A smarter say to healing the environment

This much we know well: Canada, like most countries, is dependent on fossil fuels for most of its energy. Fossil fuels in turn are the largest source of greenhouse gases from human activity and these emissions are causing pervasive changes in the Earth’s climate, posing large risks to a fragile ecosystem that needs much healing. The dire consequences of no action—ranging from extreme weather to flood, fires, famines, rising sea levels, and threatened ecosystems—have also been well-documented and are embedded within our cultural narrative of concern for the environment. A recitation of a tale of woe is not my objective because it simply creates a numbing effect, paralyzing further meaningful conversation. COVID-19 has exhausted our capacity to worry. Here, I will focus on: “What can we do?” to mitigate the worst of the consequences and actions that will help us adapt to a world that is less acrimonious and more benign to the environment. The daily insults we hurl at the environment through our hyper-consumption patterns supported by rapid extraction of natural resources is very much a part of the economic growth paradigm. Is there a pathway for long-term sustainability of the environmental common that will meet our immediate needs but also that of future generations? Looking through the lens of sustainability rather than a “greening” environmental lens, it is helpful to identify a few technological options that look promising. We can think of sustainability as the basis for improvement in environmental performance that yields social benefits as well such as improved health or quality of life. Emerging opportunities, driven by advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs), offer new insights about building an interconnected future that has a much lighter environmental footprint. We are already witnessing the role of these technologies as they rapidly weave their way into all aspects of our daily lives. It goes beyond simple use of devices such as computers, smart phones and tablets but all objects that we connect and interact with including cars, buildings, appliances and entertainment choices. The information and communication technologies not only enable communication between people, but between people and objects, and between objects themselves. Many ICT-enabled solutions have already improved Canada’s environmental performance through, for example, innovations that reduce energy consumption in buildings or enhancing the monitoring capabilities of the environment with low cost sensors and devices. We are witnessing dramatic changes in how water and electricity are delivered to consumers, enabling the use of mapping to develop and monitor new conservation programs, smart meters to educate consumers on their electricity or water use, and sensors to monitor delivery systems and ensure optimal efficiency. The most dramatic and impactive development in a positive direction will be the ubiquitous role of sensors and devices in reducing the global carbon emissions from the transport sector. We are at the cusp of a massive disruption in the transport sector within a decade or two that will prove to be most benign to the environment. This is not simply increasing the efficiency of vehicles envisaged under a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario or increased penetration of electric vehicles—albeit they remain important—but it is a revolution in transport referred to as ‘Transport-as-a Service’ (TaaS). Autonomous or semi-autonomous electric vehicles replacing the gasoline and diesel fuelled cars will deliver, initially, the services we need most effectively in dense urban environments. Over time this will evolve to satisfy other niche applications. At its core, ‘TaaS’ is a fundamental shift away from car ownership as the model for mobility. It allows individuals access transport services: ‘any time, any place when and where’ required. This disruption is driven primarily by large cost savings to the consumer. It is achieved through a vastly improved utilization of an asset. For example, the car I own is essentially used five per cent of the time. For 95 per cent o the time, it sits in a parking lot or a garage at home. Once it becomes clear that the upfront cost of buying a car plus the ongoing cost of operating and maintaining is far higher—by a factor of two to 10 times higher—then TaaS becomes highly attractive. The cost of ownership is replaced by a ‘single’ per usage charge that offers greater convenience, lower cost and a lower environmental footprint. The emergence and successful penetration of transport as a service will depend on one key challenge: as a consumer, we want a "point-to-point" or "door-to door” access at all times. Digital technologies are now at the cusp of delivering autonomous electric vehicles acting as the enablers of a positive transformation of the transport sector away from oil-based internal combustion engines. One of the primary environmental benefits of switching to an electric, autonomous and shared personal transport system is the reduction of CO2 emissions and congestion within and near larger urban environments. Recent analyzes indicate that oil consumption from U.S. passenger vehicles will decline from over eight million barrels per day in 2020 to under one million barrels per day in 2030 implying a 90 per cent reduction in oil demand. Whether the timing proves to be correct is not germane. Looking ahead, oil’s dominant role in transport will wane. The trend towards disruption is clearly evident. Rapid penetration of electric mobility combined with a digitally interconnected system for ‘Transport-as-a- Service' offers a pathway for a much cleaner environment. The transport and the oil and gas sector in Canada contribute a lion’s share of greenhouse gas emissions. This emerging solution (TaaS) for mobility will not only reduce GHG emissions and lower traffic congestion and air pollution, it will increase the efficiency of material use, allows us the flexibility to think creatively about land use, urban planning and making the most of the collective environmental endowment. An interconnected world, enabled by smart sensors, devices and data is one healing option for a sustainable environment. Jatin Nathwani is the founding executive director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, and he holds the Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy for Sustainable Energy at the University of Waterloo. The Hill Times

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A smarter say to healing the environment

Emerging opportunities, driven by advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs), offer new insights about building an interconnected future that has a much lighter environmental footprint.

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