How businesses are using technology to boost sustainability

Following on from my previous post about the role of technology in sustainability, I thought I’d share some examples of businesses using tech to boost their sustainability. ‍

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Patagonia

Well-known for being a sustainable clothing brand - from the materials they use to their Worn Wear programme where they trade in worn items for credit - Patagonia has been championing sustainability for quite some time.

But their commitment to sustainability doesn’t just stop at the clothes they produce. They’ve infused this commitment into all aspects of their business, including:

• Using recycled construction materials with laminated coated windows to prevent heat loss in their buildings.
• HVAC and LED lighting that is controlled by a smart grid to reduce energy wastage.
• An AI-powered central workstation that controls all operational elements from indoor environments to outdoor irrigation systems.
• Financial compensation for employees who travel to work by bike or public transport.

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Cisco

Cisco is the 15th most sustainable organisation globally as of 2021 and actively seek out ways to minimise their environmental impact across their entire organisation.

A big part of this has been rethinking the lifetimes of the products they are producing. Along with using technology to be more sustainable, as producers of technology, they are also working to make the technology they are producing more sustainable too.

They’ve adopted a circular economy model - and have changed the way they design, build and deliver their products. Additionally, they have pledged to accept 100% of product returns and change the way they value their assets, so they can reuse them.

They are also able to leverage the technology they have created to support their circular economy on behalf of their customers to help them with their circular economies.

Education New Zealand

Slightly different to the other businesses on this list, ENZ isn’t using technology to boost their sustainability per se; they are using tech to help better educate teachers and students across the globe on sustainability itself.

Partnering with FutureLearn, they have curated a selection of online courses from over 15 NZ-based education organisations.

Courses include areas such as sustainable agriculture, English language for sustainability, and growing a sustainable workforce.