Will technology be the key to accelerating sustainable collaboration?
Taking a look at the findings of the 2020 Sustainability Leaders Survey
Technology has come to the rescue on many occasions during the current pandemic, can it do the same for the long-term sustainability of the planet?
We are at a key juncture for the sustainable agenda. Writing this in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most global crises the world has faced to date, we are reminded of how inherently linked our health is to the environment.
Sustainable development is key to safeguarding people’s health and livelihoods, and the increased emergence of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19 are a clear example of the devastating effects of a lack of environmental action. The WWF outline this in their report on the pandemic, exposing how harmful environmental practices, such as deforestation and unsustainable agriculture, can and will continue to contribute to the spread of diseases with pandemic potential if left to continue as they have been.
This is one of the first times the world has felt the first hand effects of environmental inaction as one entity. The effects of the pandemic have shown how important the sustainable agenda is, and whilst the consequences have been devastating, it’s important that we — the general public and institutions alike — see this as a wake-up call to accelerate investment into sustainable development; future proofing our societies and safeguarding the livelihoods of all.
Events this year have illustrated our increasing reliance on technology.
This renewed sense of the importance of sustainable development was highlighted in the most recent GlobeScan-SustainAbility Leaders Survey, with ⅓ of experts optimistic that the COVID-19 crisis could help renew focus on environmental issues. Despite this, 50% of respondents also highlighted that the COVID-19 crisis is likely to lead to reduced attention for sustainability priorities. Whilst the lasting impact of the pandemic on sustainability priorities is to be seen, the survey indicated some other interesting trends within this context — particularly with regards to technology.
Events this year have illustrated our increasing reliance on technology. A report published in the Lancet titled Applications of digital technology in COVID-19 pandemic planning and response showcased many examples of how tech has been employed to help mitigate the spread of disease. These included the use of big data and AI to track people who passed through the epicentre of the epidemic in Wuhan, China, along with virtual health care delivered through video conference software. Technology is also vital to remote working, with many people across the world pausing their commute to the office in favour of a more socially distanced home-working set-up.
It could be argued that those countries who have integrated digital technology into their response to the pandemic tend to have mitigated the effects better than others.
Harnessing the power of these technologies can alleviate the effects of the pandemic, in fact, it could be argued that those countries who have integrated digital technology into their response to the pandemic tend to have mitigated the effects better than others (e.g. with lower mortality rates). These technologies can, in turn, have a positive impact on the environment (for example, effective remote working reduces the number of people driving or getting on public transport everyday, thus minimising emissions from these kinds of activities). Global health and sustainability are inextricably linked, with tech companies playing an increasingly important role in amelioration of both.
As visual designers of the Leaders Survey since 2017 — supporting authors GlobeScan and SustainAbility — we have had a front-row view of the findings and emerging trends. One such finding is that the emergence of tech as a force for sustainability has been reflected in the most recent edition with two technology companies appearing in the top 10 list of corporate sustainability leaders for the first time — namely, Microsoft and Tesla.
Getting one’s own house in order is only half of the story. Cross-sector collaboration has long been lauded as the key tool in the realisation of the sustainable agenda.
Microsoft is a company with proven sustainability credentials. They have been carbon neutral since 2012, but this year set out 4 areas of focus — carbon, ecosystems, water and waste with ambitious goals, such as becoming carbon negative by 2030. These are all bolstered by specific actions, including investing in new carbon reduction and removal technology, and ensuring transparency through the publication of their annual Environmental Sustainability Report.
But getting one’s own house in order is only half of the story. Cross-sector collaboration has long been lauded as the key tool in the realisation of the sustainable agenda, with the UN calling out the importance of partnerships through their Sustainable Development Goals (in particular, SDG-17 — Partnership for the Goals). As the World Economic Forum states: ‘Each sector has a valuable role to play, but it is in collaboration that real transformation comes’. As such a key development will be when tech companies start taking a leading role in cross-sector collaborations and resource sharing.
We are seeing positive signs that seem to underpin the Leaders Survey results. Microsoft themselves have formed meaningful cross-company partnerships through their involvement in a new coalition, Transform to Net Zero.
The involvement of innovative tech companies in collaborative initiatives could be a signal of a new wave of knowledge sharing and partnerships with these goals in mind.
The coalition aims to ‘deliver guidance and business plans that will enable a transformation to net zero emissions…’ and founding members include other Leaders Survey regulars from the FMCG space Unilever (who topped the chart for the 10th successive year) and Natura &Co, alongside NGOs including the Environmental Defense Fund and BSR.
With a view to helping the private sector ‘deliver meaningful emissions reductions and economic success’, the founding members’ goal is to actualise change by moving beyond commitments and encouraging action. Whilst the real impact of this coalition is yet to be seen, it’s encouraging to see such cross-sector collaboration — particularly between multinationals in the private sector (who are often perceived as having little impact) with NGOs (who are consistently recognised for their commitments) — and the involvement of innovative tech companies in these initiatives could be a signal of a new wave of knowledge sharing and partnerships with these goals in mind.
We hope to see this trend continue on this trajectory, with more influential companies continuing to use their platforms to collaborate with and influence others in the corporate space. Such developments would see future GlobeScan-SustainAbility surveys recognising a wider range of companies from all sectors for their commitment to sustainability.
With a broader range of voices in the room, initiatives like this can lead to real change. In turn encouraging governments, investors and others within the private sector to increase their investments in sustainable transformation, resulting in more future-proof societies, where risks such as potential pandemics are mitigated and abated.
For more information and to view the findings of the survey in full visit:
