How automation can fast-track net zero aims

The introduction of the Climate Change Act 2022 and the Climate Change (Consequential Amendments) Act 2022 on 14 September is creating a sense of urgency for Australian government agencies and private sector organisations to achieve a 43% emissions reduction target within the next eight years, and net zero emissions by 2050. At the same time, New Zealand is set to introduce a world-first scheme that requires farmers to pay for their agricultural greenhouse gas emissions to help meet the country’s international promise to cut methane by 10% in the next eight years, and achieve a net zero target by 2050.

While these measures are likely to support emissions reductions, ultimately the solution may lie in end-to-end automation. According to the World Economic Forum, digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and automation, have the power to decarbonise operations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20%.

Organisations across Asia–Pacific are increasingly recognising the value of automation in achieving environmental goals. A recent IDC survey commissioned by UiPath showed a massive upswing in automating environmental, social and governance (ESG) functions, with more than 30% of organisations expected to automate ESG in the next three years. However, a significant obstacle for most organisations lies in the fact that they simply don’t have the technical know-how or expertise required to successfully meet this target.

How automation reduces emissions

The road to net zero can be challenging because, in addition to technical capabilities, it requires top-level accountability, adequate investments, organisation-wide resource redistribution, realignment of business strategy with net zero goals, innovation expenditure, staff engagement and re-skilling.

To address all of these factors, both government and private sector organisations need reliable support to accurately monitor their energy consumption and identify the right steps to take towards achieving net zero carbon emissions. In industries such as agriculture and manufacturing in particular, there is a heavy reliance on carbon-intensive processes. Adapting the right technology in the right way can help reduce the dependence on carbon-emitting infrastructure.

This is why end-to-end automation is now coming to the fore in helping government agencies and businesses across all industries including finance, manufacturing, retail, health, transport and telecommunications to meet their net zero aims.

For example, end-to-end automation powered by AI and ML is proving useful in helping organisations automatically observe and adjust workflows to increase operational efficiencies that can achieve a reduction in greenhouse emissions. Affordable AI software can also be used to replace expensive carbon-generating infrastructure in some instances.

Additionally, automation is beneficial for ESG monitoring and reporting, which typically requires enormous amounts of data to be collected, analysed and interpreted to meet the needs of multiple stakeholders. Since this involves sources of data that are not usually available in standard tools such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software but sit across the entire supply chain, automation can consolidate the required information across multiple platforms in real time to meet reporting and compliance expectations.

Where technological advances will drive the net zero agenda

Due to rapid technological advances, industries worldwide are ushering in an era that is changing where and how people work. We see this in the broadscale shift to remote working, which is having a positive impact on reducing carbon emissions generated by means such as energy consumption in the office and emissions generated from the daily commute to and from workplaces.

A digital-first workplace is also creating a paperless environment, which reduces the physical storage resources and waste generated by manual record keeping. As automated tools permeate all areas of operations, organisations will gain much greater efficiencies and productivity at scale and speed, which frees up humans to focus more on helping their organisations achieve net zero goals.

Global specialty chemical company Clariant, which operates in Australia, recently implemented automation in one pilot region, which eliminated 40,000 printouts per quarter and the associated paper and printer storage and waste. This has provided a blueprint for other regions to follow, which will result in extensive environmental gains.

At the University of Auckland in New Zealand, automation was initially considered as a cost-saving initiative but quickly developed into a fully-fledged tertiary course. For this internationally leading university, automation has moved beyond solving a business problem to becoming a driver towards a positive future, whereby lessons learned in the classroom can be taken into the global workforce by graduates.

Taking the first automation-powered step to net zero

Achieving true net zero must encompass every aspect of the organisation, including its broader ecosystem throughout the supply chain. Government agencies have a responsibility to set the standard when it comes to driving and leading climate change initiatives, including actions to achieve net zero targets.

With budgetary constraints and expert technical resourcing as key challenges to achieving automation and net zero aims, the first step is to determine where the biggest gains can be achieved in the shortest amount of time. For example, by choosing one central aspect of the organisation, such as finance and record keeping, to target for automation, the organisation can immediately realise operational efficiencies that support net zero gains. From there, it becomes a process of building out automation to span other areas of the organisation that can realise cost efficiencies and operational and sustainability gains through processes and systems powered by AI.

The best way to start this process is by engaging an end-to-end enterprise automation expert that has the knowledge and capability to support the organisation’s net zero goals, while helping them sustain and improve business operations. Partnering with the right expert allows the organisation to set the blueprint and the benchmark for its sister agencies, supply chain and the broader industry to make significant strides toward achieving net zero targets. Ultimately, the outcome of this approach is an industry-wide solution that delivers benefits to the organisation, its customers, employees, supply chain and the broader national community.

Image credit: iStock.com/Khanchit Khirisutchalual