Faced with a planet burdened by climate change, governments lean towards the implementation of strategies that enable environmental relief, and carbon neutrality is one of their primary tools. One clear objective in all agendas associated with the issue of climate change and one of the most pressing topics on the global environmental agenda has been and continues to be the reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG). It is evident that the future survival of humanity focuses, among other things, on the preservation of oceans, glaciers, and ecosystems in general.
In 2015, during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement was established with the intention of strengthening the commitment of various governments to tackle climate change. A highlighted aspect of this action was the first-time introduction of a global goal: to keep the temperature below 2°C, with a greater effort to prevent it from exceeding 1.5°C. To achieve this, it was clear that specific actions such as the mitigation or reduction of CO2 emissions, transparency, and global balance with five-year reports, as well as government adaptation to face the consequences of climate change, should be implemented.
The commitment to reduce net carbon emissions by the year 2050 by the countries signing the Paris Agreement included what is known as Carbon Neutrality. Within this framework, “carbon certificates” also emerged, understood as certification instruments indicating that emissions are reduced by a company or organization. These certificates are obtained after calculating the carbon footprint, identifying emission sources, and implementing plans to reduce emissions, such as renewable energy or energy efficiency projects.
The carbon footprint is a management tool that allows the identification of actions contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions in terms of CO2, produced directly or indirectly by individuals, organizations, products, events, or geographical regions. It also provides the opportunity to improve these emissions through more efficient resource use.
When implementing emission reduction projects that earn carbon credits, entities must compensate for the carbon emissions they cannot reduce, entering the neutralization phase. For example, if an organization with an annual carbon footprint of 20 tons of CO2 manages to reduce 4 tons through a renewable energy program, it must offset the remaining 16 tons of CO2 through carbon credits to fulfill sustainable practices and achieve carbon neutrality.
As part of these actions, and aiming to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the productive processes of companies and in people’s daily lives, AZLOGICA®, a leading company in Latin America in the application of solutions from the Internet of Things (IoT), has developed the ECODRIVE® tool for several years. Its strength and impact lie in its ability to measure, verify, and report the effectiveness of actions by private companies, public entities, and governments in favor of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
ECODRIVE® is an Internet of Things solution designed for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the productive processes of companies and in people’s daily lives.
“The carbon-neutral process requires companies to collect information that has a significant impact on climate change. Therefore, reading the carbon footprint requires continuous online monitoring, guided by actions through sensors and devices measuring energy consumption and its negative impact on the environment. That is precisely what our IoT solution, ECODRIVE®, allows,” says Edgar Salas, CEO of AZLOGICA®.
Effective Tools for Sustainability
Certifying carbon neutrality statements, seeking an unequivocal factor of transparency, led various institutions to undertake this operation, applying procedures to organizations of all sizes and sectors to ensure the accuracy of their reports. These reports demonstrate carbon neutrality, whether for the overall business or for specific items such as projects, activities, products, services, physical plants, or particular events.
The validity of carbon neutrality relies on the fidelity of information provided by organizations, requiring specialized and certified institutions to monitor and ensure the accuracy of the reports.
Governments increasingly emphasize carbon neutrality as a specific goal for organizations, entities, or companies that include helping combat climate change among their objectives. This aligns with improving sustainability credentials, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), gaining a competitive advantage by offering more eco-friendly products and services to customers, and enhancing business efficiency by reducing energy costs.
In Colombia, for example, with the commitment made by the national government to reduce carbon emissions by 51% by 2030, the Colombia Carbon Neutral strategy was developed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and launched last April.
The plan works on three fronts: the Colombia Zero Emissions program aims to optimize and promote sustainability in public and private sector companies and entities through the management of GHG emissions. Secondly, the National Environmental System (SINA), in collaboration with environmental organizations, quantifies and reduces emissions. Finally, the interesting Mi Huella de Carbono program, through an application, enables anyone to calculate their individual greenhouse gas emissions, generating knowledge and awareness.
Each individual also plays a significant role in contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. The Mi Huella de Carbono application allows anyone to determine their emissions to take necessary corrective actions and make their environmental contribution.
The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development’s strategy also includes the implementation of the NDC-Carbon Neutral seal, recognizing entities that effectively contribute to the country’s medium and long-term climate change goals, with a series of special benefits.
AZLOGICA® offers ECODRIVE® within these dynamics, providing companies with tools to calculate their carbon footprint effectively. ECODRIVE® is efficient in quantifying, visualizing, and predicting data, offering real-time monitoring of energy consumption, GHG emissions, carbon footprint, waste, and control variables. This facilitates a swift response that contributes to aligning processes with sustainability.
Climate action, clean and affordable energy, responsible consumption and production, along with metrics aimed at having carbon-neutral companies or entities, are some of the benefits that AZLOGICA® offers through its strategic partnerships and ECODRIVE®, an ideal tool for developing strategies to combat climate change.
