Firm seeks ethical, impactful AI use
moderator
As emerging technologies take firmer shape, a tech firm and global leader in industrial software, AVEVA, yesterday called for an ethical and impact-driven artificial intelligence (AI) aimed at increasing creativity and efficiency for a more sustainable world.
The company made the call during its 2023 Sustainability Progress Report and the first edition of the AVEVA Industrial Intelligence Index at London Tech Week 2024.
Speaking on the occasion in which the company also launched its first annual AVEVA Industrial Intelligence Index, AVEVA CEO, Caspar Herzberg, said the company has been at the vanguard of supporting industrial world for over half a century.
“AVEVA has been supporting the industrial world for more than half a century. Listening to our customers’ needs and understanding their challenges is how we innovate and develop tailored solutions that will help them cope with current and future challenges. With more than 25 000 customers across all industries, we have built a unique expertise. Today I’m delighted to introduce our first AVEVA Industrial Intelligence Index Report. Our ambition is to issue this report every year to help C-suite executives, business unit leaders, and strategic decision-makers leverage industrial intelligence and succeed in the digital age, with inspiring insights about how industries transform towards a more sustainable future,” Herzberg said.
On the key learnings of the report, it said last year, the company continued to make progress on its core environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework objectives, including enabling the sustainable transformation of industry through its software, modelling environmental stewardship and ethical best practice, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture where every employee feels engaged and empowered to learn and grow.
This fourth edition of the report, it said, is AVEVA’s first publication of ESG data and work stream advancements aligned to a calendar year reporting period, detailing progress made last year to AVEVA’s three key pillars: Technology handprint, Operational footprint, and Inclusive culture.
“Beyond our efforts to reduce our own carbon footprint, we recognize that our biggest opportunity to make a positive impact and accelerate our journey towards NetZero is through our core products, digital solutions that can help industries improve efficiency, circularity, traceability and resilience,” Global Head of Sustainability, AVEVA, Lisa Wee, said, on its technology handprint.
With this regard, the company has developed a green new logo program that has supported in the first six months the deployment of clean tech activities for 25 customers. In addition, with 13 new case studies quantifying the reduction of emissions AVEVA software enables for customers, the company demonstrates how it walks the talk through tangible achievements contributing to sustainability. Last but not least, hackathons run in 2023 generated 80 sustainability-led technology ideas for future innovations.
Last year, Wee said, also saw the launch of AVEVA’s Sustainability Accelerator programme the purpose of which is to advance sustainability use cases and capabilities across the company’s portfolio and partner ecosystem, including via AVEVA’s industrial intelligence platform, CONNECT.
“AVEVA’s Sustainability Accelerator program aims to enable faster uptake of existing sustainability solutions across the industrial landscape, while we continue to invest in product capabilities and partnerships that will push out the frontiers of sustainability innovation for industry,” Director of Sustainability in charge of the program, Joana Mainguy, said.
Finally, AVEVA has pioneered a new standard for green software: since the end of 2023, 31per cent of its portfolio has built-in power consumption measurement technology.
Last year, AVEVA met four out of the 15 2025 ESG targets including 93per cent reduction in scope one and scope two emissions through a combination of measures: the company procured 100per cent of renewable electricity in all global markets as per RE100 criteria, reduced its overall fleet of 21per cent over the year, and counted hybrid or electric vehicles for 25per cent of the remaining fleet. Notable achievements related to upstream emissions include a 36per cent decrease in purchased goods and services and a 49per cent decrease in business travel emissions. The latter goes beyond our 2025 ESG goal of a 20per cent reduction, it said on its operational footprint.
Regarding the scope 3, AVEVA has integrated e-waste data in the inventory under the waste category to report another significant achievement: “Our initial target of diverting 5 tons of e-waste from landfill in 2025 was surpassed by 22.75 tons in 2023. 100per cent of e-waste sent to our disposal partner is now diverted from landfill,” Wee explained.
On inclusive culture, AVEVA’s commitment to developing a workplace environment where all employees feel included and are treated with dignity and respect is also highlighted in the report.
“Globally, with 39.9per cent of new hires, 29per cent of managers and 26,5per cent of leaders being women, AVEVA has significantly increased gender representation in 2023 and will continue in this direction to raise these numbers to 50per cent of new hires, 40per cent of managers and 30per cent of leaders by 2030. Besides, we have reached our goal of less than one per cent pay equity, and it currently stands at 0.5per cent,” Wee said, adding that in addition, AVEVA demonstrated its commitment to society donating £ 310,000 to causes supported by AVEVA employees’ communities around the world.
Wee said AVEVA also achieved key milestones in regions. In the US, the company developed a partnership with two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for an ‘AVEVA Scholars Programme. Spanning three years, the program includes scholarships and immersive onsite experiences, ultimately paving the way for talented Black scholars in Engineering and Computer Science to join the AVEVA team upon graduation. The pilot will kick-off mid-June 2024 and count 12 students.
AVEVA Industrial Intelligence Index Report is a two-in-one publication to report on industrial needs and to give guidance on existing solutions through inspiring examples of successful and sustainable digital transformation.
Drawing on research conducted with 500 global industry executives across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, this first edition gives valuable and actionable insights into the power, manufacturing, infrastructure, and chemicals industries. Including comments from AVEVA’s experts and leaders, the report unveils macro trends and describes the forces that drive change and innovation. It also presents case studies showcasing successful digitalization initiatives, and strategies for driving innovation and efficiency to chart a course towards a more sustainable and profitable future
https://thenationonlineng.net/firm-seeks-ethical-impactful-ai-use/
