, and proactive governance to create smarter AI for all in 18th annual FY2023/24 ESG Report

2024-07-02T18:36:08+10:00

Created the Responsible AI Committee in FY2022/23 and has built a 7-pillar governance framework to evaluate AI innovation across its pocket-to-cloud portfolio.
Made progress toward and is on-track to meet its 2030 emissions reduction targets, in alignment to the Science Based Targets initiative’s net-zero standard.
Reported an industry-leading 29% representation of women in technical teams, fueling innovation and its smarter technology for all vision.

COMPANY NEWS: Today, Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) has today published its 18th annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, further demonstrating its commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen with a vision to provide smarter technology for all. In this year’s report, the global technology powerhouse shared its progress toward 2030 emissions reduction goals, increased participation in the circular economy, industry-leading representation of women in technical roles 4, increased employee volunteerism, and proactive governance of AI as it works to become the leading provider and enabler of smarter AI.

“AI has brought unprecedented opportunities over the last year,” shared Yuanqing Yang, Chairman and CEO of Lenovo. “It is clear that AI will be a major priority and influence in our business for years to come and we recognize our duty to leverage this technology to improve the lives of people around the world while minimizing its impact on the planet.”

Lenovo first announced its smarter AI for all vision at Lenovo Tech World in October 2023. Since then, Lenovo has launched an AI-enabled solution for real-time tracking of its manufacturing emissions, an AI-powered engine to give customers insights on their IT emissions, and numerous social impact initiatives to support communication for people with hearing loss, preserve the voice of an individual suffering from ALS, connect non-profits to trusted resources for AI, and ensure its own AI solutions are reviewed for inclusion and accessibility, among other responsible AI factors.

The proactive governance in place for the quickly emerging AI field underscores Lenovo’s long-standing commitment to governance across its environmental affairs and social impact programs. Lenovo is in the first group of companies to have its near-zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative's Net-Zero Standard and is on-track to meet the first milestone in its journey to net-zero: near-term 2030 emissions reduction goals. The company has made progress towards its 2030 goals to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50%, and Scope 3 emissions intensities by 66.5% from purchased goods and services, 35% from sold products, and 25% from upstream transportation and distribution.

Lenovo continues to increase its participation in the circular economy, increasing use of sustainable materials and asset recycling and disposal. Since 2017, Lenovo has grown its reuse and recycling of products by nearly 40%1 through its product take-back programs2. Lenovo has reused or recycled more than 94,000 metric tons of products1 through PELM programs2 – Since 2020 – the same weight as 87 million ThinkPads3.

In addition to environmental impact, Lenovo is working to increase diversity, inclusion, and access to technology internally and externally. Lenovo has reported 29% representation of women in technical roles in this year’s report, leading the industry in women’s representation on technical teams4. Lenovo continues its pursuit of increasing diversity in its executive ranks, working to reach 27% women representation around the world and 35% representation of historically excluded talent in the U.S. by FY2025/26. With customers in 180 markets around the world, diversity has always been core to Lenovo’s business success “Workforce diversity not only supports stronger solutions to problems, but it helps us better meet the needs of our diverse, global customer base,” shared Laura Quatela, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal and Corporate Responsibility Officer for Lenovo.

Lenovo is focused on sharing its smarter technology with the community and reported USD $21M in philanthropic impact around the world. Lenovo’s global employee base is core to this mission, with employee volunteerism increasing by 40% during the annual Love on Month of Service in 2023. Lenovo’s philanthropic work underscores the company’s smarter technology for all vision and smarter AI for all focus through initiatives like the AI for Social Impact webinar series, Ashoka changemakers partnership, and partnerships localized to meet the needs of communities around the world.

Lenovo’s ESG experts align its corporate strategy to various frameworks and standards, and is honoured to be recognized by leading ratings, rankings, and indices throughout the year.

In FY2023/24, Lenovo committed to the United Nations Global Compact's Forward Faster Initiative, aligning to goals focused on climate action and water resilience.
Lenovo maintained its AAA status on MSCI’s ranking and was awarded the stronger score in the IT industry for environmental and social achievements in the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index, receiving an AA score overall.
2023 was the eleventh year that Lenovo was recognized by Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Most Sustainable Companies and Organizations section of the Best Corporate Governance and ESG Awards, receiving a Gold Award.
Lenovo was also honored to be named as a best place to work for disability inclusion by Disability:IN, maintained its placement on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for LGBTQ+ Inclusion, and received the highest score to date for Workplace Prides’ Global Benchmark Score.
These recognitions were further underscored by Lenovo being ranked #10 on Gartner’s Top 25 Global Supply Chains ranking, receiving the Sustainability Champion Award for 2023 by Canalys, and being named one of Fortune Magazine’s Most Admired Companies.

Explore Lenovo’s global impact on our interactive ESG Map, and read more about Lenovo’s Environmental, Social and Governance performance in the FY2023/24 ESG Report.

¹ Based on CY 2022 product recycling data: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/sustainability-product-recycling/

² Consumer and commercial take-back programs

³Based on total weight of ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 at 1.09kgs/2.42 lbs: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadx1/thinkpad-x1-carbon-gen-12-(14-inch-intel)/len101t0083

⁴Based on published data from competitors and peers

About Lenovo

Lenovo is a US$57 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #217 in the Fortune Global 500, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company with a pocket-to cloud portfolio of AI-enabled, AI-ready, and AI-optimized devices (PCs, workstations, smartphones, tablets), infrastructure (server, storage, edge, high performance computing and software defined infrastructure), software, solutions, and services. Lenovo’s continued investment in world-changing innovation is building a more equitable, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY). To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

Kyndryl and Microsoft find 72% of Australian businesses see technology as a 'critical mechanism' to achieve sustainability goals: study

2024-06-13T12:35:51+10:00

AI’s predictive analytics offer significant business opportunity to assess Scope 3 risks, forecast future energy consumption and lower an organisation’s carbon footprint

GUEST RESEARCH: IT infrastructure services provider Kyndryl in collaboration with Microsoft today released the Australian findings of the Global Sustainability Barometer study.

This report assesses the gap between sustainability commitments and organisational action, and how sustainability initiatives can serve as catalysts for innovation, growth, and enhanced competitiveness.

“As the world faces an increase in climate-related events and challenges, there is an urgency among businesses to act with 88% of organisations placing a highly strategic level of importance on achieving their sustainability goals,” Kyndryl and Microsoft observe.

“While 72% of organisations see great significance in technology’s role to reach their goals, only 32% believe they are making full use of it in their organisation. This subset of mature sustainability organisations is going beyond setting goals and driving education to implement solutions for change.”

“Despite an overwhelming majority of Australian businesses making climate pledges, our research highlights that many lack robust sustainability frameworks and assessment tools to accurately track their progress towards set targets,” said Faith Taylor, Chief Sustainability and ESG Officer at Kyndryl. “The companies that are making progress are those with strong governance frameworks that support their objectives, capitalising on the ability technology gives them to establish actionable and measurable sustainability strategies. By leveraging data insights and AI, forward-looking businesses can reduce environmental risks, bolster operational resilience, empower employees to drive change, and create greater value for their customers.”

As climate regulation becomes a top priority for Australian government organisations and consequently, the business community, the study, conducted by research firm Ecosystm, outlines the three core elements organisations need to implement a successful sustainability program: strategy, people and technology. Among these, technology, and specifically artificial intelligence (AI), stands out as a game changer. By embracing predictive AI to support sustainability strategies, businesses can make enhanced data-driven decisions, reduce risks, increase resource efficiency, and bolster their overall sustainability efforts.

Key Australian highlights of the survey include:

78% of Australian organisations use AI to monitor energy use and emissions and 54% use AI to highlight opportunities for lowering the carbon footprint.
Among stakeholders, employees (59%) are the most vocal in advocating for sustainability policies and practices, followed by customers (57%), investors (56%) and government regulators (33%).
Organisations acknowledge that employee awareness is a highly impactful sustainability measure, but only 17% of organisations indicate that their employees are aware of the organisation’s sustainability goals and have established sustainability-related employee KPIs that drive measurable impact.

Drivers to Building a More Sustainable Organisation

According to the survey, only 13% of organisations have prioritised incorporating data-driven sustainability goals in their corporate and transformation strategies. Below are some of their sustainability best practices for driving growth and improving business outcomes:

Sustainability is becoming a CEO and Boardroom priority. With over 60% of Sustainability Officers reporting to the CEO and the CEO defining the vision of sustainability programs in 90% of organisations, it is clear that sustainability has become a priority for top leadership across Australian companies. However, organisations need to also ensure they align sustainability initiatives with Finance and Technology stakeholders for greater synergy with financial goals, and for seamless sustainable operations and reporting.
Align sustainability with technology modernisation. Technology primarily serves to automate sustainability reporting processes today. However, it can also be applied to assess the carbon footprint of IT estates – from cloud computing to data centre operations – to enable more sustainable platform choices and lower energy consumption.
Build a Strong Data Foundation. Build a trusted data foundation and architecture for accurate data acquisition and analysis, from the point of creation to the time of consumption, enabling higher quality data and improved reliability in reporting.
Unleash AI for Predictive Sustainability. Expand the use of AI beyond reporting and embrace predictive analytics to assess Scope 3 risks, forecast energy consumption and develop strategies to anticipate potential risks such as natural disasters, to enhance organisational agility and resilience.
Empower Employees. Go beyond education and awareness-raising efforts to empower employees to actively contribute to sustainability objectives, and quantify the positive impact driven by their workforce.

“As extreme weather events become more frequent across Australia, the influence of climate change on every aspect of society, including business continuity, is undeniable,” said Ullrich Loeffler, CEO, Ecosystm. “While debates on mandatory climate disclosure continue, proactive organisations are preparing for the future, embracing change for a greener future. This research, in partnership with Kyndryl and Microsoft, aims to provide organisations with an actionable strategy to accelerate their sustainability impact.”

The Global Sustainability Barometer study, conducted by Ecosystm in collaboration with Kyndryl and Microsoft, was conducted among 1,523 technology and sustainability business leaders across 16 countries in Asia, EMEA and the Americas. The survey took place between September – October 2023. The survey was conducted across nine industries and included small to medium as well as global companies. Learn more about the study, “From Vision to Impact: The Global Sustainability Barometer.”

About Kyndryl
Kyndryl (NYSE: KD) is the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider, serving thousands of enterprise customers in more than 60 countries. The company designs, builds, manages and modernises the complex, mission-critical information systems that the world depends on every day. For more information, please visit www.kyndryl.com

Sydney to stage city’s inaugural Climate Action Week

2024-04-22T12:08:27+10:00

Sydney is set to stage its inaugural Climate Action Week Sydney next month which will see community organisations, climate start-ups, research institutions, students, investors, NGOs, corporate Australia and the broader community come together to explore how Sydney and Australia can accelerate climate action.

Organisers say the week of events - taking place between May 13-19 - is supported by the City of Sydney, Greenhouse and Boundless, and will provide a platform for individuals, organisations and businesses to host climate action talks, art exhibitions, movie screenings, and interactive shows across greater Sydney “in a bid to elevate the city’s role in global climate action” - and aims to support “ongoing climate conversation and action that delivers impact”.

The organisers say they are aiming to attract thousands of people to events all over the city with Climate Action Week Sydney inviting submissions from organisations, academic institutions, businesses and people interested in hosting an event or volunteering at CAW.SYD - and seventy-five events are already locked in with a diverse range of organisations including the Smart Energy Council, the University of NSW (UNSW), the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), KPMG, The Australian Computer Society, Women's Environmental Leadership Australia.

The Australian Climate Leaders Coalition, WWF Australia, The Australian Museum, and Greenhouse Climate Tech Hub are among the community organisations, climate technology start- ups and individuals hosting events during Climate Action Week Sydney.

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Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore AO said: “Climate change is an existential threat and the most serious issue of our time. About 75 per cent of global emissions are generated by cities, so climate action at a city level is critical.”

“At the City of Sydney, climate action is our key priority. We were the first major city in Australia to declare a climate emergency, we became carbon neutral in 2007 and 100 per cent of electricity in our operations comes from renewable sources.”

“We met our original goal to reduce emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 nine years ahead of schedule and have now committed to net zero emissions across our entire local government area by 2035. Through electrification, active transport projects, city greening and collaboration with businesses and residents, we're striving to make our City more resilient and sustainable. We are proud to lead by example and encourage action from other governments with ambitious targets and policies, advocacy, and achievements,” said Clover Moore.

Mark Rowland, Chief Collaboration Officer at climate tech hub Greenhouse – a supporting partner of Climate Action Week Sydney - said: “Climate Action Week Sydney is for the community, by the community. It’s an opportunity for people and organisations across Sydney to come together to inspire and take stronger climate action.”

“Addressing climate change requires urgent action. Our beautiful city, way of life and economy is at risk of more frequent and severe bushfires, floods and storms, as well as ongoing coastal erosion as the climate continues to warm.

“Sydney is also home to an ecosystem of leaders, innovators and passionate people who can help tackle climate change. Climate Action Week Sydney is about harnessing the collective energy of our community to educate and inspire action that helps create a better future for us all. We encourage everyone to get involved,” said Rowland.

Richie Merzian, International Director for the Smart Energy Council, who will headline a Climate Action Week event focusing on the opportunity for Sydney to host the 2026 global UN climate change talks said: “Climate Action Week Sydney comes at a crucial time for our climate and our region. If the world is to transition at the speed and scale needed to address the climate crisis, we need the community coming together to demand greater action from all.”

“Climate Action Week Sydney will explore, for the first time, a vision for Sydney as potential host for the world's most important international climate meeting in 2026. An unprecedented opportunity that can transform not just the city, but the nation and the Asia-Pacific region,” Merzian concluded.

Organisers note that highlights of the week-long program of events currently include:

a CAW.SYD opening day event at Town Hall (Monday 13 May)
a tour of an urban farm in Rosebery – see images here
a tentpole event at Customs House focused on Sydney's bid to host COP31, hosted by the Smart Energy Council
the premiere of feature-length documentary ‘Antarctica the Giant Awakens’, directed by award-winning director Liz Courtney
a ‘urban food’ dinner and sustainable food panel at Field+Fin in Marrickville
an interactive, family-friendly event hosted by Parents for Climate aiming to engage families in climate action
a community event, featuring speakers from Bushfire Survivors For Climate Action and Renewable Cobargo, about how stories can help us rebuild for a better future, hosted by the Australian Museum and Nature Conservation Council
a hands-on workshop for small businesses to learn how to measure their carbon footprint, hosted by The B Corp Climate Collective.

To find out more about Climate Action Week Sydney or to order tickets go to www.caw.sydney.

To register your interest in hosting an event, sponsoring or volunteering at CAW.SYD, go to www.caw.sydney/get-involved.

Bridging the gap between ambition and action in sustainability

2024-04-19T17:01:25+10:00

GUEST OPINION by Peter White – Managing Director, APAC, Orbus Software: In an era marked by increasing environmental concerns and corporate social responsibility, enterprises are under mounting pressure to integrate sustainability into their operations.

Sustainability and decarbonisation have now taken centre stage on the C-suite agenda, however, being a trending topic doesn't necessarily equate to meaningful progress. It is imperative to bridge the gap between ambition and action.

Many Australian organisations have ambitious sustainability targets, and the nation has its Net Zero 2050 target set by the Australian Government. Yet to progress, the task lies in transforming sustainability from a strategic agenda item into a series of actionable, everyday, step-by-step decisions.

Silos within organisations hinder this. Enterprises, especially, must bring departments together for more cohesive and transparent conversations, and to provide visibility into the journey.

Sustainability is no longer an optional consideration during a transformation process. It must be integrated into decision-making criteria, alongside factors such as time, cost, impact, alignment to strategy, and new technology. Sustainability's inclusion ensures that organisations make informed and responsible choices.

So, what role does enterprise architecture play in assisting organisations that are addressing sustainability? Let’s break it down.

One of the biggest challenges enterprise architecture addresses is that often the data used to enable sustainability and decarbonisation progress can be scattered across an organisation and be difficult to find; we certainly need to know it and measure it. Effective data collection and monitoring enables enterprises to capture vast amounts of information related to their operations in areas such as energy consumption, waste generation, supply chain activities, and more. Sensors, IoT devices, and integrated systems can gather real-time data that provides insights into resource utilisation and environmental performance.

Then we need to understand and learn from the data. Advanced analytics tools can process the collected data and generate both actionable insights and performance metrics. Enterprises can create custom dashboards and reports to track key sustainability indicators, such as carbon emissions, water usage, recycling rates, and renewable energy consumption. These analytics drive informed decision-making and strategy development.

Sustainability in supply chains is a major focus area for enterprises. Having transparency here enables companies to track the origins of raw materials, assess supplier sustainability performance, and identify areas of risk or inefficiency. Blockchain technology can also be utilised to create immutable records of sustainability practices across supply chains.

Collaboration platforms and communication tools integrated into enterprise software solutions facilitate engagement with internal teams, external stakeholders, suppliers, customers, and regulatory bodies. Transparent communication fosters partnerships for sustainability initiatives, promotes best practices sharing, and enhances accountability across the value chain.

Simulation and modelling capabilities (e.g. digital twins) allow enterprises to mimic different scenarios and assess the potential impact of sustainability initiatives. For example, organisations can simulate the adoption of renewable energy sources, evaluate supply chain optimisations, or analyse the lifecycle environmental impact of products. This is gold when implementing change.

Enterprise architecture frameworks, such as TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) or Zachman Framework, enable organisations to align sustainability goals with overall business strategy. By integrating sustainability objectives into the architecture, enterprises ensure that sustainability is not treated as a separate initiative but as an integral part of the business model.

A well-designed enterprise architecture promotes modularity and flexibility, allowing organisations to adapt quickly to changing sustainability requirements and market dynamics. Modular architectures facilitate the integration of new sustainable technologies, processes, and practices without disrupting existing operations.

Also to be effective, ESG must be embedded culturally within an organisation. Conversations with executives and transformation teams can be the catalyst for change, and incentivising ESG efforts should focus on rewards, recognition, and cultural change rather than punitive measures. For real change, organisations need to truly embed sustainability into the culture of business, rather than treating it as an add-on for compliance purposes.

Enterprise architecture promotes a culture of continuous improvement by providing mechanisms for monitoring, evaluating, and optimising sustainability initiatives. Through feedback loops, performance metrics, and analytics-driven insights, organisations can refine their sustainability strategies, address inefficiencies, and drive ongoing innovation in sustainable practices.

Enterprise architecture can guide organisations towards greener and more sustainable practices, empowering them to change for the better and lead in creating a better world and future.

Australia and Singapore partner in $20m initiative to reduce maritime emissions

2024-04-18T10:01:55+10:00

Australia and Singapore, which is the world’s busiest transshipment hub, have partnered on a $20 million initiative to help reduce emissions in the maritime sector.

The Australia-Singapore Initiative on Low Emissions Technologies (ASLET) for maritime and port operations will be jointly delivered by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) which was established on 2 February 1996 with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre, and to advance and safeguard Singapore’s strategic maritime interests.

The CSIRO says ASLET intends to support the outcomes of the Singapore and Australia Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC), which will help decarbonise and digitise shipping routes between Singapore and Australia.

The Governments of Australia and Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding to formally collaborate on establishing the GDSC, which was welcomed at the 9th Annual Leaders’ Meeting in March 2024.

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ASLET is expected to unlock new fuel solutions and accelerate the deployment and uptake of zero or near-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission technologies at scale, and will explore cooperation opportunities between Australia and Singapore in green shipping and port infrastructure initiatives.

The CSIRO says the initiative presents a significant opportunity for both countries, given Singapore’s position as the world’s largest bunkering and busiest transshipment hub port and Australia’s potential to be a leading producer and exporter of low-emissions fuels.

MPA Chief Executive, Teo Eng Dih said, “ASLET has the potential to translate research outcomes from the scientific community from both countries, and to use these technologies to help scale up the production and deployment of low-emissions fuels and technologies at scale.”

“Given Australia’s natural advantage for renewable energy production and Singapore’s hub status, MPA looks forward to making this partnership deliver value to the Singapore-Australia GDSC and to the wider international shipping and port communities,” said Teo Eng Dih.

CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Doug Hilton said the collaboration addresses the key industry challenges faced when adopting low emission fuels.

“In order to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping close to 2050, we need to find reliable, trusted scientific solutions for the industry,” Dr Hilton said.

“We need to focus on transitioning to low-emissions fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen by developing accessible technology and infrastructure at ports that supports a range of vessels.

“Collaborating with MPA and also industry partners from both countries, we aim to accelerate the decarbonisation of the supply chain and help revolutionise the industry.”

The first ASLET Steering Committee meeting, led by representatives from MPA, CSIRO and Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), will be convened on 19 April at the Singapore Maritime Week 2024. The Steering Committee, established as part of a joint collaboration agreement, aims to provide strategic direction and evaluate and approve projects on low emission technology projects for maritime and port operations.

The CSIRO notes that the Steering Committee intends to issue a grant call to develop a pipeline of projects consistent with its focus areas and accelerate joint efforts between both countries in maritime decarbonisation. As part of ASLET, both Singapore and Australia will commit up to $10 million each in their respective currencies to deliver projects under the initiative - and it is expected that the program will also attract industry co-funding.

The initiative will facilitate the research, demonstration, and commercialisation of zero and near-zero greenhouse gas emission technologies, fuels and energy sources for use in maritime shipping and port operations.

Ocean floor a 'reservoir' for plastic pollution, world-first study finds

2024-04-05T14:51:15+11:00

New research from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and the University of Toronto in Canada, estimates up to 11 million tonnes of plastic pollution is sitting on the ocean floor.

“Every minute, a garbage truck’s worth of plastic enters the ocean. With plastic use expected to double by 2040, understanding how and where it travels is crucial to protecting marine ecosystems and wildlife,” the study notes.

Dr Denise Hardesty, Senior Research Scientist with CSIRO, said this is the first estimate of how much plastic waste ends up on the ocean floor, where it accumulates before being broken down into smaller pieces and mixed into ocean sediment.

“We know that millions of tonnes of plastic waste enter our oceans every year but what we didn’t know is how much of this pollution ends up on our ocean floor,” Dr Hardesty said.

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“We discovered that the ocean floor has become a resting place, or reservoir, for most plastic pollution, with between 3 to 11 million tonnes of plastic estimated to be sinking to the ocean floor.

“While there has been a previous estimate of microplastics on the seafloor, this research looks at larger items, from nets and cups to plastic bags and everything in between.”

Alice Zhu, a PhD Candidate from the University of Toronto who led the study, said the estimate of plastic pollution on the ocean floor could be up to 100 times more than the amount of plastic floating on the ocean’s surface.

“The ocean surface is a temporary resting place of plastic so it is expected that if we can stop plastic entering our oceans, the amount would be reduced. However, our research found that plastic will continue to end up in the deep ocean, which becomes a permanent resting place or sink for marine plastic pollution,” Alice Zhu said.

The CSIRO and University of Toronto say scientific data was used to build two predictive models to estimate the amount and distribution of plastic on the ocean floor - one based on data from remote operated vehicles (ROVs) and the other from bottom trawls.

“Using ROV data, 3 to 11 million metric tonnes of plastic pollution is estimated to reside on the ocean floor. The ROV results also reveal that plastic mass clusters around continents - approximately half (46 per cent) of the predicted plastic mass on the global ocean floor resides above 200 m depth. The ocean depths, from 200 m to as deep as 11,000 m contains the remainder of predicted plastic mass (54 per cent).

“Although inland and coastal seas cover much less surface area than oceans (11 per cent vs 56 per cent out of the entire Earth’s area), these areas are predicted to hold as much plastic mass as does the rest of the ocean floor.”

“These findings help to fill a longstanding knowledge gap on the behaviour of plastic in the marine environment,” Zhu said.

“Understanding the driving forces behind the transport and accumulation of plastic in the deep ocean will help to inform source reduction and environmental remediation efforts, thereby reducing the risks that plastic pollution may pose to marine life.”

The article, Plastics in the deep sea – A global estimate of the ocean floor reservoir, was published in Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers.

This research is part of CSIRO’s Ending Plastic Waste Mission, which aims to change the way we make, use, recycle and dispose of plastic.

Autodesk’s helps drive sustainability in architecture and construction with Total Carbon Analysis

2024-04-03T11:25:59+11:00

COMPANY NEWS: Autodesk has launched Total Carbon Analysis to help Australia and New Zealand’s architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) professionals accelerate sustainability strategies, alleviate mounting pressure to innovate business models, and improve workflows to manage costs and drive competitiveness.

The built environment carries a significant carbon load, representing nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions annually. Available today within Autodesk’s AEC Collection, Total Carbon Analysis for Architects offers a new package of real-time carbon analysis tools that help track the carbon footprint of a building from planning through detailed design.

In addition to Total Carbon Analysis, the package includes Embodied Carbon Analysis in Forma, which is supported by AI capabilities and enables architects to understand and test the carbon impact of their early design decisions at the beginning of project planning. Also included are new capabilities for Revit and Autodesk Insight, which measure carbon impacts from lighting, HVAC, building materials, and more.

Joining these capabilities, Total Carbon Analysis offers architects unprecedented access to carbon insights through intuitive dashboards to evaluate the tradeoffs between embodied and operational carbon, and empowers the architecture industry to reduce the carbon footprint and improve the sustainability of the built environment.

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Expanded Esri alliance
Designing with sustainability in mind requires comprehensive data. That’s why Autodesk is expanding its strategic alliance with Esri to release new integrations of ArcGIS Basemaps with Civil 3D and AutoCAD. This will provide civil engineers with detailed geospatial data and mapping capabilities. Enhanced visibility of existing conditions empowers users to optimise designs that minimise environmental impacts and ecological disruption.

In addition to design workflows, a new update to our integration with Esri’s ArcGIS Online and Info360 Asset gives water and wastewater network operations and maintenance teams improved access to asset condition data, risk analysis, and rehabilitation plans.

Data to fuel innovation and improved collaboration
Building Information Models (BIM) hold massive amounts of valuable data about a physical asset. AEC firms can turn that data into a competitive advantage by offering customers a digital twin at handover.

Autodesk Tandem is a digital twin offering for buildings, and soon it will be available for all BIM Collaborate Pro subscribers as Tandem for AEC. This means AEC firms will be able to extend and diversify their services to deliver a living digital representation of projects, along with owner manuals, assets data, and warranty information all connected to the 3D model. Typically, 95% of data captured in construction typically goes unused, however Tandem for AEC will put companies’ data to work, accelerating operational readiness to bring new value to their clients.

AI updates to accelerate processes and creativity
The AECO industry continues to embrace the power of AI to augment work, analyse data for insights, and automate processes for more efficiency.

Across the AECO portfolio, Autodesk is releasing new features to leverage Autodesk AI in workflows.

Autodesk first announced the ML Deluge tool for InfoDrainage in November 2023, and is quickly building on its AI capabilities. Available soon, new updates will enable more interactivity with the machine learning deluge tool, providing a more comprehensive experience for stormwater controls.

AI is also bringing CAD into a new era. With AutoCAD 2025, users can improve content reuse and standardisation in drawings with the latest Smart Blocks tools, powered by Autodesk AI. New features include Search and Convert, which enable users to quickly search drawings for objects and convert them into new, existing, or suggested blocks.

For construction teams, in March 2024, Autodesk delivered updates to Autodesk Construction Cloud that help project leaders and teams avoid setting off a chain reaction of costly mistakes by having the right information at hand.

For more information on AECO product updates, visit the Tech Drop blog.

About Autodesk
The world’s designers, engineers, builders, and creators trust Autodesk to help them design and make anything. From the buildings we live and work in, to the cars we drive and the bridges we drive over. From the products we use and rely on, to the movies and games that inspire us. Autodesk’s Design and Make Platform unlocks the power of data to accelerate insights and automate processes, empowering our customers with the technology to create the world around us and deliver better outcomes for their business and the planet. For more information, visit autodesk.com.au or follow @autodesk. #MakeAnything

FinTech Australia announces new 'FinTech for Net Zero' event to highlight sector’s focus on sustainability

2024-02-27T09:44:09+11:00

FinTech Australia, the national association for the Australian FinTech startup community, has launched a new event aimed at showcasing sustainability-focused fintech companies.

Held in partnership with The Australian Trade and Investment Commission, StartUpBoottcamp and BDO - FinTech for Net Zero - will play host to a panel discussion on fintech’s role in managing the challenge of climate change.

Several impact fintechs including Slyp, FootprintLab, Good for B and Clima will also pitch at the event and, in addition, FinTech Australia will also partner with Clima to offset any emissions associated with the event.

The event will be held at BDO’s office at 1 Margaret St Sydney from 4pm on Tuesday March 12.

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“FinTech has a fundamental role to plan in addressing climate change and other key environmental issues tied to it,” General Manager of FinTech Australia Rehan D'Almeida said.

“Everything from reducing carbon in the finance industry, helping companies account for emissions through to interesting new funding mechanisms for tackling climate issues. We need to deploy every tool we have at our disposal to reach net zero. Fintech is an integral part of the solution.”

“This event forms part of our broader push to raise the profile and awareness of fintech companies in the sector addressing climate and sustainability. It builds on the launch of our Positive Impact Finnie Award in 2023, and is a theme we will continue to champion into 2024.”

Jude Blankfield, Chief of Staff and VP Marketing of Slyp added said: “FinTech for NetZero is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and a call to action for all FinTech stakeholders. FinTech is not just about financial innovation; it's about shaping a sustainable future.

“Slyp is proud to be one of few fintech’s in Australia that has achieved their B-Corp certification, a significant milestone in our journey towards creating a positive impact.

“Our mission to become the most trusted digital receipt and loyalty standard in Australia has been fuelled by our long-term objective to reduce the environmental impact of the 10.6 billion paper receipts in circulation in Australia every year. This mission led to the launch of FutureProof last year, an industry-led initiative aimed at transforming the way Australians receive and manage receipts, a great example of collective change at its best.”

The new event launches as FinTech Australia says it continues to call for entries for the 8th annual Finnie Awards, which will return to Sydney this year and will be held in June.

Anxious, fearful, yet also hopeful - Epson partners with digital artists on young generation feelings towards climate change

2023-12-20T11:22:30+11:00

Global imaging, print, and hardware manufacturer Epson has partnered with talented digital artists to reveal the words that most describe how young people are feeling about climate change. To bring them to life, Epson partnered with digital artists Katy Wang and Gabriel Greenough to produce a piece of original, digital art, to bring generation COP voices to life in a visually impactful way.

In advance of COP28, Epson initiated a project entitled ‘Projecting Voices’ to explore how the younger generations feel about the impact of climate change. Epson invited the COP generation – those born since around the first COP in 1995 – to choose words that best express their feelings towards climate change. The results revealed a contrasting and startling mix of fear, hope and anxiety in similar measures.

Epson global president Yasunori Ogawa said, “With global leaders gathered at COP28 to determine how to achieve a more sustainable planet we wanted to focus on the future generation who will be most impacted by the decisions we make now. Our survey revealed a troubling combination of hope, fear and anxiety.”

Katy and Gabriel used Epson’s EcoTank inkjet printer to test their vision while drawing inspiration from Epson’s Climate Reality Barometer research to create a moving social animation, deploying a variety of techniques to express humanity’s complex relationship with nature and the environment in the 21st century.

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See their original, digital art created and produced by Katy Wang and Gabriel Greenough below, or click here.

Katy Wang said, “What has been interesting about the research Epson conducted with Gen COP is that they are almost 50:50 split on feeling hopeful and fearful. It got us thinking about the moments we have all experienced over the last couple of years since the pandemic, and on a personal level, how we have become more connected to the environment.”

Katy shared how the contrast between hopeful and pessimistic descriptions from the climate barometer resonated with them, and how she sought to create an animation that celebrates the variety and beauty of the natural world, as well as reflect some of the tension and inherent power that exists within it.

“We've focussed our animation on the beauty and interconnectedness of the natural world in order to remind audiences that climate action can stem not just from fear but also a genuine gratitude for nature,” she explains.

“The simple act of noticing your environment more, and being present with the sounds, colours, and changing seasons, all propel us to recognise that nature has everything we need and gives to us endlessly. Preserving this, and looking after our home, has never been more important or urgent. We have really enjoyed developing this concept and we’re excited to share the animation,” she said.

Epson’s ‘Projecting Voices’ project was first devised as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to taking action toward climate change. Culminating in its Environmental Vision, in which it pledges to go carbon-negative and eliminate the use of underground resources by 2050. Epson has long aspired to achieve sustainability and enrich communities in many ways, as can be seen in the company’s latest Sustainability Report.

“We hope by projecting the voices of the generation that will play a key part in transforming the future of our planet for the better, we can bring home just how complicated our current feelings are toward the climate crisis.

“Despite the anxiety and fear that people are feeling, the fact Gen COP remains hopeful is a sign that optimism endures. Our planet is a closed and finite environment, so now we must take all the action we can to transition toward a more sustainable society”, Ogawa said.

Picture: Professor Katey Walter Anthony researching the effect of warming in the Arctic.

Oceanography, seafloor mapping and satellite combine to map world’s ‘strongest current’: CSIRO

2023-12-19T14:33:55+11:00

An Australian and international research voyage has mapped a highly energetic "hotspot" in the world’s strongest current simultaneously by ship and satellite, and uncovered an underwater mountain range.

The CSIRO - Australia’s national science agency - says that halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica, the block of the Southern Ocean surveyed in high-resolution, three-dimensional detail stretches over an area of 20,000 square kilometres down through layers of swirling currents to the seafloor 4000 metres below.

The CSIRO says the FOCUS voyage on its research vessel (RV) Investigator has been working in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current for the last five weeks to understand how heat leaking across this natural barrier contributes to melting Antarctic ice shelves and the potential for sea-level rise.

The voyage was designed to work with the new Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, jointly developed by NASA and the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) - enabling simultaneous mapping of fine-scale ocean features from the satellite and the ship.

Voyage chief scientist Dr Benoit Legresy said CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership worked with collaborators and equipment from the US and France to tackle important climate questions.

“The ocean has absorbed more than 90 per cent of heat due to global warming and around 25 per cent of human CO2 emissions, providing an enormous service as a ‘climate shock absorber’,” Dr Legresy said.

“Knowing how to deal with human-induced climate change brings an urgency to tracking down the heat and carbon pathways in the global climate system.

“We’ve been working in a gateway where heat is funnelled towards Antarctica, contributing to ice melt and sea level rise. We need to understand how this gate works, how much heat gets through and how this may change in the future.”

The CSIRO says that while mapping the ocean currents, the companion mapping of the sea floor bathymetry has revealed ancient dormant underwater volcanoes.

CSIRO geophysicist Dr Chris Yule said the team conducted high resolution mapping with RV Investigator’s world-class multibeam echosounder system. The survey spanned a seafloor area of 20,000 km2, most of which hasn’t been mapped before.

“To our delight, we’ve discovered a spectacular chain of ancient seamounts, comprising eight long-dormant volcanoes with peaks up to 1500 metres high and one with a double vent,” Dr Yule said.

“Four of them are new discoveries, and we filled in details on two seamounts and a fault line ridge partially mapped on a previous voyage. We now know the ridge, just west of the survey area, drops into a valley over a 1600-metre-high cliff.”

The CSIRO notes that the survey area is 200 nautical miles (370 km) west of Macquarie Island and the tectonically active Macquarie Ridge - and the seamounts were formed by volcanoes arising from hot-spot magmatism within the last 20 million years.

Voyage co-chief scientist Dr Helen Phillips, from the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership at the University of Tasmania, said new discoveries about the shape of the seafloor are vitally important to understanding ocean dynamics.

“The Antarctic Circumpolar Current ‘feels’ the seafloor and the mountains in its path, and where it encounters barriers like ridges or seamounts, ‘wiggles’ are created in the water flow that form eddies. Valleys and cliffs can also accelerate deep currents at the bottom of the ocean,” Dr Phillips said.

“Eddies are like the weather systems of the ocean, playing a major role in transporting heat and carbon from the upper ocean to deeper layers – a critical buffer against global warming.

“Knowledge of the depth and shape of the sea floor is crucial for us to quantify the influence of undersea mountains, hills and valleys on the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and the leaking of heat toward Antarctica.”

Dr Phillips said that while integrating all the ship and satellite data will take some time, the successful voyage is fundamental to building knowledge of ocean circulation that informs climate policy.

“Ultimately, we want to turn daily maps of ocean sea surface height from satellites into daily maps of the movement of heat in the Southern Ocean toward Antarctica. This will help governments and communities plan how to adapt to rising sea levels and how fast they need to act,” she said.