Dual transition towards an eco-digital era that is more digital and more sustainable

During the event The eco-digital era: The dual transition to a sustainable and digital economy I learned about a survey of 1,500 executives led by Professor Suraj Srinivasan showing that 77% of the executives believe we are experiencing a dual transition towards an eco-digital era that is more digital and more sustainable.

An example from page 52 of the report: “As part of its transition to a circular economy by 2030, IKEA has been testing a circular furniture subscription model since 2019. The company introduced a limited roll-out of a B2B edition called IKEA Rental in six markets during 2021: Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Spain, and Poland.

An example from page 69 of the report: Bijoy Sagar from Bayer comments: “To transform an organization into a digital business is the work of more than one function. This requires a lot of training, new ways of working: Agile as a methodology is now consistently implemented across all the digital functions. But it’s also a very challenging process because, going forward, every function is going to become a digital function.”

An example from page 47 of the report: “Airbus uses AI algorithms in its generative design process to develop lighter-weight parts for its aircraft, resulting in lower fuel consumption and lessened environmental impact. The initial design was 45% lighter than the traditional part and is projected to reduce Airbus’s annual CO² emissions by nearly 500,000 metric tonnes if rolled out across its A320 fleet.”

An example from page 56 of the report: “Rolls-Royce is using digital twin technology and ML to extend maintenance time for some airplane engines by up to 50%, improving efficiency. This has saved around 22 million tonnes of carbon to date.”

WEF session about climate and nature: A systemic response is needed

Listening to a WEF24 session entitled Climate and nature: A systemic response needed this is what I wrote down as takeaways.

Jesper Brodin
– This is the decade that things need to change. All of us need to go through a massive transformation.
– The energy sector is not doing enough. We need the energy sector to take full responsibility. Leaders in the energy sector need to significantly step up and change.

André Hoffmann
– The current system does not work.
– Stakeholder focus is essential. Roche focuses primarily on patients – not on shareholders. If Roche had not had a stakeholder focus, the company would not exist today, I heard Mr. Hoffman say.
– We need to help each other pursue happiness and peace.
– We need to reintroduce the notion of nature in the way we work – by measuring impact.

Katharine Hayhoe
Scientists live primarily in the head. Scientists need to start also using their hearts and help people connect climate problems with what people care about. How do scientists do that? They ask people questions and listen to what people say. Scientists need to start communicating with people.

Ajay Singh Banga
– 45% of World Bank financing go to climate.
– The World Bank connects 100 million people in Africa to renewable energy.
– Solar power is cheaper than fossil fuels.

Kristalina Georgieva
– First of all, people need to cooperate – not compete. When doing that 1 + 1 = 6.
– Subsidies to fossil fuels need to be removed globally. The money that is freed up needs to be invested in climate action.
– Leaders need to do the right things – even if it is not popular.

WEF session about Gulf economies

During a WEF24 session entitled Gulf economies: All in this is what I learned:

Khalid Al-Falih:
Energy will transform to de-carbonized renewable energy solutions. In addition, digital solutions will grow.

Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa:
– 83% of Bahrain’s GDP is non-oil. The largest sector is banking and finance.
– The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have a young and a growing population.
– It is important to embrace new technological development such as AI.

Mina Al-Oraibi:
– There is strong growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
– There is an untapped potential to bring more women into the workforce.

Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari:
– Sovereign wealth funds play an important role to drive growth and support startup companies. Qatar invested much money in building physical infrastructure. The Gulf Cooperation Council countries Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates share the same language and see themselves as complementing and helping each other more than competing with each other.
– There is a strong degree of openness to invite people from all over the world to work and live in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi:
– The United Arab Emirates is a hub for new companies.
– Public private partnerships are important.
– Strong focus is on increasing productivity.
– Technological development is of key importance.

Majid Jafar:
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries benefit from an increasing number of well educated young people.

Real estate at a turning point

Listening to a #wef23 session entitled “Real estate at a turning point” this is what I learned:

Why is real estate important?
Nathalie Palladitcheff explained that everybody neeeds housing. And people spend, on average, 90% of their time in buildings.

What are some challenges in real estate?
Nathalie Palladitcheff: Real estate uses lots of carbon and lots of land.
Hussain Sajwani: Laws / regulations in Europe are very rigid. That holds investments back and thereby puts a limit on innovation / change.

What are examples of changes happening in the needs and behaviour of people?
Hussain Sajwani: In the USA, an increasing number of people move to Miami from the Northern parts of the country. And people move to Dubai and Abu Dhabi from Europe. Why? Because of the weather, and because people can work over the Internet. Also, buildings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are being made with lots of communal spaces such as shopping centers, fitness centers, swimming pools, playgrounds and other things / spaces that help increase the quality of life.
Howard W. Lutnick: The importance of green buildings and focus on ESG are increasing.

What are some changes being created in real estate?
Christian Ulbrich: Green buildings are energy saving buildings – thereby saving costs. Also, digitization will become more important in real estate. Various kinds of data will be used to develop buildings.
Nathalie Palladitcheff: Earlier CDPQ focused on real estate investments in big cities. Increasingly, focus is on real estate investments outside of big cities. Affordable housing is being created because it is low risk. Also, there is much innovation going on in materials, technology and processes. That reduces costs, improves the environment and improves the quality of living.
Howard W. Lutnick: Office buildings are decreasing in importance, as people work via Internet from home and from other places. There is a need to transform office buildings into residential space. Replacement of windows will also reduce costs and improve the environment. Brand new high quality buildings with large windows are getting all the rent. Retail is becoming more experimental, for example with showrooms.

Asking ChatGPT what the most important trends in real estate are, this is the feedback I received:

1. Remote work:
   The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in remote work, which has changed the way people think about where they want to live. This has led to an increase in demand for homes in more rural and suburban areas.
2. E-commerce:
   The growth of e-commerce has led to an increase in demand for industrial and warehouse space.
3. Sustainability:
   There is growing demand for energy-efficient and sustainable homes and buildings.
4. Smart home technology:
   The integration of smart home technology, such as voice assistants and smart thermostats, into homes and buildings is becoming increasingly popular.
5. Homeownership:
   As the economy recovers from the pandemic, homeownership is becoming more accessible for more people.
6. Investment:
   Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other real estate investment vehicles are becoming increasingly popular as a way to invest in the real estate market.
7. Short-term rental:
   The popularity of short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb has led to an increase in demand for properties that can be used as vacation rentals.

What are ways to build resilience in supply chains?

In the #wef23 session Relaunching Trade, Growth and Investment I noticed that resilience in supply chains was among the conversation topics. For example, I heard Vice Chancellor of Germany, Mr. Robert Habeck, talk about problems related to dependency of few energy suppliers.

Asking ChatGPT how to build resilience in supply chains, this is the feedback I received:

1. Diversifying suppliers and sourcing from multiple locations to reduce reliance on a single supplier.
2. Building up inventory and safety stock to buffer against disruptions.
3. Establishing strong relationships with key suppliers and partners.
4. Implementing effective risk management and contingency planning strategies.
5. Investing in new technologies such as automation and digitalization to improve supply chain visibility and responsiveness.
6. Continuously monitoring and assessing supplier performance.
7. Leveraging logistics and transportation options to reduce dependency on a single mode of transportation.
8. Encouraging open communication and collaboration throughout the supply chain.
9. Regularly reviewing and testing the supply chain to identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

Towards the end of the session, I heard Larry Fink argue for re-instilling hope in our minds. He elaborated on this by saying that if we have to reengage growth, we have to believe that tomorrow is a better place to be.

How do you breathe?

Contributing to the interesting project initiative Know the air you breathe, I have – up until now – had quite strong focus on technological issues. Technological aspects remain important, and I am fascinated by the CoSense Unit – including the several sensors in the device that enable the measuring of several dimensions of air quality – including temperature, humidity and particulate matter.

CoSense unit

The other day I had a good dialogue with a neighbor about the Know the air you breathe challenge. He was positively surprised about this citizen science initiative. During the conversation he added another aspect to my thinking about challenge: The way we breathe. What I understood from what he explained is that it can make a positive difference for our health that we practice diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing – or “belly breathing” – is, as I understood it, about breathing deeply using the stomach. This breathing technique helps to lower the heart rate and blood pressure and helps our bodies and mind to relax.

Doing research about breathing exercises, this is what I learned so far:

The power of thankfulness

Today Fabienne Locher reached out to me with this message: “I just visited your website and the vast resources you have been sharing. Simply: THANK YOU 🙏 Have a wonderful week.”

Such as message of gratitude / thankfulness is heart warming. The power of thankfulness.

What sustainable development goals are you working on?

At a recent Café Scientifique session facilitated by Janet G. Hering the topic was The sustainable development goals as a framework for change. I really like this topic. Of the 17 sustainable development goals these 3 goals are currently the ones that are closest related to my current purpose in life: Goal # 3: Good health and well-being. Goal # 4: Quality education. Goal # 11: Sustainable cities and communities.

The session was among the best Café Scientifique session I have been a part of. I think a key reason for this was the way Prof. Dr. Janet Hering moderated the session. Right from the start she communicated that she would make an effort to moderate the event in an interactive way, for example by asking several questions and by not using any slides. I clearly had the impression that this competent leadership of Ms. Hering inspired event participants, as the dialogues throughout the event as well as on the street after the event were among the most interesting and liveliest I have been a part of for some time.

Towards the end of the event Janet G. Hering made it clear that air quality is very high on her priority list. For example, I understood that we need to stop burning fuel. As we talked about the importance of investing in and using more solar energy as well as other clean energy technologies, Ms. Hering emphasized that besides installing solar panels on roofs of buildings in cities, installing solar panels in the mountains would be very efficient, as the sun is stronger the higher we move up. We also talked about the need to improve batteries to enable the storing of solar energy.

In the 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy of Switzerland I learned that sustainable development goals # 5 Gender equality, # 7 Affordable and clean energy, # 10 Reduced inequalities, # 12 Responsible consumption and production, # 13 Climate action and # 15 Life on land, which includes strengthening biodiversity, are currently among the top priorities.

An interesting discussion topic at the event was, I found, on which level it makes most sense for people to invest their time in order to make progress on the sustainable development goals: At the invididual level, at organizational level or at the societal / political level. As we discussed this topic, I came to think of the power of digital platforms such as bikeable.ch using which people can work across these levels. For example, any individual can contribute by posting photos and sharing ideas to make the infrastructure of a city more safe and attractive for getting from a to b. Through the strong transparency, other service providers – including people working for different cities – get inspiration to make concrete improvements.

Learning with children in South India

The other day I had the opportunity to learn with children at a school near the main station in Pondicherry in South India. It was a wonderful learning experience. These are some impressions:

Children use books to learn. Books are paid by the city of Pondicherry.

Children use school uniforms, which are paid for by the city of Pondicherry.

Children sit at desks and on benches, which are made of wood and are relatively old. Two or three children sit at each table on a bench.

The school was founded in 1918. Paint has fallen of the walls in more areas.

A teacher used a little blackboard and chalk to explain things to children. She had also brought different self made things that she used as examples to strengthen understanding. The thing painted in orange and blue under the blackboard to the right in the photo is a ship.

A fan was used to circulate air in the room where children were learning.

More classes were done in the same room. A relatively simple wooden board was used as a mobile wall to partly separate two classes from each other. The sound level was relatively high from students and teachers talking.

Some children and teachers used bicycles to get to and from school. Others walked to and from school. And others used a school bus to get to and from school.

During the conversation with school leaders, I asked what they do to improve rooms – including floor, walls, roof, and air-condition. They explained that improvement of buildings is currently not financed by the government. We also talked about possibilities to strengthen digital learning. I was curious to know what is being done to help children to use Internet – including tablets, mobile phones and/or laptops. I was told that they are working on it.

Positive is, I learned, that food, which children eat every day, is paid for by the city of Pondicherry. In the morning, children get milk. Later, children eat lunch at a canteen.

I learned that some of the children, which go to the school, do not have parents. Why? There are more reasons I learned. For example, parents of some children died. And parents of other children wish not to have their children.

Recycling of packaging in South India

At the side of roads in South India, I often see packaging – for example packaging made of plastic. An example from Mahabalipuram:

In a conversation, which I had with a hotel manager, I learned about how the hotel handles food waste and recycling of packaging. He said that people, who work for the hotel, regularly burn food waste at a place behind the hotel. To recycle packaging, the hotel pays the municipality of Mahabalipuram INR 1,000 per month. The used packaging material – including plastic, metal / cans and glass – is picked up every two days by the municipality’s recycling services. The recycling services then drive the used packaging material to a place about 100 kilometres to the South near Pondicherry. There, the used packaging material is professionally recycled.

What else do you think can be done to make the place cleaner, I asked the hotel manager. The manager mentioned several initiatives that need to be strengthened in the local community:

1. Colleges need to have events and other learning initiatives related to recycling and cleaning. That will raise awareness about the importance of recycling and cleaning. Students will then talk to their families, friends and other people in the community about recycling and cleaning. Increasingly, people will avoid littering.

2. We need to invite companies from around the world, who have competencies in how to professionally organize recycling of various packaging and know about technologies that can be use clean up the environment. The hotel manager mentioned companies from Israel and Germany.

3. There need to be fines for littering. In this regard, we need to learn from initiatives that the Government of Singapore has taken several years ago.

4. We need to strengthen primary education. Many people, who live here, are illiterate. They can neither read nor write.