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5 technologies fighting climate change

Can tech help fight climate change? Five innovations making a difference today

  • min read
    • As we say goodbye to the last decade, we usher in a new and crucial one for our planet. According to research, Earth has warmed around 1c since the industrial revolution, which is wreaking havoc on the planet we call home. This is just the start, according to this fun, but terrifying sliding scale. Since the 2016 Paris Agreement – which aims to keep global temperature increases under 2c – climate change has become a critical conversation for all nations and industries. But, as the research of agricultural economist Ester Boserup shows, humankind has the potential to adapt using technology to overcome its problems. These five technologies are designed to help us combat the number one issue we face as a species: global warming. Vacuuming gas from the atmosphere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63S0t4k_Glw Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere have risen 48 percent since the start of the industrial revolution. We need to start reducing it, with the help of direct air capture (DAC) technology. But what is it? Giant vacuum cleaners remove CO2 from the atmosphere, sequestering it underground and, in some cases, supplying it back to specific industries, like fertilizer for farmers or bubbles for drinks companies to carbonate their products. One of the companies already using Direct Air Capture tech is Climeworks. They're removing and sequestering thousands of tons of carbon from the atmosphere every year. The CO2 fighting resilient crop Arborea has developed the world's first BioSolar Leaf – which puts a whole new spin on natural photosynthesis. Using unique, photovoltaic-like panels, coined 'bionic leaves,' BioSolar Leaf uses sunlight to grow microscopic plants which can grow in high concentrations within arid and infertile ground. These tiny plants, in turn, produce healthy food ingredients while generating oxygen and sequestering high amounts of CO2. Bees glorious bees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6HLWS86-Y8&feature=emb_title Bees. You'd be hard pushed to find someone who doesn't appreciate them. But you'd have an equally tricky time sitting down for a coffee with one (the bee, not the person). They are vital to a healthy environment, but unfortunately, their numbers are declining globally. It's time to save these winged wanderers. The World Bee Project and Oracle have teamed up to do just that. Their Hive Network uses cloud technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and smart sensors to collect information about honey bee decline to protect them better. The Hive Network allows researchers to 'listen' in on honey bee enclosures, analyzing data like wing movement, temperature and honey yield. By monitoring bee colonies at this level, conservationists and beekeepers can detect patterns and predict bee behaviors, giving them vital information to keep our (real-world) honeypots alive. Lab-grown cuisine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Iv0857U3UE Not a new technology by any stretch, but a new way of looking at a traditional industry. Meat has a much higher energy footprint than any other food type. It takes 75 times more energy to produce than corn and an area seven times the size of the European Union (EU) to produce enough food for the region's cattle and livestock to eat. In an attempt to curb our carnivorous habits and save our planet from total annihilation, start-ups like Impossible Foods are rearing fake meat – in labs. They've discovered that both animals and plants share a common protein – heme. In plants, this is leghemoglobin, whereas in animals, like cows, this would be hemoglobin. By taking heme from leghemoglobin and growing it in a lab, the product can be colored, shaped and even cooked like a piece of meat because they share the same properties. But there's more. Solar Foods are now turning water into different foods by taking bacteria from soil and multiplying it using hydrogen extracted from water – the result (in this case): flour. Although the flour isn't licensed for sale currently, it's been used to make an edible pancake. Not a bad start. Eventually, the flour will be used to replace fillers in thousands of food products. It can be modified to mimic milk and eggs, and can even be manipulated to create lab-grown fish with all those healthy omega-3 acids. The power of energy storage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmrwdTGZxGk&feature=emb_title Many countries around the world have committed to a 100 percent carbon-free future, but how exactly will it happen? With renewables, in the first instance. But we also need to manage better the energy we produce to power the right tech to help us, like electric cars. The stage is set for interconnectors. These power lines not only move energy across long distances between regional power grids but also store excess energy for later use using lithium-ion batteries – those used in mobile phones and electric cars. The use of these interconnectors is expected to grow tenfold by 2024. They help to store energy for longer to transport it to places where there's less produced – a win-win. Right now, current storage tech can handle four hours of storage. But, technology firms aim to improve that drastically like Energy Vault, a Swiss start-up. They use windy days and automated cranes to stack bricks, recapturing the kinetic energy generated when the bricks fall back to the ground. Watch the video to see it in action. Smart cities are the next port of call The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that climate change could increase deaths by air pollution by hundreds of thousands between 2030 and 2050. One of the big problems: congested cities. Now with advances in artificial intelligence, internet of things (IoT) and smart sensors, smart cities are being designed to help keep earth-defiling emissions down and citizens' lungs healthy. Hamburg is a case in point. A prominent port city in Germany, it's bustling with shipping containers, cruise ships and other sea vessels – but struggling to manage increasing air and noise pollution. Air pollution is due to ships burning marine fuels for on-board equipment while they're docked in the harbor. After Hamburg Port Authority teamed up with Siemens and adopted the Siharbour technology (a mobile-operated generator), Hamburg's ports can now hook incoming ships onto the mainland power supply, stopping them from burning unnecessary fuel and keeping emissions down. What happens next? The teams behind these innovations (and countless others) are working around the clock for a better chance of saving our planet. Which ones do you think will help make a difference? And what innovations could your business develop now that could help protect our world?
kids, tomorrow unlocked

What should we do with kids who hack?

  • min read
    • Tomorrow Unlocked's latest video series in collaboration with Euronews, hacker:HUNTER The Kids, examines how and why children get into hacking – putting themselves at risk and doing much damage. Should these young hackers be treated like criminals? Or can they be rehabilitated and taught to use their hacking skills for good? Watch the episodes: 1.  Criminals in children's rooms? How kids become hackers One mom didn't know her son was hacking until he had a gun delivered to the family home. Episode 1 explores how organized crime groups target children and groom them into cybercrime. We also follow the journey of a young hacker's mother who now helps police address cybercrime by children. 2.  How kids with little code skill do big, damaging hacks Children don't need much code skill to perform damaging cyberattacks. In episode 2, hear original testimony from a child hacker – a 'script kiddie' or 'skiddie:' How and why he attacked his school, stealing and exposing private information. But despite increasing damage from their hacks, experts think script kiddies shouldn't be thrown in jail – instead, they could be nurtured to be future cyber leaders. 3.  It started with innocent pranks. Now he faces life in prison. A 14-year-old known as Omnipotent started one of the world's most popular hacking forums, RaidForums. It began with innocent pranks on users of streaming service Twitch, but soon led to life-threatening hoaxes and selling stolen data. Authorities long knew Omnipotent was Portuguese national Diogo Santos Coelho. Yet they didn't arrest him until he was old enough to be tried as an adult. His case raises hard questions – could police have stopped crime if they'd intervened earlier? 4.  How Dutch police put prevention first with young hackers Hacking's adrenaline rush can be addictive. If authorities intervene when they're young, can black-hat (illegal) hackers gain a moral compass and learn to use their skills for good? Netherlands' National Police Corps focus on preventing cybercrime. Their unique programs RE_B00tCMP (Reboot Camp) and HACK_Right aim to send young hackers in a positive direction. Hacker GhostExodus, imprisoned for 11 years because of his illegal hacking as a young person, shares how he got back on track. Subscribe to Tomorrow Unlocked on YouTube for more films about how tech is changing our world. Experts in hacker:HUNTER The Kids Waqas Ahmed, Cybersecurity Writer, HackRead Media. Ben Cooper KC, specialist extradition lawyer. Dr. Kelli Dunlap Clinical Psychologist and Game Designer. Christian Funk, Head of GReAT, Kaspersky Germany. Barbara Gemen, Parent and Cyber Special Volunteer with the Dutch National Police GhostExodus, former black hat hacker turned humanitarian activist. Floor Jansen, Team Lead, Cyber Offender Prevention Squad, Dutch Police. Mike Jones, Security Researcher. Marco Preuss, Director of GReAT, Kaspersky Europe. Alexander Urbelis, Cybersecurity Lawyer, Crowell and Moring. Jorik Van Maanen, student and RE_B00tCMP graduate. Erik Van Oosbree, white-hat hacker and penetration tester.
women gaming

Women’s growing inclusion in gaming has lessons for business

  • min read
    • At a TED talk in California in 1998, pioneer games designer Brenda Laurel asked why gaming companies weren't making games for little girls when the market was worth six billion dollars? She concluded the male-dominated games industry was missing out on so much money because it only knew how to appeal to its own demographic. The games industry may have heard her. Soon, the race was on to diversify game themes, characters and spaces. Most gamers welcomed diversity, but some saw it as a threat – typified by a large, highly organized misogynistic harassment campaign, #Gamergate, emerging in 2014. Diversification in gaming was, however, unstoppable. Although today's gaming sector is still male-dominated, there is growing involvement of girls, women and non-binary people. In the 2020s, a rising four in ten gamers are women. I am the writer and presenter of Season 2 of Kaspersky's award-winning podcast Fast Forward, examining trends shaping technology from the perspective of the recent past. In Episode 2, I interview leading women in the gaming sector to discover how the industry is changing for women and non-binary people, and what other businesses can learn. Women-centered events and targeted mentoring In parts of the world where cultural and religious beliefs make it hard for women to game, some are working to create a smoother, safer path for young women who want to game or work in gaming. Many women's gaming events and networks have emerged worldwide. The expansion of game content and formats has helped – popular titles now include adventure games, role-playing games, cultural games that aim to solve local or global issues, and more. Ghada Almoqbel, Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Arabia's convention for women and girls in gaming, GCON, says that today women make up around 46 percent of Saudi's gamers, but were once much rarer. Ghada tells how she got involved. "I started playing video games when I was little. The only girls I knew that played were me and my sister. In 2012, I heard of the girls' convention, GCON. I didn't go, but the pictures and videos on social media were amazing." Ghada started with GCON as a volunteer, writing articles and helping organize events like 'game jams' – where everyone works together to make a game from scratch. She became Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Ask women what they need to succeed Through Ghada's leadership, GCON is growing and changing. "Our new strategy involves three departments: Game development, eSports and entertainment. Before we plan events or activities, we ask questions like, what do women need in eSports or game development?" Ghada elaborates on GCON's eSports program. "It aims to identify talent, support and empower. We want to make them role models. We want them to have more exposure in Saudi Arabia and internationally. But we're careful with eSports, because there's still lots of harassment." Have clearly communicated anti-harassment strategies In its 2021 survey, global anti-hate organization ADL found five in six adults who played online multiplayer games experienced harassment. Research has also found hostile sexism is a significant motivator of in-game harassers. David advocates for clear ways to report harassment. "In situations involving trolling, abuse or anything harmful, players need to know how to report it." He also thinks male-dominated game design may contribute to the problem. "We must see more women involved in game design and production so that the environment reflects all genders." But gamers aren't always using all available security features. "There's a fear that protecting a device might slow down the computer, but that doesn't have to be so. Gamers should check internet security solutions will work around their gaming experience. Look for gaming or do-not-disturb modes, which turn off notifications while you're playing." Ask non-binary people what they want from your products Jennifer Donahue is Head of Publishing and Marketing at HiDef games in California, US. She's worked in gaming for 25 years. Jen believes players care about being able to be themselves through their character or avatar. "Growing up, there were no strong female Jedi in Star Wars, so I wanted to be Luke Skywalker. I ended up mainly being male characters because I wanted those powers. Today, you have more options. You can largely create a character that looks like you." However, some groups are still largely marginalized from game character development. "We know non-binary folks have difficulty finding representation in avatars and gaming." Non-binary people are those who see themselves as neither male nor female. HiDef learned a lot from asking non-binary people directly what they wanted. "We did focus groups with non-binary players to understand what they wanted from game avatars. We found you have to let them do whatever they want with an avatar – whether it's accessories or customizing size and shape, or adding prosthetic limbs if you're disabled and want to show that." The non-binary players also suggested recording non-binary people dancing, as their dancing may differ from that of men or women. Jen says, "It's not just the avatar's appearance, but their actions. All these things help players authentically connect with their character." Leaders ensuring other leaders are respectful of women Jen feels the behavior of men in the workplace can still impact some women who work in gaming, but those at the top can change that. "Many men in the industry have grown up behaving in a certain way. As I have status in the industry now, I can help the next generation by calling out actions in the moment, in a professional, respectful way." She thinks more accepting, nurturing workplaces will pay off for companies. "When I'm in a safe space, I can bring my authentic self to work each day. That means I can perform at my best, as can my coworkers. Representation from different groups can only make products better." The gaming sector is growing fast with the evolution of immersive virtual worlds. It's an important future work sector. Today, huge groups of diverse players collaborate in-game to make environments they want to be in and share – homes and social spaces, festivals and galleries, even governments and schools. This is called 'world building' – it's opposite to the competitive, conflict-driven games of the last decades. There's more space opening for women and non-binary makers and players, and other diverse communities. Finally, games and virtual worlds could be part of the solution for some real-world problems we face.
Digital voting, democracy, privacy

Is digital voting secure enough for national elections?

  • min read
    • 2020 is a big year for democracy. There's a US presidential election, 100 years of US women's suffrage and policymakers around the world considering how to make elections safer in a pandemic. As COVID-19 has brought rising unemployment in most countries, maintaining stability means maintaining – or better, improving – trust in government. With voter turnout down around the globe, policymakers should also be asking how they can re-engage citizens in democracy. You've probably not seen that question answered quite so cluelessly as my local council in the run-up to its 2019 election, by sticking giant poo emojis all over town. Surprise – it didn't work. Voter turnout fell six percentage points on the previous election. Among the Facebook fury that called the poo emoji campaign tasteless and patronizing, a lone voice suggested another way to achieve the campaign's aim. "I filled in my voting papers a couple of weeks ago, but it's sitting in its envelope still, ready to be posted. When I get the chance to swing by a post box, I will, but it's not something I do these days. Bring voting into the click-of-a-button digital world, and you will have voters." Could it possibly be that simple? Voter turnout is falling in almost every country – a trend that started around 1990. When we've fought life-and-death battles to vote, could inconvenience really put people off something so important? It's certainly plausible –  behavioral science shows small changes in environment can make a big difference to what people choose to do. I asked democracy campaigners and commentators in several countries where they stand on digital voting. Do they think it will soon be feasible for national elections? Proportional representation may be fairer, but does it get us voting? Josiah Mortimer of the UK Electoral Reform Society dismisses digital voting entirely. "There are more pressing problems with the voting system than going to a polling station or getting a postal vote. Major privacy, accuracy and trust concerns have not been dealt with, and we feel the issue is a distraction from the real democratic crisis. The priority is ensuring every vote counts – in the UK by switching to proportional representation, modernizing voter registration and improving citizenship education." Proportional representation describes any electoral system that ensures the proportion of representatives elected matches their party's share of the overall vote. That's distinct from non-proportional systems like first-past-the-post or electoral college, where winning certain areas can see a party less popular overall gaining power. Proportional representation has received renewed attention in the UK since its 2019 election returned what Jack Blumenau and Simon Hix described as "the most disproportionate outcome of any election in the post-war era" in a London School of Economics blog post. Proportional representation might make for fairer results, but could it reverse declining voter turnout? After New Zealand adopted proportional representation in 1993, voter turnout fell for many years, to an all-time low in 2011. Then, it started rising again, with their October 2020 election seeing the highest turnout in many years. Whatever drives New Zealand's election turn-out, there's more to it than proportional representation. For its "privacy, accuracy and trust" concerns around digital voting, Electoral Reform Society pointed me to a 2015 article, Why we can't vote online. It describes designing online systems that match the secrecy, accuracy and verifiability of paper as "incredibly hard," referencing flaws found in Estonia's election system in 2014. The article's arguments may have been fair and accurate at the time, but what about today? Five years is a long time in technology, and in the number of eligible voters who expect to do everything digitally. Ballot secrecy is the heart of the issue Lawrence Norden, Director for Election Reform and Democracy at the US's Brennan Center for Justice, often writes on security and electronic voting. He's optimistic online voting could one day be secure enough to rely upon, but cautions against 'too much, too soon' as COVID-19 puts the pressure on to find safer ways to vote. "Election officials shouldn't be left on their own to figure out whether a system is secure and reliable. It is possible that one day, we can develop such a system. But currently, there are no generally accepted benchmarks to evaluate the security of online voting pilots." Norden places safeguarding electronic voting suppliers in his top two priorities. "We need a federal certification framework for election system vendors and their products. Hackers targeted vendors in 2016. We have little insight into vendors' internal cybersecurity practices, who works for them and who owns them. This is more of a security risk than we should be willing to accept." This makes sense, given supply chain attacks are common. Norden thinks ballot secrecy is the big challenge for voting online. "When we rely on software to provide us with election totals, as in the US, we must have a way to confirm the totals are accurate. The best way, while maintaining ballot secrecy, is to check the paper record against the electronic totals. There is no such record in paperless electronic machines or online ballots. If a hacker changes a vote transmitted over the internet, we might not know." Norden highlights voters can still do a lot to protect their vote from cyberattack. "They should check their voter registration online. They could volunteer to work on election day. They can learn the rules for how and when to vote early – the earlier people vote, the less chance a cyberattack can interfere with their ability to cast a ballot that will count." What does secure digital voting look like? Dr. Muhammad Rizwan Asghar, Senior Lecturer, School of Computer Science at the University of Auckland, is another frequent commentator on digital voting. Does he think online voting could be secure enough to be the election standard sooner, later or never? "One might argue if Estonia can do online voting, any country can, but this might not be true. There have been reported vulnerabilities on the voter and voting server ends. Even if we assume there are no issues with existing online voting systems, Estonia is a tech-oriented country with a population of just 1.3 million. "Addressing security risk for online voting means mitigating cybersecurity challenges at the user, communication and server levels. An online voting system needs a form of vote integrity, so votes can be tallied while ensuring voter privacy. Cryptographic schemes achieve this. Each voter encrypts her vote. Using a public bulletin board, voters can see the votes they cast. Once all the votes are cast, they're summed using homomorphic encryption, then the final sum decrypted. The decryption key is split among a set of trusted authorities who must collaborate to reveal the final result. It's promising, but not enough on its own. Some cybersecurity experts say there will never be anything safer than in-person voting with paper slips, but Dr. Asghar points out, "Each approach has its issues. In paper-based elections, people can be prevented from reaching polling booths. They can be harassed or coerced. A returning officer can spoil ballots. We can address most of these concerns using online voting. It could also make voting more accessible and help get results faster. But recent reports show voting servers are an attractive target for state-sponsored attackers. They can make servers unavailable using Denial of Service (DoS) or Distributed DoS (DDoS) attacks." What should any authority considering online voting learn from Estonia? "Estonia has made their system's source code public to foster trust and minimize the potential attack surface. They have internet and computer training programs for voters. If a voter has been coerced, they can go back later and change their vote or even vote in person on election day." Despite his optimism for the future of online voting, Dr. Asghar says it's hard to imagine online voting being ready for national-level elections in the next few years. "Not only is developing the system highly challenging, there must also be training in how to use it." Can blockchain help make digital voting secure enough? National-level elections are always a high-risk environment for interference, whether people tamper with papers in person or nation state-sponsored cybercriminals attack digitally. So it follows we're seeing promising innovations in secure voting technology like Polys used first in low-risk, closed-group settings, like workplaces, universities and local government. Polys uses blockchain and encryption to make a tight voting system. "Encryption built on top of a blockchain system makes every vote like a 'black box' – no one can see how any person voted," explains Alexander Sazonov, Head of Product at Polys."We identify voters using unique email and SMS codes, or third-party identification, checking they're entitled to vote and that they are whom they say they are. The database is distributed among participants, making it almost impossible to change. It's hard to hack because you'd need to access multiple distribution points at the same time." Polys took off with companies and organizations that can't hold in-person elections because their people are distributed around a large area. Soon, European Youth Parliament, Russian Supreme Court and numerous university elections were using it. Several Russian regions now use Polys to consult citizens on budget expenditure decisions. Sazonov further explains Polys' security features. "People make mistakes when counting paper votes, but with Polys, every server on the blockchain independently counts votes. They then synchronize with each other. If the results match, the vote is closed and declared accurate. If there's a discrepancy, the administrator can launch an investigation. No system is completely un-hackable, but ours is transparent enough that hacking can be detected and investigated, while voters stay anonymous." How will we come to trust digital voting? British political philosopher Baroness Onora O'Neill speaks in her lecture series, A Question of Trust, of how public institutions should aim, rather than to be trusted, to be trustworthy. She argues it is being trustworthy that creates trust. The same may be true of electronic voting. For the public to trust it, it must prove itself trustworthy. Many of the risks of digital voting exist with paper-based voting and are as hard to detect in that setting. Secure, digital voting would offer voters protection paper cannot. The Brennan Center's Lawrence Norden makes sense when he says digital democracy shouldn't be rushed because of COVID-19. But even without the pandemic, it seems high time to trial digital voting alongside existing options for lower-risk, local elections. In the face of plummeting voter engagement and likely global recession, the need to re-engage voters can't be put aside – trust in government depends on it. Policymakers must acknowledge technology has changed everything about how voters live. It must inevitably change how we vote.
data ethics interview

How data ethicists are helping tech business be better

  • min read
    • Using data responsibly is a hot topic. Tech companies must ensure they don't cause harm, for example, by breaching consumer privacy or reinforcing bias through automated decisions. It's a moral and legal question, but it may be unclear how businesses and governments should approach their data responsibilities despite increased regulation. We still see egregious data use practice. Alice Thwaite is technology ethicist and responsible owner for ethics at OmniGOV, MG OMD, working with the UK government on communications and advertising. We chat about what data ethics means in practice. Gemma: What does it mean to be a data ethicist today? Alice: Ethics is the study of how to live. An ethicist takes a theory of how humans want to be treated and how we should interact with the wider world, and thinks about how an action or technology could contribute to that goal. We use ethical methodologies and knowledge about the consequences of a technology or business model to transform the business into one that prioritizes ethics. Businesses have always operated in the realm of ethics, but usually without a systematic approach. Ethicists co-create frameworks with stakeholders like customers, colleagues and wider society so that an organization's values become critical in business decisions. What does that look like in practice? First, we help organizations understand where they're making ethical decisions and show how they'll need a more systematic process to reach their ethical goals. Second, we educate organizations on ethical methodology and issues. Third, we assess practice to understand what the company wants to prioritize and how current practice meets ethical goals, making suggestions like 'ethical pilots.' Finally, we implement and measure ethical pilots so they can become policy. We don't work in a vacuum – we must be in constant contact with various communities. For example, before establishing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, a company might think racial equality is important but have no roadmap to get there. With an influence campaign, education, auditing and an implementation program, they may still have a way to go. But they're now measuring ethnicity pay gap and thinking about inclusive work environments for different people. They can keep following the 'influence, educate, assess, implement' process to fruition. Where do organizations start? What tips do you have for those keen to start doing ethics? Hire someone to build an ethical program and link them with a sponsor who can ensure the organization implements their recommendations. They may have a degree in philosophy, international relations, social science or community work experience. Ensure they can learn as much as possible about business ethics and support their attempts to transform the culture. Those in data security or compliance should recognize an ethicist has different processes. The goals may be similar, but the process aligns more with social science and humanities methods. What questions should organizations wanting a data ethicist ask? Are we committed to change? Do we want a world prioritizing human values like democracy, dignity and freedom? Are we prepared for the discomfort that comes with changing procedures? If you're prepared to change, write a job description incorporating things I've mentioned and encourage your team members to apply. Opinions reflect those of the expert. Interview edited for clarity.
green tech improving business

Six ways green tech can benefit your business

  • min read
    • Two-thirds of customers place importance on a brand's sustainable or eco-friendly image. Buoyed by this growing consumer awareness, business investment in becoming more sustainable is at record highs. Staff are concerned too – 97 percent of executives say their company has been negatively affected by climate change. IT and enterprise leaders must get involved in this new age of corporate social responsibility (CSR.) But these new environmentally conscious ways of doing business can benefit your company in other ways. Here are six ways green tech is improving business while reducing its environmental footprint. 1.   Saving on energy bills Oxford Economics says data-driven tools like smart meters, smart plugs and self-regulating energy systems can cut energy costs by up to 5 percent. It may not sound like much, but will add up to billions by 2030, with the biggest savings likely in small-to-medium businesses. These smart solutions are an easy way for businesses to predict better, optimize and conserve energy, meaning cost savings while reducing climate impacts of energy production, which across the world, is still mostly done by burning fossil fuels. 2.   Gaining more organizational insight These smart devices don't just help save energy and resources. They give businesses improved insight into process efficiencies. There's been huge uptake of 'internet of things' (IoT) devices in industry and manufacturing, largely driven by their ability to predict maintenance needs, maximize productivity and reduce factory downtime. Over 55 billion devices will be connected and talking to one another by 2025, according to market researcher IDC. One example is modular house-building factories –robots are better than humans at arranging patterns to get the most cuts from a piece of wood. 3.   Improving employees' working lives According to international consulting firm McKinsey, remote, digital, and hybrid technologies will define the future of work. Many employers are using online tools to book on-demand flexible office space, vehicles and virtual desktops, cutting resource consumption and travel-related greenhouse gas emissions. Employees relish more opportunity to work flexibly, widespread since the pandemic – whether working from home or across hours that better suit family life. Commuting is no small contributor to climate change. In the US, 75 percent use driving as their main means of getting to work. 4.   Saving on carbon costs With many countries operating internal carbon markets, reducing carbon emissions can, on its own, reduce operating expenses. These schemes require companies to buy carbon credits for emissions they produce, while those that create carbon sinks, like forestry, can make money by selling credits. Renewable energy microgrids are one way to cut carbon emissions. Other companies are replacing fossil fuel-powered vehicle fleets with electric and hybrid vehicles. These can also have health benefits for staff through reduced air pollution, vibration and noise. 5.   Reducing eWaste Our growing mountains of electronic waste are not easy or cheap to recycle, but practice is improving. Green tech can also help here, like using cloud-based file storage and backups, where multiple businesses share the same IT infrastructure. (This, in turn, makes strong, automated cloud security indispensable.) Virtual desktops also mean you needn't constantly equip and re-equip staff with dedicated laptops and PCs, meaning less waste to landfill. Choose your data center wisely for minimum environmental impact – they can use much electricity and water, and create a lot of heat. Doing your research will reveal the most low-impact options, like using data centers in countries where most electricity is generated renewably. 6.   Increasing productivity One UCLA study found employees at companies that voluntarily adopt high environmental standards were 16 percent more productive than peers at less eco-friendly organizations. Reasons might include distance learning, telecommuting and real-time collaboration tech. Artificially-intelligent software personalities and automated helpers may also help employees work without needing to travel while taking over repetitive tasks that reduce focus. Green tech for business will mean many operational benefits alongside all-important protection for our resources, climate and atmosphere. Companies should aim to stay ahead of customers' expectations and move more quickly than regulation requires. The coming years will only bring more environmental scrutiny and awareness, so it will pay to invest in greener tech today.
by Innovating leaders.
Innovative tech.
About Secure Futures

Secure Futures magazine is your go-to business guide for opinions, trends and insight into the world of technology and cybersecurity. We help your business to bring on the future. Brought to you by Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity experts.

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