By Hana Anandira
Google, Netflix and Siemens executives detailed efforts to decarbonise on-site and supply chain operations, pitching sustainability as core pillars of their respective organisations during an event dedicated to the topic in London.
During the event, Google Chrome Enterprise director Michael Wyatt, Siemens Smart Infrastructure CEO Matthias Rebellius and Netflix sustainability officer Emma Stewart all stated environmental issues have led companies to revamp their business strategy.
“The tide is changing. Companies are now starting to make decisions based on sustainability,” said Wyatt, noting conversations around this topic were rather overlooked a few years ago.
Wyatt explained digital tools play a role in making the world a more sustainable place, pointing to a Google browser feature he claimed could stretch the lifespan of a laptop PC performance, in turn reducing the amount of e-waste.
To the cloud
The executive highlighted an initiative Google is exploring with the UK government which will involve departments deploying the feature and other cloud technologies. “The government uses around 2.25 million devices…We estimated they could save 56 kilograms of carbon a year just by changing operating systems and the way they consume devices”.
However, he mentioned upgrading digital infrastructure in the public sector can be “challenging”. He cited the NHS as an example, noting the organisation still uses applications which are not connected to the cloud.
Rebellius also placed digitalisation at the heart of Siemens’ green transformation, stating digital twins helped the company make “faster and better decisions”.
“We have more data across the entire supply chain, including manufacturing process, a product’s lifetime and operations within the factory.”
Rebellius explained Siemens is “working on scaling our software. It can be on-premises, hybrid and cloud to manage the high complexity of decentralised energy generation in intelligent grids for our buildings”.
Clean power
Adding to the matter, Stewart said Netflix moved to “swap out” diesel generators in its productions with hydrogen fuels, but argued “this kind of transition cannot happen overnight”.
She added the streaming giant partnered with The Walt Disney Company to co-fund development of clean mobile power for the entertainment and events sectors through a technology accelerator.
