Megatrends
Climate Change
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures. Examples of greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change include carbon dioxide and methane. These come from using gasoline for driving a car or coal for heating a building, for example. Clearing land and forests can also release carbon dioxide. Landfills for garbage are a major source of methane emissions. Energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture and land use are among the main emitters.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed. Sunlight and wind, for example, are such sources that are constantly being replenished. Renewable energy sources are plentiful and all around us. Fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas - on the other hand, are non-renewable resources that take hundreds of millions of years to form. Fossil fuels, when burned to produce energy, cause harmful greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide. Generating renewable energy creates far lower emissions than burning fossil fuels. Transitioning from fossil fuels, which currently account for the lion’s share of emissions, to renewable energy is key to addressing the climate crisis. Renewables are now cheaper in most countries, and generate three times more jobs than fossil fuels.
Resource Efficiency
In a resource-efficient business, less is more, as raw materials are used in an economical and sustainable manner. The circular economy focuses on the reuse and reintroduction of materials into the value chain, rather than turning them into waste.
Well-being and Health
People are becoming more and more interested in their own health and are aware of their surroundings. Environmental monitoring of indoor and outdoor conditions helps ensure people's health and well-being. Authorities are also tightening requirements for medicines supply chain security.
Smart Energy Distribution and Consumption
Emerging green IT and smart grid technologies have changed electric power infrastructure more efficiently. These technologies enable a power system operator and a consumer to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by optimizing energy distribution and management. There are many studies of these topics with the trend of green IT and smart grid technology.