Climate change is a burning issue. Human activity is recognised as the main of climate change. The harmful act is burning fossil fuels that release large amounts of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas and are trapped in the atmosphere. We never thought our presence would change our planet to such a level, though we hear it on the news daily. It is our time to learn how to minimise our impacts while making our living. Governmental, commercial, industrial, and individual. It is not only for us but also for the next generation. We would not want our next generation to live in a messy world.
For Hong Kong, Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2030+ had issued to engage the business sector and community to combat climate change in full force and sets an ambitious target of carbon intensity reduction by 65% to 70% by 2030. In 2021, it developed to Hong Kongs Climate Action 2050, embracing four NetZero strategies—NetZero electricity generation, energy-saving and green buildings, green transport, and waste reduction.
While at the governance side, the Companies Ordinance requires Hong Kong companies to include descriptions of the company’s principal risks and uncertainties, environmental policies and performance in their directors’ reports for each financial year (for a public company). The company must comply with relevant laws and regulations that significantly impact the company. Just as importantly, a company’s relationships with its employees, customers and suppliers would substantially affect the company and on which its success depends.
Keeping up with the world trend of transparency, the Hong Kong Exchange has been part of the global movement to disclose ESG performance. The listing rule has been upgraded to requiring listed companies to make mandatory public disclosures about their ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) performance and risk management on ESG report annually, starting from 2016.
In combating climate change, benchmarking is needed to evaluate progress and performance. Benchmarking requires data. Without data, performance cannot be quantified, and targets cannot be planned accordingly. Without a clear goal, policies and strategies cannot be formulated, let alone implemented.
The first is regarding the data. Scoping climate change-related data is complicated. Here below are examples of Greenhouse Gas emission scopes. Greenhouse Gas emission is one of the most significant contributors to climate change.
Scope 1 Greenhouse Gas Emission: Direct emission data includes the stationary combustion sources (e.g., electricity, heat or steam generation), mobile combustion sources (e.g., motor vehicles and ships), and the use of refrigerants (e.g., HFC and PFC) and any other emission activities.
Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas Emission: Energy indirect emission data, such as the electricity purchased from electricity suppliers and the gas purchased from the energy company, can be inputted and calculated through the system.
Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas Emission: Throughout the supply chain, Indirect emission data like landfill gas generation, business travel, electricity consumption by freshwater and wastewater processing, paper consumption and other emission activities are suggested and included in the current system.
The following issue is that people face problems when compiling reports for their company, such as complicated Unit Conversion for non-ESG Background Colleagues. Emission Factors and Standard Requirements are constantly changed. Internally, staff are using different formats of data collection.
Hence, companies invested in ESG Dashboard that can handle Unit Conversion and emission factors and simplify data collection amongst group companies/subsidiaries. Because accuracy is essential as this will affect the decision-making. Imagine that you have the wrong data about electricity consumption and the incorrect action/remediation to the problems. In the long term, it’s becoming a substantial wrongful total energy consumption calculation. The dashboard can support companies handling complicated data collection, streamlining the process, and generating accurate ESG reports.
Photo Above: ESG Dashboard handling complicated data collection, streamlining the process, and generating accurate ESG reports
After all, In the context of a company reporting or investing, would you say ESG is an expense or a profit? This dilemma is like when your room cooler is broken, you go to the shop and have choices of 1) room cooler of old model which is not an energy-saving type, and 2) the room cooler granted with Energy Efficiency Label. The former is cheaper than the latter, but in the long run, the latter induces lower electricity bills. Which room cooler would you choose? On the technical side, we always perform a life cycle assessment – a cradle-to-grave analysis to assess impacts associated with a product from raw materials extraction to manufacturing, distribution and use. We consider all the stages of thinking if it’s “worth” making it. When we put this concept and practice into ESG reporting and investing, paying a bit more upfront on governance tool—the ESG dashboard, discovering the issues and controlling it through effective ESG data management. It will result in savings, enjoying lower operation and reputation costs, and costs to the environment.
By: ANewR Consulting Limited, a digital environmental consultant headquartered in Hong Kong since 2008. Our expertise has grown into the context of air and water qualities, noise, green building, waste management, and remediation. With extensive know-how in environmental planning and assessment, feasibility study and policy review, ecological design, monitoring, and audit (EM&A), ANewR has matured to be a leading management consultancy. Standing in the digital transformation reign, ANewR has participated in various environmental digital projects – interactive 3D visualisation, immersive automation virtual environment, Virtual reality, automation system, and monitoring platforms. (Website: https://anewr.com, LinkedIn: ANewR Consulting Group, Twitter: ANewR – Everyday Newer,YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnpvmxnR9hbNxytSfBdfV8Q/videos)
We have heard many about these terms: “Climate Change, NetZero, Decarbonisation”. There is Paris Agreement, nations targeting to combat climate change by 2030, 2050 etc. A lot of sustainable infrastructures are established. They are labelling like Green Buildings, Energy-efficiency labels, etc. Many governments’ funding schemes relate to innovative green technologies and awards. And, because of COVID-19 and the technology development, innovative measures are required nowadays and in the future to combat all sorts of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Digitalisation, Information and Communications Technology are those innovative solutions, and no one can escape from this trend. SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure will become another focus on climate change.
What is the role of ICT in sustainability?
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can spread information around the world, facilitating people to reach the information and education and therefore transforming their lives by having more knowledge. The mass will make the world change.
The ICT practice lies in the goal of economic growth. An increase in technology application is one of the ways to increase in the production of goods and services in an economy. In recent years, especially in Covid time, we’ve heard a lot about the Internet to provide services, such as education, online shopping, and food delivery, for our convenience and health and safety. This is precisely the use of ICT.
Back in 2012, OECD launched a study about “ICT investments and productivity: Measuring the contribution of ICTS to growth”. The study revealed that “ICT producing industries account for no less than two-thirds of total factor productivity (TFP) growth in Germany, Slovenia and the United Kingdom, about 60% in the United States and just below 50% in France and the Netherlands. ” The more modern example is banking service going virtual – online banking, contributing service distribution to a broader scope of audience and territories.
Other than economic growth, nowadays, we all talk about sustainability, ESG. ICT contributes a lot to sustainability and ESG. We apply ICT in managing ESG factors on the dashboard. The company can use the dashboard to manage and monitor the ESG performance for the company itself and its subsidiaries. Environmental and social are two of the dominant factors in sustainability and ESG. ICT in environmental is about environmental data management and monitoring plus the Internet Of Things (IoT). ICT in the social topic is about engagement, inclusion and diversity, such as using 4D virtual reality to educate non-specialists and the general public about the complex data and environment.
Adopting ICT can avoid being suspected of greenwashing too. Greenwashing is a very notorious image that companies would not want to bear. ESG impact is considered, e.g. for a product from raw materials extraction, production, distribution and use. The whole value/supply chain involves different companies and staff from diverse backgrounds. We cannot assume all staff from other experiences, and companies know well about ESG and how to implement it. There’s a technical side of skillsets and knowledge. Not everyone can comprehensively understand the ESG issues and describe them well enough.
For example, the product manufacturer may be different from the one responsible for the packaging. The marketing person may not understand what ESG matters in promoting the products. And the logistics that we often neglect. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has produced “Guidance for Making environmental claims on goods and services” in the UK, advising what and when is misleading the environmental claims. Before claiming the product/service is green, we need to ensure the necessary aspects are examined with proof. Data is the proof.
All-round ESG awareness and education are vital. ICT can spread the message and knowledge widely—the ICT captures, aggregates, stores, analyses, displays, and exports performance data. The accumulated data proof represents the corporate action. ICT itself is an industry. The new market/business model can potentially be explored because of the application of ICT.
By: ANewR Consulting Limited, a digital environmental consultant headquartered in Hong Kong since 2008. Our expertise has grown into the context of air and water qualities, noise, green building, waste management, and remediation. With extensive know-how in environmental planning and assessment, feasibility study and policy review, ecological design, monitoring, and audit (EM&A), ANewR has matured to be a leading management consultancy. Standing in the digital transformation reign, ANewR has participated in various environmental digital projects – interactive 3D visualisation, immersive automation virtual environment, Virtual reality, automation system, and monitoring platforms. (Website: https://anewr.com, LinkedIn: ANewR Consulting Group, Twitter: ANewR – Everyday Newer,YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnpvmxnR9hbNxytSfBdfV8Q/videos)
ANewR starts our story with Acoustics. Participating in acoustics projects since 2008, let’s explore the meaning of acoustics in the sustainability movement.
(1) What is the role of acoustics in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? How can acoustics contribute to sustainability?
When we talk about “Environment”, the first thing that comes to mind is the greenery vs the waste, the blue sky vs the air pollution, and the crystal-like water vs the mud-like water. The acoustics is invisible; still, it is not hidden—We do not see acoustics, but it does not mean it is not affecting us. We know that noise is bad for health. Noise can cause elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Noise can alter our immunity system too. It is common for us to experience sleep disturbance with significant problems. To the extreme, we would lose our hearings to a substantial noise level. In this way, it is no doubt to say acoustics is about our health and safety. Human beings must stay healthy to contribute to the economy and society.
While innovative acoustic development has inspired us a lot, the role of acoustics in SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) should not be purely about our health. Let’s take an example of one of the marvellous acoustic instruments, the Acoustic Camera. It helps us detect noise in a complex environment. In our exceptional case, an acoustic camera was used to detect the faulty rail wheels to avoid causing significant casualties to the public. The potential utilisation in preventing problems do us great help. Health and safety are social issues.
Photo above: Acoustic Camera as maintenance and quality control solutions
On the other hand, city planning also involves soundscape—the acoustic ecosystem can be designed through analysis of the big sound data and seamless integration with the city planners, architects, environmental consultants, landscape architects, and psychologists. The city design via big sound data analysis facilitates our achievement toward sustainable cities.
Photo Above: Soundscape for urban design
We do not see much mention of acoustics in any SDGs. However, the real-world practice shows us acoustics is part of the sustainable movement, helping people maintain health and safety (SDG 3) and develop sustainable, liveable cities (SDG 11) via the benefit of big sound data and innovative technology.
(2) What are the challenges facing the acousticians?
There is a quote, “If a craftsman wants to do good work, he must first sharpen his tools.” We do not witness noise by eyes. And noise is omnidirectional; it is hard for human ears to find noise direction. That is why we need tools to assist us in doing our job. Acousticians’ best handy tools are unquestionably additional pair of ears—sound level meter, noise compass, acoustic camera. These tools are innovative in their invention and highly useful too. Reliable tools improve our work efficiency. The experience of the acousticians also defines the work quality and accuracy. If you have experience in measuring noise, you will know what to be aware of—the surroundings, the background noise, the obstacles, and the position.
Acousticians tend to be very technical people. It can be challenging to explain to others what they find out from the equation. Conventionally, the noise model can be descriptive type, full of text and numbers.
(3) How shall we equip our young acousticians?
Young acousticians learn acoustics concepts and theory in school, practise noise measurement in their first job, and accumulate analytical skills over time. Nowadays, we are experiencing the metaverse—a virtual world network. Could we make good use of this incredible technology with acoustics? We find that acoustics are very traditional in the presentation in some countries. The report is wordy and full of technical data that non-specialists find impossible to understand on their read. If the acousticians contribute by participating in the development of acoustical 3-dimension (3D)/4-dimension (4D), acoustics has a new way to go to the future. In Asia, especially when talking about Hong Kong, they have been developing a 3D Environmental Assessment for over ten years. Noise is envisioned in a 3D/4D model for public engagement and education purposes. The visualisation brings the information inside out. It enhances the ability to decide on project commencement by revealing the noise mitigation effect before and after.
Photo Above: 3D Environmental Impact Assessment
(4) Where can talents acquire such skills?
Universities and institutions are prone to support and succeed in passing down knowledge. They will help you master the fundamentals of acoustics. In contrast, the market development is diverse and fast. Talent’s experience also depends on the culture of the organisation they work for—whether the organisation is innovative or sticks to the conventional. Acousticians could learn more by expanding their horizons from the projects they handle.
As acousticians, their minds are full of acoustic equations and numbers. They even may not realise the actual impact of their calculations. Impressively, we had a project helping acousticians realise the result of acoustic products. We utilised 4D virtual reality to visualise and illustrate the effectiveness of the acoustic window product. It was an exciting project, seeing young professionals engaging so much in learning the acoustic window effectiveness.
Photo Above: Applying 3D/4D and acoustics to education acousticians
(5) What can we do to create more positive impacts?
The rise of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) brings us together. We can share and express without boundary limitations, and we learn openly. We believe that incorporating environmental knowledge with another discipline (today, we talked about information technology) accelerates innovation in sustainability.
By: ANewR Consulting Limited, a digital environmental consultant headquartered in Hong Kong since 2008. Our expertise has grown into the context of air and water qualities, noise, green building, waste management, and remediation. With extensive know-how in environmental planning and assessment, feasibility study and policy review, ecological design, monitoring, and audit (EM&A), ANewR has matured to be a leading management consultancy. Standing in the digital transformation reign, ANewR has participated in various environmental digital projects – interactive 3D visualisation, immersive automation virtual environment, Virtual reality, automation system, and monitoring platforms. (Website: https://anewr.com, LinkedIn: ANewR Consulting Group, Twitter: ANewR – Everyday Newer,YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnpvmxnR9hbNxytSfBdfV8Q/videos)
深明顧問有限公司 Environmental and Digital Tech Consultants 