COULD 5G BE THE KEY TO SLOWING CLIMATE CHANGE?
Reducing global greenhouse gas emissions is a major global concern. So much so that in 2019, the Blueprint for Exponential Climate Action was presented at the UN Climate Summit, which lists some of the solutions that can be applied to halve these emissions. Among the proposals, a large majority are directly related to ICTs (information and communication technologies).
This is mainly because ICTs currently account for about 1.4% of total carbon emissions in the atmosphere and 4% of global energy consumption. Secondly, many of the reports on which the Exponential Climate Action Plan is based confirm that ICT solutions could reduce global carbon emissions by 15% by 2030.
The scientific research on which this plan is based has shown in black and white what many of us intuitively believe: the digitisation of communication technologies and industrial processes is one of the keys to mitigating climate change.
The development of mobile communication and digitalisation is an increasingly palpable reality. In its latest Mobility Report, signed in November 2021, Ericsson estimates that 4.4 billion mobile phones will be connected to 5G networks by 2027, as well as countless devices connected to the so-called “”Internet of Things””. This will place huge demands on the network. More devices, more consumption, more data: how can such a dramatic increase help us reduce emissions and increase efficiency?
The answer to this paradox lies in 5G and the work that engineers and telecoms companies have been doing for several years to ensure that, for the first time, the increase in devices and data is not accompanied by an increase in energy consumption. More efficient technology and device design will minimise the consumption of resources for data transmission.
5G, A MORE RESPECTFUL NETWORK
The effect of 5G will undoubtedly be positive, as it will increase the efficiency of many services, thanks to predictive maintenance, smart meters and the extensive use of big data, algorithms and artificial intelligence. These optimise the connection and disconnection of resources based on traffic demand, making it possible to reduce or even avoid the consumption of resources that are not strictly necessary for the provision of services, thus saving energy.
But 5G, which is expected to be deployed on a large scale in the coming years, will allow us to do much more than improve energy efficiency. 5G will make us care more about the planet in all sectors and aspects of our lives. According to a recent analysis published by Ericsson in its Connectivity and Climate Change report, the deployment of 5G technology in four carbon-intensive sectors in Europe could save between 55 and 170 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. This is equivalent to reducing the emissions of 35 million cars. In other words, one in seven cars would disappear from Europe’s roads.
In some of these sectors, solutions already exist to help reduce the environmental impact. In manufacturing, digitally connected, wired and mobile-connected factories are becoming more flexible and reducing waste while increasing efficiency. Ericsson’s 5G smart factory in Lewisville, Texas, is a good example of what is possible. By digitising many of its core components, this factory was able to reduce energy consumption by 24% compared to other buildings, while increasing efficiency.
Other use cases in the industrial sector are already a reality, such as the use of 5G connectivity in the Italian port of Livorno. Thanks to the augmented reality-based solution, CO2 emissions per container were reduced by 8.2%. In terms of energy, according to the United Nations, 85% of energy must come from renewable sources by 2050. For energy suppliers and distributors, this is a big change, as they need more transparency and control over their distribution networks. With 5G, these operators will be able to connect smart meters to the grid and proactively detect possible blackouts and demand peaks, for example for mass charging of electric vehicles.
In healthcare, improved telecommunications can make previously impossible services a reality. With the development of 5G networks and the knowledge that a two-hour video conference on a smartphone consumes ten times less energy than a car travelling one kilometre, telemedicine could allow us to avoid daily commutes and hundreds of kilometres of irrelevant visits to rural doctors.
Finally, in the field of transport, digitisation will have a major impact. In a sector that accounts for 21% of total global emissions, 5G and data analytics will make a valuable contribution to massive emissions reductions. With 5G networks, for example, we will be able to remotely control large fleets of self-driving cars, optimising routes and traffic planning, while reducing operating costs and, of course, our environmental footprint.
In conclusion, we could highlight that 5G is not only more efficient than previous generations of mobile technology, but has the potential to streamline any data transmission process. Moreover, development has only just begun; 5G is still in its infancy. Surely in the coming years, as the networks are widely deployed around the world and its use becomes normalised, we will discover new ways to improve industry, lives and, of course, our environment in ways we cannot imagine today.
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