In several markets around the world, governments, investors and consumers are pushing industry to act to address climate change, reduce its carbon emissions and become more energy and resource efficient. While the appetite to reduce emissions is there, many businesses do not have the resources required to implement sweeping changes to their operations. However, there are several ways to increase the efficiency of operations and reduce carbon output that have a positive impact on business performance.

Lubricants

Lubricants that increase the fuel efficiency of machines can lower the carbon footprint of those industries where intensive machinery use is required. Growing demand for lower emissions and cost reductions has seen the development of more advanced engine and machinery system designs. These high-efficiency machines need similarly effective lubricants, that can deliver high thermal and pressure stability, to ensure performance under testing conditions.

Smart factories

Within a ‘smart factory’, technological advances allow for remote monitoring, maintenance and servicing as well as communication between different machines enabling businesses to make data-driven decisions. Rapid advancement in internet capability is enabling a wider implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology in industry, to help businesses run their operations in a smarter, more sustainable way. 

Big data

The substantial amount of data available to industry today provides the opportunity to analyse the outputs of machinery and industrial processes, focusing on specific ways to optimize the operations of industrial firms. For example, having machinery data fed to an operations manager in real-time allows that manager to minimise idle time and to predict – and prevent – instances where equipment may run less sustainably.

Machine learning and artificial intelligence

Machine learning and artificial intelligence can help collect and then process these vast amounts of operational data mentioned above, adapting recommendations in real-time to help improve equipment performance.

Nature-based Solutions

Direct CO₂ reduction often comes in the form of offsetting through the purchase of carbon credits. These credits can be traded or purchased from projects that help to absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere, known as nature-based solutions.