IBM aims for a smarter and greener planet

It seems like business and research are two different worlds speaking different languages. The conference has brought different sectors together and it creates a possibility that somehow in this conglomeration of thoughts and views, new and viable answers to the challenge called climate change may arise.

The sector of Information Technology takes part in this undertaking, as voiced by Harald Fuchs from the IBM Company of Germany. What he insinuates is that we may all know that the world is getting smaller as its values globalize, it’s getting flatter and it’s getting hotter; but then that is not the whole picture.

It is not the numbers of words written and attached to climate change that matters, neither the statistics on the extent of efforts invested on it, nor the records of the scale of its damage— but rather what each sector could still do to counteract its effects. It rather much sounded, to my own reading, that it is not research per se that counts, but how research is utilized in action.

Movements have transformed from merely talking about climate change into taking action at the global level. Together with its users, IBM itself has started to build concerted efforts that address rising environmental problems.

What’s impressive was that IBM has connected with different industries, from the insurance sector, automotive sector, energy sector and others, in the hope to better structure their actions. The efforts are geared towards the benefit of, obviously first, the company itself, then further on for the partners and clients, and ultimately for the product consumers.

They have realized that their company has an optimal level of reaching more people through IT development, and they are now able to position themselves powerfully as an agent of change. Admittedly though, the strategies remain to be under the umbrella of approaches that do not damage profits.

Computer business development has a far-reaching hand that can access almost all sectors that contribute to climate change. Why? It is because computer technology is very much needed in building new equipment that will counteract, if not revert, the effects of changes in climate conditions.

Fuchs claimed that IBM takes the lead in analyzing energy, carbon and water as non-isolated streams of study, meaning they are always taken in conjunction as one, so solutions for these streams could be one and united. Through this, even more effective business strategies may be developed while maintaining sustainability of all the three streams.

This is the anchor for the idea of sustainability. Sustainability does not work if you don’t have an economical impact, he further asserted. Maintaining energy, carbon and water sustainability is important for business, especially when one tries to expand to developing countries. Business will not thrive where the three streams are poor.

So the business plan is: first to overcome operational barriers at minimal cost; then, strengthen reputation in developing technologies for sustainability while meeting regulations of business, and finally create products and services that give rise to new markets that are technologically adept and environmentally clean.

From a journalist’s point of view this may all still seem to lead to profit generation, but nonetheless an effort worth taking.

by May Belle Guillergan