What role do digitalization and next-gen technologies play in advancing net-zero goals?
Dr. Adrienne Heinrich, Head of AI & Innovation Center of Excellence at Aboitiz Data Innovation, recently joined as a panel speaker at the Asian Development Bank Southeast Asia Development Symposium (ADB SEADS) 2023: Imagining a Net Zero ASEAN.
With Dr. Heinrich in the session “Digital Innovation to Advance a Net Zero Future” are leaders from Tech for Good Institute, Zoom, European Space Agency, and Indonesia Ministry of Health – highlighting technologies that power transformation and offer the potential to achieve ASEAN’s net zero ambitions. Akito Tanaka, Senior Staff Writer and Chief Business News Correspondent, Nikkei Asia moderated the session.Panelists shared examples of breakthrough innovations that have had positive impacts on their organizations and communities as well as their perspectives on the role of digital innovations in the ambitious net-zero agenda.
Here are the key insights from Dr. Heinrich during the discussion:
1. Profitability and decarbonization can go hand-in-hand; they’re not mutually exclusive.
Helping the planet can go beyond the mere act of charity. It’s possible to generate a profit while also doing good.
An example would be ADI and Republic Cement’s 28-day predictive modeling tool. With this innovative solution, the traditional cement manufacturing process was optimized. What would typically take 28 days of curing time was simplified instantaneously, all while ensuring product quality, through the power of Data Science and AI. Most importantly, this solution effectively reduced carbon emissions in the cement manufacturing process by approximately 35,000 tCO2e annually.
2. Operational efficiency can be easily associated with decarbonization.
They’re intertwined, and important to be approached as holistic value creation.
3. Satellite images are helpful in disaster risk management, especially in disaster-stricken countries like the Philippines.
Analyzing satellite images after a disaster will allow us to have targeted efforts to help those in need during times of calamity.
4. Adopting a fail-fast approach is beneficial.
Continuously conducting experiments at a rapid pace is advantageous as it facilitates learning, and in case of failure, enables us to pivot in a better direction.
Dr. Heinrich shared that she tries to incorporate this approach in her team at ADI and UnionBank’s AI & Innovation Center of Excellence, as they unlock game-changing innovation with data and AI.
5. It is important to be aware of how one’s actions will impact the future.
Sustainability initiatives and the communication on the consequences of our actions should be embedded in the fabric of our everyday life to create a greater impact at scale.
