Cultivating psychological safety in AI decision making
September 2024
Navigating data sharing for sustainable transport
Transportation accounts for a significant portion of global carbon emissions, with the road transport sector being a major contributor. Transport-related emissions make up 16.2% of the global total, and road transport alone accounted for 11.9%. In the UK, transport contributes to 34% of the country’s carbon emissions. The challenges this brings are expected to intensify as road use and aviation demand increase in the coming years. These alarming statistics highlight the need for immediate action to curb emissions and adopt sustainable practices in the transportation industry.
I believe that data-driven approaches can make a significant impact in this our journey towards a greener planet and I set out 3 challenges below that can be addressed using data.
First off I believe that to make a substantial impact on carbon emissions, it is crucial to change customer perceptions and behaviours.
Various strategies can be employed to achieve this, such as: incentivising public transport use through rewards programs; and providing carbon calculators to showcase the environmental benefits of using sustainable transportation options. Other options include Creating a positive and modern experience for public transport users can significantly contribute to reducing emissions.
By fostering a culture that encourages and rewards sustainable choices, we can drive behaviour change and see a shift towards more eco-friendly transportation practices.
2. Enhancing Measurement and Reporting of Emissions
Secondly, we need an accurate measurement and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions. This is essential for any initiative designed to develop effective sustainability strategies.
I think that leveraging telematics and data analytics can greatly improve the measurement and reporting processes across different sectors and vehicle types. For instance, fleet telematics, transport operator telematics, and individual car telematics can provide valuable insights and drive the adoption of greener behaviours.
Sustainability initiatives like these will begin to give the sector a unique opportunities to showcase the value of data projects and demonstrate their return on investment, as the impact of these projects can be easily tracked and measured.
3. Building a Data-Driven Culture
Finally, I would like to see the establishment of a data-driven culture within organisations. Building this culture is critical for promoting sustainability. This culture involves combining human insights with new and emerging AI capabilities to help the sector align business outcomes with environmental goals. Emphasising data quality, governance, and continuous improvement would ensure that organisations maximise their data’s potential while minimising their environmental impact.
It is a win-win when businesses continuously strive for better efficiency and consumption reduction, which lead to measurable driving sustainability outcomes. Furthermore, by empowering dedicated carbon reduction teams within the business they can identify and implement sustainable initiatives that also generate clear financial benefits while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions.
Where I am based, Northern Ireland is in a unique position to influence and improve its transport sector. We already have innovative technology being rolled out including Wrightbus using a world’s first hydrogen-powered double-deck bus, the most efficient double-deck, battery-electric bus in the world, consuming around half the energy of its closest UK rival.
Northern Ireland is lucky in that it has one operator across bus and rail services, which means services can be enhanced with joined departments, the right tools, joined-up data sharing and the right people.
Another example from Northern Ireland is our new zero-emission ferries. Artemis Technologies’ zero-emission vessels are the greenest workboats and soon-to-be passenger ferries. A partnership with Condor Ferries to operate a pilot scheme using the first EF-24 Passenger 150-person capacity ferry ‘Zero’, launching in 2024 will run between Belfast and Bangor in Northern Ireland.
We are expecting fuel savings of up to 85 per cent which in real moments represents a saving to the business of will be £2.6m when compared with a conventional high-speed diesel ferry.
I am of course biased, but Northern Ireland is world-leading in its technology innovation in this space. We are already seeing bring more sustainable projects starting and leading to more employment with collaboration and partnership with our universities. An example of this is seen with the joint venture between Queen’s University and Wrightbus.
I hope I have shared my view that while technology can help, we need to the importance of changing customer perceptions and behaviours. Of course, we need to work on, improving measurement and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, and establishing data-driven cultures within organisations.
What I am certain of is that the benefits of collaboration, open standards, and the use of emerging technologies based around data-driven approaches can make a significant impact in our journey towards a greener planet.
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