5G will have a transformative impact across industries. Changing the way we live and work while reducing emissions and making progress in our fight against climate change.
Let’s explore five verticals in which 5G will have significant downstream carbon abatement potential.
Climate change may not be the first thing on your mind while you’re stuck in traffic every morning, but transportation contributes 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. – the highest of any industry. Passenger vehicles are responsible for more than half of that, and the number on the road is expected to grow to more than 300 million by 2030.
But with 5G, new applications such as driverless cars and vehicle-to-vehicle communication, will make your morning commute, your weekly grocery delivery, and your weekend getaway, much more efficient.
You’ll spend less time idling in traffic jams with 5G-enabled systems that intelligently route traffic. And real-time parking data will eliminate the need to drive in circles looking for a space. Connected traffic lights and roads will manage traffic flow, improving fuel economy. And 5G-enabled improvements to the user experience will get more people turning to public transportation, ride and bike-sharing.
We’re increasingly accustomed to thinking about the energy efficiency of the things we buy, but not the climate impact associated with making them. Factories use up a lot of energy – about 23% of total emissions in the U.S.
But 5G is leading to a wholesale reinvention of the way factories run – and a future where all aspects of manufacturing, from production to delivery, are operating more efficiently.
With 5G, manufacturing businesses will be able to monitor their machinery and optimize their energy consumption - reducing emissions. And 5G sensors will enhance a variety of processes, collecting real-time data that can improve productivity or even enable predictive maintenance - cutting down on waste. 5G also enables remote operations – allowing teams to monitor and manage sites, or operations that may be dangerous, from a distance.
Demand for energy continues to grow and we all know how a reliance on fossil fuels such as coal and oil makes fighting climate change that much harder. In fact, energy production and inefficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning in buildings contributes a quarter of America’s greenhouse emissions.
But 5G is playing a key role in making a more efficient and more sustainable energy industry. In particular, 5G enables energy companies to monitor both production and consumption in real time – thereby enabling a truly "smart" grid.
With these capabilities, energy companies can optimize production and manage demand automatically. 5G also enables remote operations, allowing energy companies to invest in and manage greener sources of energy, such as wind farms, which are typically located in isolated areas. And 5G helps energy consumers operate more efficiently: 5G-enabled environmental systems can monitor and optimize building temperatures, regularly adjusting air conditioning systems to conserve energy.
Agriculture is responsible for about 10% of America’s greenhouse gas emissions – a number that is expected to grow as our population increases and producers expand operations to meet demand.
5G has the potential to lower emissions by supporting a number of compelling use cases in smart agriculture. 5G will enable producers to adopt new connected technologies that improve productivity and reduce resource waste.
Some examples include precision farming, smart and autonomous farm machinery, and real-time weed and crop monitoring. For instance, on-site sensors provide farmers with real-time temperature moisture and oxygen levels. This gives them the information they need to control when and how long to water crops – which can be done using smartphone apps – thereby ensuring they don’t overuse either energy or water.
The reality of modern life – and our reliance on electricity – means we all have a role to play in reducing emissions. From the daily commute, to long-distance business travel, to run-of-the-mill doctor appointments – small decisions add up to big impacts.
5G can help address this problem by enhancing the ability of many workers across the US to adopt or continue with remote work – thereby reducing unnecessary travel.
And 5G will also reduce travel to routine appointments, such as health consultations and follow-ups. In fact, in healthcare alone, 5G-enabled extended reality (XR) technologies support greater adoption of telemedicine applications that feel like in-person consultations. And this has a double impact – helping previously underserved or remote communities access top quality health professionals in the comfort of their homes, while also reducing emissions, as patient and health staff travel far less.
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