On November 11th, we celebrated our 5th anniversary of the PLM Green Global Alliance (PGGA) with a webinar where Jos Voskuil (me) interviewed the five other PGGA core team members about developments and experiences in their focus domain, potentially allowing for a broader discussion.
In our discussion, we focused on the trends and future directions of the PLM Green Global Alliance, emphasizing the intersection of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Sustainability.
There is no denying that January 2025 was a sobering month for news about climate change. The month started with the devastating fires in Southern California, made worse by a warming climate, and ended with deconstruction of U.S. federal government agencies, funding, staff, websites, data, policies, and agreements related to climate change.
Yet, there was also encouraging news from around the world in that the momentum toward a more sustainable low-carbon greener global economy appears unstoppable by any one country, for which many Americans like myself can be ever so thankful. You can follow this progress in other posts, newsletters, and panel discussions from the PLM Green Global Alliance.
To see what climate news you might have missed in your own news feeds last month, read on in the latest Climate Change Chronicles which is presented below in approximate chronological order.
One of the attributes I have always admired of engineers, scientists, and consultants is that they are not intimidated by big urgent problems, but instead are inspired by confronting them head on. They often run towards the challenges made visible by bad news, not turning away or becoming depressed by it all. Many appear most excited and hopeful when analyzing the sources of problems and innovating new solutions to address them. I see this often in my fellow PLM Green collaborators.
That said, we know that the public at large and political leaders often ignore the biggest problems in front of them – or become too easily distracted by topics that are less important – until they are forced to do so. Unfortunately, history reminds us that this reckoning often happens too late when many of the less painful options are already off the table.
Recently, I (Mark Reisig) delivered a CIMdata webinar titled, “Sustainability & PLM: An Industrial Perspective.” For those of you who were unable to attend I am excited to share the following summary of key points that I made. You can also view the recorded webinar here at your leisure.
Keeping up with the staggering volume of news about climate change and the race to decarbonize the global economy can be overwhelming, especially since much news and analysis is increasingly behind media paywalls. That’s why the PLM Green Global Alliance prepares the monthly Climate Change Chronicles to offer a quick-to-scan digest of news from around the world about the impact of a changing climate on people and the planet. (For news about the use of Product Lifecycle Management in creating a more sustainable low-carbon circular economy, follow PLM Green on LinkedIn.)
Our good news question of the month: what country is reported to have added 300GW of new renewable energy from solar and wind during 2023? Read on to find out and learn what else you might have missed in your own news feeds that should motivate us all to take more action, now, faster, together. Continue reading
PLM Green Global Alliance participant Mark Reisig from CIMdata has authored a comprehensive thought leadership paper on PLM and Sustainability.
In his signature paper, Mark details the defining challenge of our time for technologists, engineers, and innovators to decarbonize the global economy to minimize greenhouse gas emissions that are quickly warming the planet. And to do so while we still have time – this decade – before the worse effects of climate change are experienced or planetary tipping points breached.
The goal of the PLM Green discussion forum and working group on Product Life Cycle Assessment (PLCA), led by Klaus Brettschneider, is to investigate, validate, and promote the use of PLM-enabling business strategies and software technologies that can reduce the impact of products on the environment, most notably greenhouse gas emissions.
Product Life Cycle Assessments are pivotal in environmental protection, surpassing the singular focus on carbon impact and climate change. While carbon emissions are undeniably significant contributors to environmental degradation, PLCAs comprehensively evaluate a product’s environmental footprint throughout its entire life cycle. This holistic approach considers greenhouse gas emissions and factors like resource extraction, manufacturing processes, transportation, product use, and end-of-life disposal.
By scrutinizing each stage, PLCAs provide a nuanced understanding of a product’s overall impact, enabling businesses and consumers to make informed decisions. This broader perspective allows for identifying additional environmental stressors beyond carbon emissions, fostering more sustainable practices, and contributing to a well-rounded environmental conservation strategy.
We within the PLM Green Global Alliance will explore and document the role, potential, and value of PLM in addressing the challenge of limiting the impact of products on the sustainability of our planet’s environment.
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) strategies are crucial in facilitating and enhancing Product Life Cycle Assessments (PLCAs). PLM involves systematically managing a product’s entire lifecycle, from conception and design to manufacturing, use, and disposal. PLM provides a structured framework for organizing product-related data, streamlining communication across different stages, and ensuring process consistency.
When integrated with PLCAs, PLM strategies enable a more efficient and accurate assessment of environmental impacts. PLM systems help capture and centralize relevant data at each stage of a product’s lifecycle, making evaluating factors such as materials used, energy consumption, and waste generation easier. This integration promotes sustainability by facilitating informed decision-making, allowing businesses to optimize processes, reduce environmental footprints, and design products with a more comprehensive understanding of their lifecycle impacts.
PLM strategies, software, processes, and data act as the foundation for performing effective Product Life Cycle Assessments, enabling businesses to align environmental considerations with product development and management best practices.
To participate in our PLM Green theme study group on PLCA we invite you to first join the PLM Green LinkedIn Group then contact our moderator Klaus Brettschneider.
Here below we have started maintaining a curated list of featured white papers, blog posts, presentations, case studies, webinars, and interviews on the role of PLM-enabling technologies in performing product lifecycle assessments. We invite you to send us examples you have come across in your own work, company, industry, or country to info@plmgreenalliance.com.
Keeping up with the volume of news about climate change and the growing effort to decarbonize the global economy can be overwhelming at times, especially since much news and analysis of substance is behind media paywalls. That’s why the PLM Green Global Alliance prepares the monthly Climate Change Chronicles to offer a quick-to-scan digest of news from around the world about the impact of a changing climate on people and the planet. For different news about the use of Product Lifecycle Management in creating a more sustainable low-carbon circular economy, follow PLM Green on LinkedIn.
There was much good news from the past month that should encourage all. Our good news question of the month is: how many European countries announced they will eliminate CO2 emitting power plants by 2035? Bonus question: can you name those countries? Hint, all but one are EU members. Read on to find out and see what you might have missed in your own news feeds during the year-end holiday break.
👍 The UN COP28 conference concluded in Dubai, UAE, with the most important decision and transformational agreement made since the 2015 Paris Accords. Nearly 200 countries finally agreed that the world needed to transition away from fossil fuels and do so in a just, orderly, and equitable manner. This was remarkable as the first time the conference had actually tackled the most pressing and obvious challenge; phasing out the burning of fossil fuels. Of course, it was only an agreement with few details that was not legally binding and with no penalties for not achieving goals. Yet for the moment, we can be thankful and hope for the best.
The latest Climate Change Chronicles from the PLM Green Global Alliance provides a quick-to-scan summary of news during October 2023 from around the world about the changing climate and its impact on people and the planet.
I am often asked if the distressing news about climate change does not depress me. Not at all. As someone who was educated as an engineer (like many of our PLM Green followers and contributors) I am energized by analyzing problems, confronting challenges, and collaborating on solutions. I hope our readers working in PLM are equally motivated as achieving sustainability will require all of our professional contributions.
Our good news quiz question of the month: what European capital announced a ban on all gasoline powered vehicles in their city center by 2025? Read on to find out and learn what else might have been missed in your own news feeds.
(For more good news and uplifting discussions about the use of PLM-enabling technologies in creating a sustainable low-carbon circular economy, join the PLM Green LinkedIn Group.)
This month’s Climate Change Chronicles bears witness to July 2023 going down in history as a tipping point in human awareness of the effects of global warming that can no longer be denied as the planet crosses over into an era of accelerating climate change. Yet, despite all the unsettling news, global carbon emissions are showing signs of slowing due to the work of countless scientists, engineers, activists, policy experts, government agencies and other professionals around the world, including those working to green PLM and NPD.
So many climate records were broken this month that climate scientists began stating the obvious: global warming and climate change is accelerating and has entered into new unprecedented, unchartered territory which the world is ill prepared to handle. Floods, fires, droughts, water shortages, and deadly heat are fueling concurrent crises and disasters across the world as the planet is on track to exceed an increase of over 5 degrees F.
The latest Climate Change Chronicles from the PLM Green Global Alliance provides a quick-to-scan digest of news, both good and bad, from around the world during May 2023 about the changing climate and its impact on people and the planet.
While there is increasing good news about the race to decarbonize the global economy, I am often asked if all the bad climate news does not distress me into despair.
No, it serves to motivate me further to do more NOW as I sincerely hope it does others.
Like many PLM Green participants, I was educated (long ago) as an aerospace engineer who was motivated by identifying and analyzing problems. And now ending my career as a business consultant concerned about the future of humanity and our planet, I am more motivated to help promote engineering solutions to the most challenging sustainability obstacle our generation has created and leaves behind to others, climate change.
This includes the most important uses of PLM-enabling technologies that PLM professionals will likely ever see in our careers.
Our good news question of the month: what European country announced that 80% of all new car sales last year were electric vehicles? Read on to find out and learn what else might have been missed in your own news feeds.
For additional news about the role of PLM-enabling technologies in creating a more sustainable low-carbon circular economy, subscribe to the PLM & Sustainability Newsletter (soon to be restarted) then join our PLM Green LinkedIn Group for community discussion.
This month’s Climate Change Chronicles from the PLM Green Global Alliance provides a quick-to-scan summary of news from around the world during December 2022 about the changing climate and its impact on people and the planet.
Our good news question of the month: what laboratory announced a breakthrough in nuclear fusion energy? Read on to find out and learn what else might have been missed in your own news feeds.
For news about the use of PLM-enabling technologies in creating a more sustainable, low carbon, circular economy, subscribe to the PLM & Sustainability Newsletter then join our PLM Green LinkedIn Group.
The latest Climate Change news digest, prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance, summarizes the most substantial news from around the world during the month of November 2022 about the changing climate and progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
This month’s good news question: what US state announced a ban on the use of fossil fuel plants to power crypto-mining operations? Read on to find out.
For more positive news about the use of PLM-enabling technologies in creating a more sustainable, lower carbon, circular economy, subscribe to the PLM & Sustainability Newsletter then join our PLM Green LinkedIn Group.
The latest Climate Change Chronicles news digest, prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance, summarizes substantial news from around the world during the month of August, 2022 about the worsening climate and progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
This month’s good news question: what is the name of the recently passed legislation in the US that supporters say will help the country meet its 40% reduction in emissions target by 2030? Read on to find out while joining others in bearing witness to the growing impact of global warming on people and the planet.
For more positive news about the use of PLM-enabling technologies in creating a more sustainable, lower carbon, circular economy, subscribe to the PLM & Sustainability Newsletter then join our PLM Green LinkedIn Group.
Climate change is not a short news story that can be told in one post, but is a long narrative that will span decades in which history will judge humanity for what we did and did not do as we individually and collectively bear witness. The latest Climate Change Chronicles news digest, prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance, summarizes news during just one month from around the world about the changing climate and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The past month of July 2022 was another month of climate-related suffering – including my own Midwest city of St. Louis which flooded from 10 inches of rain over one night – with abundant scientific evidence that demonstrates the worsening effects of climate change and a warming planet. Despite all the bad news, there was continued progress in the movement to decarbonize industry as we share with the PLM Green LinkedIn Group.
July 2022 Eurasia Heat Wave from NASA
Our good news question of the month: what country has started sending its citizens a quarterly climate carbon dividend rebate from a tax on carbon polluters? Read on to find out and learn what you might have missed in your own climate news feeds during the past month. For news about the role of PLM in creating a more sustainable low-carbon economy, subscribe to our other PLM Green news digest on the Intersection of PLM & Sustainability.
The latest Climate Change News Digest, prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance, summarizes news from around the world about the changing climate and progress in decarbonizing the global economy. Our good news question of the month: what percentage of US power came from renewable sources in the first quarter of the year? Read on to find out and learn what you might have missed in your own climate news feeds during the past month. For news about the role of PLM in creating a more sustainable low-carbon economy, subscribe to our other news digest on the Intersection of PLM & Sustainability.
“Decarbonizing the Atmosphere: Opportunities and Cautions” is a comprehensive article written for engineering professionals in the Spring 2022 issue of The Bent magazine from the Tau Beta Pi engineering professional society.
The article summarizes the massive scope of the technical challenge to stop emitting new greenhouse gasses, like C02 and methane, into the atmosphere, and the likelihood we will have to remove and sequester what we have already emitted.
The article may be downloaded at https://www.tbp.org/pubs/Features/Sp22Bell.pdf.
The latest Climate Change News Digest, prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance, summarizes the most important monthly news from around the world about the changing climate and progress in decarbonizing the global economy. Our good news question of the month: what is the “First Movers Initiative” announced at the Davos World Economic Forum this year? Read on to find out and learn what you might have missed in your own news feeds during the past month.
CO2 in the atmosphere as measured at Mauna Loa hit another record at 421 ppm. April is the month when C02 is the highest in the Northern Hemisphere. The Keeling Curve shows no sign of slowing down and is expected to blow past 430 then reach 440. The last time levels were this high was over 4 million years ago on a planet that would not have been habitable for humans or the flora and fauna that we now enjoy.
The latest Climate Change News Digest for March 2022, prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance, summarizes recent news about the changing climate and efforts to decarbonize the global economy. While GHG emissions and climate trends remain alarming, as evidenced in the latest IPCC assessment, there is encouraging progress being made in green technologies, public awareness, and most importantly the political will to act. Our good news question of the month: what political body agreed to impose cross-border carbon tariffs on trade? Read on to find out.
In the latest report from the UN, the International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) warns that humanity has a brief and rapidly closing window to avoid an unbearably hotter and deadlier climate. The planet will face increasing floods, heat waves, droughts, rising sea levels, storms, melting glaciers and permafrost, wildfires, loss of biodiversity, population migrations, tropical illnesses, water conflicts, hunger, and human suffering. Huge portions of the globe may eventually become inhabitable. The good news is that we still have time to arrest the most catastrophic consequences if we move faster in transforming to a low-carbon economy.
The IPCC has released the second part of the Sixth Assessment Report, “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability” during the 12th Session of Working Group II and 55th Session of the IPCC.
A summary of important policy statements extracted from the report include the following:
“Human-induced climate change, including more frequent and intense extreme events, has caused widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people, beyond natural climate variability. Some development and adaptation efforts have reduced vulnerability. Across sectors and regions the most vulnerable people and systems are observed to be disproportionately affected. The rise in weather and climate extremes has led to some irreversible impacts as natural and human systems are pushed beyond their ability to adapt (high confidence).
Vulnerability of ecosystems and people to climate change differs substantially among and within regions (very high confidence), driven by patterns of intersecting socio-economic development, unsustainable ocean and land use, inequity, marginalization, historical and ongoing patterns of inequity such as colonialism, and governance (high confidence). Approximately 3.3 to 3.6 billion people live in contexts that are highly vulnerable to climate change (high confidence). A high proportion of species is vulnerable to climate change (high confidence). Human and ecosystem vulnerability are interdependent (high confidence). Current unsustainable development patterns are increasing exposure of ecosystems and people to climate hazards (high confidence).
Global warming, reaching 1.5°C in the near-term, would cause unavoidable increases in multiple climate hazards and present multiple risks to ecosystems and humans (very high confidence). The level of risk will depend on concurrent near-term trends in vulnerability, exposure, level of socioeconomic development and adaptation (high confidence). Near-term actions that limit global warming to close to 1.5°C would substantially reduce projected losses and damages related to climate change in human systems and ecosystems, compared to higher warming levels, but cannot eliminate them all (very high confidence).
Beyond 2040 and depending on the level of global warming, climate change will lead to numerous risks to natural and human systems (high confidence). For 127 identified key risks, assessed mid- and long- term impacts are up to multiple times higher than currently observed (high confidence). The magnitude and rate of climate change and associated risks depend strongly on near-term mitigation and adaptation actions, and projected adverse impacts and related losses and damages escalate with every increment of global warming (very high confidence).
Climate change impacts and risks are becoming increasingly complex and more difficult to manage. Multiple climate hazards will occur simultaneously, and multiple climatic and non-climatic risks will interact, resulting in compounding overall risk and risks cascading across sectors and regions. Some responses to climate change result in new impacts and risks (high confidence).
If global warming transiently exceeds 1.5°C in the coming decades or later (overshoot), then many human and natural systems will face additional severe risks, compared to remaining below 1.5°C (high confidence). Depending on the magnitude and duration of overshoot, some impacts will cause release of additional greenhouse gases (medium confidence) and some will be irreversible, even if global warming is reduced (high confidence).”
The full report may be downloaded from the IPCC website HERE.
