Exploring the Green Revolution: Climate Change and Shifts in Industry, Technology, & Supply Chain, Sources of Renewable Energy, Green ‘'Cloud" Data Centers, EVs, and Sustainable Development Goal 13 for Climate Action with Tom Raftery (SAP)

Global carbon dioxide emissions have increased by nearly 50 per
cent since 1990, and 2019 was the warmest year on record. Climate
change touches everything we do and for the 1st time, the World
Economic Forum has named climate change as a leading risk facing
business and our survival. Episode 25 discusses the Green
Revolution and all its glorious, wicked, complexities. Climate
action requires rapid changes that must take place in four
key parts of society: energy generation, land use, consumer
behavior, and industry. Tom Raftery, Global VP and
SAP Innovation Evangelist joins Sheri Hinish, and both have
a deep-rooted passion for sustainability and sustainable
development. 


This episode touches on everything from SDG 13, to a comparison
of renewable energy sources, how to build a green data center,
why Google and Microsoft cloud environments are more
sustainable than AWS, and the business case for transition to EVs
(electric vehicles). What is the social cost of carbon? How
do we trust businesses and suppliers to be sustainable in
environmental stewardship? How can reporting and pricing carbon
can reduce emissions and enable smarter planning in supply
chains? According to conservation.org, the Price tag for
climate change in the US is $ 140​ billion per year. This is
what it would take to make the changes humanity needs to adapt to
a warming world. It may sound like a lot, but it’s less than 0.2%
of global GDP. And the cost will only increase the longer we
take to act ambitiously.


Supply Chains, technology, and Industry 4.0 are a conduit for
climate action using environmental risk management, the cost of
carbon, and understanding consumer behavior where shifts like
purchaser-to-participant and “shades of green” meet the
consumer in their green journey. There are natural climate pivots
like the “flexitarian diet” and small behavior shifts that
pay dividends. There is a fiscal argument for climate action that
is unpacked in this episode, inlacing SAP’s new Climate
21 initiative.


Climate change impacts natural and human systems globally through
the increase globally averaged surface temperature, extreme
weather events, changing precipitation patterns, rising sea
levels and ocean acidification. These risks will ultimately
impact people’s livelihoods, particularly marginalized groups
such as women, children, and the elderly, as resources, food and
water become more scarce. If you think about the SDGs, the
lasting effects of climate change tied to SDG 13 makes it very
difficult to achieve other goals. The green revolution
starts with you. Learn more about how we can design a better
future with zero waste, equality, and transition to carbon
neutrality, and carbon negative solutions to unite people and our
planet.


This is a longer discussion than other episodes but worth the
listen!


Find us, connect, and explore at
https://www.supplychainrevolution.com/