The approaching climate crisis is a moment of danger for all of us. Climate change is pushing power, gas, and water companies to the frontlines of an intensifying battle against natural disasters. Governments, regulators, utilities, countries, rather all sectors are feeling the impact.  And it’s far too complex for any one organization or one country to solve the big risk. Any meaningful change requires strong partnerships within and across value chains to scale solutions.

As a prima facia of this global sustainability, WE the utility sector need to take the charge and lead the way to adopt carbon–neutrality practices, deconvolute the concept of net zero, and thereby synchronize with one another to win the overarching goal of transition.

But the big question is -How utilities can practically achieve this transition?

To stabilize the climate and limit the risks to the environment, science has long pointed down a necessary path. By introducing innovative technology and expanding sustainability to the utility’s complete value chain. By implementing sustainable designs and engineering practices. By extending people, ways to save their energy and water usage. And by operating assets and equipment in an energy-efficient manner that is safe for the environment and for the workforce.

Right from generation to distribution to customer & workforce engagement – every step needs to have “Sustainability” embedded in the utility’s DNA.

This time, at WE3 summit, we are ready to discuss and share ideas on Why this transition is important? Why are sustainable and smart buildings relevant for cities and their citizens?

What steps to take to reach the 2050 net-zero goal?

What investment do we need to make?

What are the challenges and how do we collectively as a utility team overcome them?

And why leaders should develop and deliver long-term strategies to adapt to decarbonization?

So, let us not only look at the iceberg above the waterline but also dice the big mammoth below it. And together take a leading step to pave a path for navigating the transition from a traditional to a sustainable model.

Hear LIVE from 70+ thought leaders and 100+ trendsetter utilities, as they talk about designing new operating ways to support sustainability and decarbonization. Discover and learn from interesting topics like – e-Mobility, ESG, innovation, net zero, smart infrastructure investment, and much more.

Debunking the core themes of the 2 days discussion at the 2022 WE3 Summit: –

1. Achieving the Net zero target

It’s no surprise if it feels like the latest buzzword – we’ve seen a surge in commitments from governments and organizations to net zero, meaning momentum is building.

The Net-Zero Goal– COP26 has created a sense of urgency, with countries committing to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050-target in line with keeping global warming check below 1.5 ℃

Why does it matter? Over the next decade, what we do to get to net zero will have a major impact on the world we live in. This will reach every corner of the globe, so the sooner organizations get on board, the better.

And what are the ways to achieve it? – Understand carbon footprint, decide where we want to play, make the easy changes fast, and build collaborations to drive change across that system.

The goal guides us to significantly reduce our absolute emissions and find ways to sequester any residual carbon emissions – so there’s no net increase in CO2.

So, let’s together demystify the buzzword everyone’s talking about at the we3 Summit.

2. Primary Action: Innovation

Recovering from pandemic-induced disruptions, meeting growth targets, and preparing for an uncertain future – “Innovation” has already introduced efficiency during the industry’s seismic shift. It’s further now to become more agile and stable, organizations need to put sustainability and environmental care at the heart of their innovation.

Innovation should contemplate the utility industry with new operating models, re-orient the lifecycle of generation to distribution, extend self-serve opportunities to its customers and empower the workforce to offer best-in-class service management.

It could be in anything – right from introducing advanced technology to day-to-day operations like AI & ML OR the convergence of rapid advances on the Internet of Things (IoT), edge computing, analytics, and hybrid cloud OR introducing electrification, OR giving digitization in the hands of customers and workforce, we must deliver a new innovative, connected, and digital ecosystem.

Witness LIVE in action – How innovation is accelerating the progress of some leading utilities toward decarbonization?

3. Investing in a climate-smart Infrastructure

One thing is clear by now: To make the necessary transformations to keep global warming in check and the economy on the go, countries need to aim to restructure smart buildings and leverage data to optimize energy and water consumption and the use and management of resources optimally — everything from high-voltage transmission lines to solar rooftops to smart water hubs, smart thermostats, and much more — and that too build it very quickly.

As this new ecosystem evolves, the winners will be those who define and adapt to the changes first.

It’s time that we gear up, discover the fundamental pillars, and solve the burning question of how to unlock value from these climate-smart infrastructure service offerings and solve the unsung challenges of keeping the lights and water on.

4. The era of e-Mobility

Do you remember, twenty years ago when telecommunications companies used to primarily focus on landlines? Until the introduction of cell phones which presented these network operators with a new innovative stream.

Now, it’s the era of E-mobility. Era because Electric Vehicles (EVs) are redefining transportation and are progressing faster than expected. This is a critical inflection for multiple industries and life in general.

However, EVs’ success depends on the electric providers and how quickly they can create a sustainable ecosystem. This ecosystem will need to support dynamic charging infrastructure, robust electric grid capabilities, and address customer experience (CX) challenges to truly accelerate EV adoption amongst those who matter the most.

Taking charge to lead in the era of e-mobility will challenge utility leaders to balance today’s demands with tomorrow’s- by reinventing their business, forging new alliances, and exploring new partnerships across industries. It will dare today’s utilities to take center stage and become tomorrow’s energy service providers.

5. Ways to win on ESG goals

Owing to these 3 factors – Expanding government regulations, surging consumer demand, and diminishing availability of resources, ESG metrics in the utility sector have become a more pressing concern. As a result, every publicly held company and many privately held firms are facing new pressure to adapt, measure, disclose and improve their ESG policies and programs.

Optimizing ESG decision-making and the communication of how those decisions are made will help to support the society-led transition.

Only by making better-informed decisions that assess the economic, climate, and societal impacts can we truly achieve net zero, and therefore better outcomes for all.

This topic will cover 360-degree evolution – from insights to the action required.

6. The “Decarbonization” portfolio

Energy & utility companies can lead in the pursuit of decarbonization. Although the industry is currently responsible for over 70% of carbon emissions, it must become the sustainability champion.

The term “decarbonization” has evolved to embrace the range of strategies utilities are developing. It is a long-term goal in which organizations must invest attention and resources to achieve a 95% reduction in GHG emissions within the next 30-year horizon. What can help accelerate the pace is a better understanding of how decarbonization can add value in the long run—and how more concrete steps in the near term can help in achieving this goal. Taking the right and imperative action will not only speed up the sector’s rate of decarbonization but also the energy transition.

Here’s a glimpse of the right steps:

• First, a successful decarbonization strategy must be built on robust analysis and assessment.
• Second, utilities should avoid committing to specific pathways too soon, even as they plan and build out broader, longer-term system solutions.
• Third, utilities will need new efforts to collaborate more closely and engage more stakeholders.

Learn how public and private organizations are working toward decarbonizing the economy, growing renewables, developing new energy carriers, improving energy-water efficiency, reducing emissions, and creating new markets for carbon replacement.

Indeed, it’s time to be ready, steady, and go!!

At WE3 Summit 2022, delve into the latest innovations in achieving the circular economy, explore utility’s success stories, and discuss invaluable strategies for orchestrating intelligent technologies to give sustainability initiatives a much-needed facelift.

Leverage interacting with industry thought leaders and pace up your utility journey towards a sustainable and better tomorrow.

About SEW

SEW, with its innovative and industry-leading cloud platforms, delivers the best Digital Customer Experiences (CX) and Workforce Experiences (WX), powered by AI, ML, and IoT analytics, to global energy, water, and gas providers. At SEW, the vision is to Engage, Empower, and Educate billions of people to save energy and water, partnering with businesses to deliver platforms that are easy-to-use, integrate seamlessly, and help build a strong technology foundation that allows them to become future-ready.

For more details, visit: www.SEW.ai