The Internet of Things is a must for reducing factory emissions

CSQ-3 While factory emissions typically account for only 1-10% of total emissions, they account for a significant portion, if not the vast majority, of Scope 1 and 2 emissions that manufacturers can reduce, making them a priority for 2024. In the factory, the Internet of Things (IoT) plays an integral role in optimizing energy use, reducing waste, and improving overall equipment efficiency (OEE). However, many manufacturers are still hesitant to adopt iot due to perceived challenges such as implementation costs, workload, and disruption.

In 2024, we expect CSRD to drive manufacturers to modernize their plants. Iot will shift from a competitive advantage for early adopters to a must-have for any manufacturer who needs to reduce energy use and carbon emissions. By using iot sensors to directly monitor emissions during production, manufacturers can accurately measure their carbon footprint and comply with relevant regulations. They can also identify energy-intensive operations and implement optimization strategies CSQ-3  to reduce overall energy use by monitoring energy consumption in real time. Cimc, a leading logistics and energy equipment supplier, has adopted this strategy, using iot energy management software to reduce energy consumption by 13%.

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CSQ-3 In addition to this, iot supports bottleneck analysis, which automatically identifies the top limiting factors hindering OEE on the factory site, enabling manufacturers to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce waste. Doing this analysis early in the production cycle can further reduce errors and defects, preventing waste and rework.

4. Invest in circular and modular design

Circularity is a fundamental aspect of sustainability that emphasizes minimizing waste, improving resource efficiency, and creating a closed-loop system in which materials are reused, refurbished, remanufactured, and recycled. In 2024, we expect manufacturers to increasingly CSQ-3 focus on circularity, with modular design becoming one of the most influential long-term strategies for decarbonizing products.

Modular design is about creating products with interchangeable components that can be easily disassembled, reused, repaired, upgraded, or recycled. Modularity improves the service life and circularity of products, as parts can be reused and remanufactured rather than sent to landfills. Modularity can also improve the efficiency of factory tools and reduce the cost of product changes required by the market. Technology will play a crucial role in enabling modular design, as digital tools are needed to control the downstream complexity that modularity brings. For example, equip front-line workers with digital tools that provide 3D job guidance and automatically filter instructions and part lists based on serialized configurations.