Only by working together can we reduce carbon emissions, but the road ahead requires us to reframe our thinking.

By Kerry Grimes

Businesses across the industrial spectrum are making significant efforts to embed sustainability targets throughout their operations that line up with global commitments to net-zero climate emissions.

Around the world, 80% of major companies now report on sustainability, and thousands of organizations have aligned to reach climate targets through initiatives such as the United Nations’ Race To Zero campaign.

But while each organization must play its part in this “Decade of Action,” it is only by collaborating with others on the same trajectory that the industrial ecosystem can tackle a fundamentally complex challenge. Companies now recognize that digital technologies can serve as the framework necessary to underpin these partnerships and deliver lasting and sustainable change.

AVEVA and Microsoft Corp. have collaborated for 30 years to enable customers to convert opportunity into business value through each new wave of technology. We are now using our relationship to achieve our common sustainable targets. By combining Microsoft’s advanced and scalable Azure cloud infrastructure with AVEVA’s deep industry expertise in a single platform, customers can help mitigate climate change while unlocking sustainability benefits across the value chain by saving costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, making more sustainable choices, and unlocking innovative strategies.

Using Joint Solutions to Lower Costs

Green businesses are lean businesses. Low-carbon capital investments such as renewables and energy efficiency could generate $45 billion and 2.4 gigatons of CO2 equivalent over the investments’ lifetimes, according to research by the consultancy Oliver Wyman and CDP, a nonprofit that runs a global climate-related disclosure system. The research identifies energy efficiency processes as the most profitable emissions-reduction initiatives.

Advanced technologies can now help customers optimize workflows and energy management systems to improve profitability by replacing inefficient, costly silos.

Digital technologies now allow industrial enterprises to improve efficiency in accordance with environmental objectives that can grow value across the business.

Schneider Electric is building smart factories around the world as part of its supply chain digital transformation initiative called Tailored Sustainable Connected (TSC) 4.0. At its Lexington, Kentucky, site, the company deployed a new integrated platform pairing its own solutions with those of AVEVA and Microsoft. The goals were to modernize and optimize plant processes, boost plant efficiency and reduce downtime, improve energy management, and better mobilize staff with increased plant-wide visualization through real-time data.

The company realized early wins—90% less manual paperwork, 6% reduced downtime—and found subsequent benefits. It reduced energy consumption by 26%; CO2 emissions by 78%, in conjunction with renewable energy credits; and water use by 20%. Taken together, Schneider saved $6 million through TSC 4.0.

Sustainability as a Business Opportunity

Disruptive technologies help improve sustainability so industrial enterprises can create opportunities for efficiency, innovation, and growth.

The U.N. estimates total global market opportunity associated with environmental sustainability at more than $12 trillion. The shift to a low-carbon or no-carbon economy opens up significant business opportunities for industrial organizations.

Integrated oil and gas multinational PETRONAS wanted to improve asset performance management and reduce downtime by fixing equipment before bigger problems could occur. With a commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the energy leader recognizes the importance of plant stability to achieve its sustainability goals.

Across four upstream and two downstream plants, PETRONAS rolled out a joint solution using the AI-infused AVEVA PI System and AVEVA Predictive Analytics in its corporate cloud, running on Azure. By collecting and analyzing data from instrumentation and equipment, the AI-enabled tools helped PETRONAS remove silos, empower collaboration, predict asset failures, and enhance efficiencies.

With 200 AI models deployed, the solution helped PETRONAS identify 51 major early warnings, saving $17.4 million and achieving 14x ROI in the first year. Feedback from the pilot system has enabled PETRONAS to design systems that improve profits, reduce waste, and slash process-driven emissions across 10 new plants.

Choosing to Prioritize Sustainability

Consumers and regulators increasingly want brands to put sustainability at the heart of their operations.

“Rather than merely responding to these demands, today’s leaders must recognize that they have an unparalleled opportunity to establish dynamic and enduring businesses by broadening their corporate visions to achieve greater social impact,” says Casey McGee, vice president of global ISV sales at Microsoft. “Just as collaborating with like-minded suppliers, peers, and other establishments is fundamental to improving business outcomes across the economy, so too can working together to create a powerful ecosystem that achieves true sustainability for people, planet, and profit.”

Partnerships have never been as important as they are now. Working together can help us accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy and achieve the sustainable future envisioned by organizations across all sectors.

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Find out more about how AVEVA and Microsoft partner to help customers unlock sustainability benefits.

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Kerry Grimes is head of global partners at AVEVA.