The UN Sustainability Development Goals were published by the United Nations in 2015. Although fifth-generation 5G cellular connectivity is most well-known for its unprecedented wireless speed, it's also poised to help address a more pressing problem. Leading organizations place sustainability at the top of their priorities. Here are some ways 5G (fifth-generation) can help.
It's not surprising that the telecommunications sector is very focused on going green. A recent Institute for Business Value study of more than 3,000 CEOs in over 40 countries revealed that over half (56%) of them ranked increasing sustainability as their top priority for the organization over the next 2 to 3 years.
Attaining Your Goals
The UN Sustainability Development Goals were published by the United Nations in 2015. They include 17 goals to address the most urgent societal and environmental problems facing the world. These goals include a wide range of ambitious targets. They can be used to combat climate change, conserve natural resources, or end hunger and poverty.
The strong position of telecoms to contribute meaningfully to many SDGs is evident, and 5G (fifth-generation)will be a crucial part of their realization. We will show you how the UN's next-generation connectivity standard can help to achieve UN guidelines for a more sustainable, equitable future.
Climate Change Combat
The UN's most important SDG is reducing global climate change. A report by Accenture, commissioned by CTIA (the wireless industry association), found that 5G (fifth-generation) and its related uses could help reduce America's carbon emissions by 20% in 2025. The new standard is more eco-friendly than the existing one, even before taking into account the carbon reduction benefits 5G connectivity offers to its partners in transportation and agriculture fields.
Nokia and Telefonica conducted a 2020 5G (fifth-generation) energy efficiency survey. It found that 5G networks were up to 90% more efficient per traffic unit than 4G networks.
Further developments at the base station level are boosting this inherent efficiency, including new energy-saving software that reduces radio equipment energy consumption and liquid cooling technology which can cut CO2 emissions up to 80%.
A rapid rollout of 5G (fifth-generation) could reduce global CO2 emissions by 0.5 million metric tons during this decade. This is equivalent to more than a year's worth of greenhouse gas emissions from aviation worldwide.
However, 5G (fifth-generation) will bring the most significant benefits. 5G's energy efficiency, low latency, and high fidelity promise to unlock all the potential of the Internet of Things and expand the reach of AI. This will transform many industries and lead to better use of natural resources and energy, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and improved energy consumption.
5G has revolutionized transportation. 5G (fifth-generation) enables vehicle communication, navigation, autonomous driving, and logistical areas such as truckload optimization, fleet management, and truckload optimization.
People searching for parking account for around 20% of all urban traffic We can help drivers find parking spaces and reduce congestion. NTT DoCoMo (a top Japanese mobile phone operator telco) and Vodafone both launched smart parking services to address this issue.
Manufacturing and smart buildings are two other key industries where 5G (fifth-generation) is already having an impact. 5G Private Networks, IIoT-based automation, and intelligent HVAC systems enable them to reduce energy consumption and carbon emission.
The use of 5G (fifth-generation) networks in different use cases will enable the reduction of 330.8 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMtCO2e), across five industries by 2025. This improvement would represent 20% of the U.S. emission target for the timeframe. It is equivalent to 71.9 million car emissions over the course of one year.
Improve Lives
Cellular technology has the potential to do more than save the environment. It's helping to raise the standard of living for people all over the globe, especially those who live in areas that are traditionally underserved.
Ending hunger is the second of the UN's SDGs. 5G (fifth-generation) and related technologies are on their way to solving this problem. Food waste is a serious problem.
According to some estimates, only 14% of food actually reaches its consumers. Farmers can monitor many factors such as temperature, moisture, crop health, and other variables using IoT sensors that are connected to 5G networks. They can then use automated irrigation systems in order to maximize crop yield.
The efficiency of food production is also being improved by autonomous machines such as tractors, ground robots, and imaging drones.
5G, in addition to "agric tech", is also improving the efficiency of food distribution. Smart transportation and logistics are being streamlined by 5G (fifth-generation). Connected retail systems can be connected to further reduce waste.
SDG nine is about building resilient infrastructure, encouraging industrialization, and fostering innovation. These are three large goals that telecom providers are striving to reach.
Tens of billions in grants have been allocated to telecom providers in the U.S. to help bring broadband infrastructure to rural areas and underserved regions. This will reduce the barriers to investment in long-awaited high-speed connectivity. The FCC's 5G (fifth-generation) Fund for Rural America is one of these grants. It is helping to provide broadband access to new markets.
These people have new opportunities for education, work, and commerce when 5G (fifth-generation) connectivity is available. Telecom operators report direct growths in national GDP in their areas. This is a sign of greater communication technology and a step towards achieving SDG number 1, ending poverty.
Take Action
It is vital that telecom providers act quickly to ensure the best results in 5G (fifth-generation) sustainability. Research has shown that a rapid rollout, which would shift 99 percent of mobile traffic to 5G in advanced economies by 2030, would result in a twofold decrease in carbon emissions.
Simply put, a rapid shift to 5G (fifth-generation) will be necessary to avoid escalating network energy requirements from rising data traffic. It will also address urgent global problems that the new cellular connectivity standard is uniquely placed to solve.