Case studies on digital sustainability

We are proud to present case studies from members that are using digital technologies in inventive ways to create a more sustainable world.

Canon – Growing the positive power of imaging technology and services

Canon operates according to the philosophy of Kyosei – a Japanese word that means ‘living and working together for the common good’. This philosophy shapes everything the company does as a business and underpins their vision for Sustainability in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), which is to ‘grow the positive power of their imaging technology and services’.

Canon passionately believes in the benefits the company, its people, products and services can bring to its customers and wider society. Ensuring they continue to deliver these benefits is critical to Canon’s vision.

Nokia’s liquid-cooled base station reducing CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent

Nokia, Elisa and Efore have commercially deployed a liquid-cooled base station system in an apartment building in Helsinki, a world-first achievement that promises lower costs for operators and owners of base station sites, as well as reduced CO2 emissions.

In the deployment, heat emitted from the base station has been redirected to heat the building, lowering energy costs. In previously conducted customer trials with the Nokia solution, Nokia Bell Labs saw a reduction of up 80.percent in CO2 emissions and up to 30 percent in energy operating expenses – significant savings for operators and other owners of base station sites. Liquid cooling permits the removal of air conditioning and fans, promising further operator savings, potentially longer base station component life and silent sites.

With Microsoft’s digital technology, Ørsted builds a greener world with offshore wind power

Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted develops, constructs and operates offshore wind farms that provide power to 11.3 million people, roughly a quarter of the world’s offshore wind market.

The wind farms are part of the global leader’s shift away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. Ørsted divested its upstream oil and gas business in 2017 and has reduced its coal consumption by 82 percent in the last decade. It plans to fully phase out coal by 2023 and wants to increase its offshore wind capacity to 15 gigawatts by 2025 – enough to power more than 30 million people.

To reach its goals, Ørsted relies on a digital strategy that includes advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) with Microsoft technology. The software helps the company transform data from its 1,300 offshore wind turbines into insights for predictive maintenance that saves time and resources.

HP – Reinvent Impact

In 2016, HP committed to improve conditions at the Truitier landfill in Haiti over a three-year period, in partnership with Thread International, the First Mile Coalition, Timberland, Team Tassy, and Association des Collecteurs des Objets en Plastique. An estimated 200 children between the ages of 8 and 12 currently collect recyclable materials from the landfill, daily exposing them and their families to unsafe and hazardous working conditions. This joint initiative aims to improve the lives of these children by providing access to quality education, including more than 200 scholarships, as well as full physical exams, and health and safety trainings.

As part of this commitment, HP are purchasing recycled plastic made with raw materials collected at the Truitier landfill, for use in their closed loop ink cartridge recycling program. By opening a new market opportunity, generating a steady revenue stream, and partnering to improve conditions for the workers, HP are helping to create a more circular and inclusive economy, with sustainable jobs, opportunity and dignity for the Truitier community.

HP partners with Homeboy Electronics Recycling

Homeboy Electronics Recycling, part of Homeboy Industries, was founded nearly seven years ago with the mission of boosting the recycling rates of digital gadgets that too often get tossed in the trash — and in the process, creating good jobs for people who face employment barriers, including felons and former gang members. 

That mission has made Homeboy a critical link in the sustainable future that HP is building. HP recognized years ago that the traditional, linear “take, make, dispose” model of manufacturing isn’t sustainable on a planet where the population is booming and resources are dwindling.

Homeboy is helping HP recover more material to recycle and develop innovations to improve the closed-loop process. The partnership also enables Homeboy Electronics Recycling to expand its operations — which means it can hire more employees.