Sustainability is changing business

From electric trams, to smart automation systems and clean energy generation – many of Siemens’ innovative products help customers minimize their environmental footprint. Every company that looks closely at their own activities sees that what’s good for sustainability is often also good for business.

Siemens began this process in earnest in 2015 by setting itself the ambitious goal of eliminating the carbon footprint of its operative business and becoming climate neutral by 2030. To do it, the company is concentrating on four key areas: energy efficiency in buildings and facilities, the use of decentralized energy systems, as well as intelligent e-mobility solutions, and finally the purchasing of clean electricity.

Throughout industry, the issue of sustainability has recently taken on a new urgency. In Germany, this is perhaps most visible among the automotive manufacturers –, who are taking a vigorous approach to e-mobility. The knock-on effects will be considerable, as automotive suppliers are under pressure to reduce the carbon emissions of their fleets as well as their own carbon footprint. This also means an increasing importance for automation solutions that deliver greater savings in resources especially energy.

Greener consumers

In cutting its own carbon footprint, Siemens is doing company-wide what many private households can do for themselves – and more and more are doing. For my own part: At home, we produce our own electricity, with solar panels on the roof and a battery in the cellar. And this covers more than 2/3 of our annual consumption. 

Generating our own power has led me personally to a new level of awareness of how much we consume and where it’s possible to save. This, in turn, influences a wide range of decisions about what purchases we make or where we go on holiday, for example.

Manufacturers feel such shifts in consumer behavior very quickly, whether they stem from changes in personal preferences or new legal requirements. The plastics industry, for example, must adapt when plastic bags are banned in certain regions or when people avoid PET bottles in favor of glass. And it’s prudent for all industries to consider the use of alternative materials.

Changes in consumer preferences may also be driven by technological progress. Efficient electric motors have been around for a long time. Now lithium-ion batteries are improving with regard to both performance and recycling – we can recycle more than 95% of the materials already. As batteries and the things powered by them become more appealing, it influences consumer choices. It goes without saying, that the global community must strive for a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way of raw material extraction.

 Greener technology

The need for energy saving is rapidly becoming acute with a dramatic rise in global demand for electric power expected in the foreseeable future. China for example is investing tremendously in renewable energies, but this alone will not bring a turnaround. Our customers are certainly aware of sustainability and demanding solutions that help them improve efficiency and conserve resources – in no small part because these measures make them more competitive as well as more environmentally friendly. To meet these requirements, we offer comprehensive solutions that help manufacturers to achieve their goals.

For manufacturers, the first priority is usually to reduce energy use. Not only digitalization offers many ways to raise energy efficiency and maintain a level of transparency and consistency throughout production processes. This avoids peak loads, which are costly and difficult for the grid to accommodate. Motors, for example, consume around 28 percent of the world’s electricity. If all those motors were fitted with intelligent variable speed drives, the energy savings would be massive. 

Another good example is the servo press. Compared with conventional presses, servo presses allow far more possibilities to control the process to prevent peak loads and ensure energy is not lost. In most manufacturing plants, there are hundreds, even thousands, of devices that use energy, all of which can be optimized.

Many small measures can collectively make a big difference, in industry as well as in our private life. If we all shift our mindset and pay attention to it, the next generation will see the results.