The Sustainability Thread

The topic of sustainability was high on the agenda of the SAP Product Lifecycle Management Info Days event held this past September in Hershey, PA, just west of SAP America’s HQ outside of Philadelphia.

Most SAP customer presentations at the annual event referenced the growing need to provide product data to support their company’s sustainability programs and business goals. Likewise, many informal conversations over breaks and meals also touched upon green topics.

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PLM Green Talking About Green PLM

Since our start in earnest in 2020, the PLM Green Global Alliance has participated in discussion panels with solution providers Aras, Autodesk, Dassault Systems, PTC, SAP, and Sustaira.  In these interviews our focus was to learn about their thought leadership, products, and experience implementing Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) to support Sustainability initiatives.

Our last interview earlier this year was with a PLM consultancy representative, Mark Reisig, who is a Sustainability and Green Energy Practice Director & Executive Consultant at CIMdata. You can find that interview here with a recording we encourage you to also watch.

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Discussing Sustainability with PTC

The following post was first written by PLM Green co-founder Jos Voskuil where it  appeared in his European PLM Weblog in December 2022.


We are excited to close the year with the first round of the PLM Global Green Alliance (PGGA) series of interviews and panel discussions about PLM and Sustainability.

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Discussing Sustainability with PLM Solution Provider Dassault Systèmes

The PLM Green Global Alliance recently hosted its third panel discussion to explore how PLM-enabling technologies are supporting the sustainability imperative. These interviews expand upon our earlier article on the Intersection of PLM and Sustainability by examining the progress in sustainability being made by PLM solution providers, their partners and customers.

This time PLM Green co-founders Jos Voskuil and Klaus Brettschneider met virtually with executives from Dassault Systèmes (3DS), considered by many to be the market leader in enterprise PLM. Their discussion was with Florence Verzelen, Executive Vice President of Industry Marketing and Sustainability and Xavier Adam, Senior Manager of Worldwide Sustainability.

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Discussing Sustainability with Autodesk

The PLM Green Global Alliance recently hosted its second panel discussion exploring sustainability topics with PLM-enabling technology and solution software providers. These forums expand upon our recent article on the Intersection of PLM and Sustainability by examining the progress in sustainability being made by solution providers, their partners, and customers.

This time, PLM Green co-founders Jos Voskuil and Klaus Brettschneider spoke with representatives from Autodesk, a well known leader of software solutions for the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Manufacturing industries. Their interview was with Zoé Bezpalko, Autodesk’s Sustainability Strategy Manager for Design & Manufacturing Industries, and Jon den Hartog, Product Manager for Autodesk’s PDM and PLM solutions.

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Discussing Sustainability with PLM Solution Provider SAP

The PLM Green Global Alliance recently hosted its first in a series of panel discussions and interviews that will explore sustainability topics with enterprise PLM solution providers. These forums will extend our recent article on the Intersection of PLM and Sustainability where we next hope to learn about examples of progress in sustainability being made by solution providers, their partners and customers.

Our inaugural interview was with Darren West, Product Manager Lead for SAP’s Circular Economy Solutions, who is based in the United Kingdom. We were excited to speak with SAP after reading their numerous recent announcements about the importance of sustainability and hear how they “walk the talk.”

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The Role of PLM in Tracking Carbon Footprint

In Part 1 of this series of posts from the PLM Green Global Alliance on the Role of PLM in Slowing Climate Change we identified four primary opportunities to employ Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in reducing, mitigating, or adapting to climate change from human-generated Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, most importantly CO2. These four areas for using PLM strategies and solutions are in: developing Green Products, generating Green Energy, reducing Carbon Footprints, and adapting to Climate Change.

In this new Part 2 we will begin to examine one of those in more detail; the use of PLM-enabling technologies to collect, calculate, track, report, and most importantly reduce the carbon footprint of products and processes. This capability then enables a full and accurate accounting for the carbon footprint of individual companies, entire industries, and national economies that supply, produce or consume these products or services. It may very well prove to be the most important contribution of PLM by helping to lower emissions and slow climate change for the benefit of future generations to come.

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PLM and Climate Change

Summary & Goals

The goal of the PLM Green discussion forum and working group on Climate Change, led by Klaus Brettschneider, is to investigate and validate the use of PLM-enabling business strategies and software technologies that can reduce human-generated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We hope to clearly answer the question of what is the role, potential, and value of PLM in addressing the most important challenge facing humankind this century, climate change.

Theme Moderators

Klaus Brettschneider

greenplm.klaus@gmail.com

Richard McFall

rich@plmalliances.com

Focus & Objectives

Product Lifecycle Management strategies and systems allow organizations to manage a product’s lifecycle in all its aspects including structures, components, materials, suppliers, and ingredients. Managing the lifecycle from inception to disposal allows organizations today to optimize manufacturing processes, to document its material or ingrediencies composition and to make sure that products comply with local or international regulations.

We firmly believe that PLM can help organizations to understand and analyze the effect of its product design, methods of production, and supply chain choices on their carbon footprint. Accordingly, we seek to educate, collaborate, and advocate for the role of PLM business strategies, enabling technologies, software solutions, and professionals in addressing climate change due to human-generated greenhouse gas emissions.

This includes how the application of PLM tools, processes, and best practices can help assess, reduce, mitigate, and adapt our industries, communities, and economies to the rapidly-intensifying effects of climate change. As example, candidate topics from which we hope to research and document the use of PLM-enabling technologies include:

  • make products and processes more efficient, sustainable, and green
  • understand the impact on carbon footprint of design and production processes and changes to them
  • providing data and processes for performing Life Cycle Assessment
  • decarbonize entire industries and economies
  • find and develop new sources of renewable green energy
  • store and transmit alternative energy supplies
  • reduce or sequester human-made carbon emissions
  • capture naturally produced greenhouse and methane gasses
  • pioneer and deploy green manufacturing processes
  • design products and their lifecycles to be environmentally friendly
  • simulate and test global geoengineering technologies as solutions
  • recycle, reuse, or repurpose assets, materials, and natural resources
  • minimize or mitigate the damages to infrastructures from global warming
  • monitor a warming planet, changing weather patterns, and impact of climate change
  • enhance the resiliency and sustainability of industries, communities and economies

Agenda & Activities

We will be pursuing the objectives by an agenda composed of a number of elements including discussion groups, virtual roundtables, published articles, interviews, industry surveys, and cooperative events with other organizations. Follow our progress, or better yet join us, with an email to info@plmgreenalliance.com.

Announcements & Updates

International members of the PLM Green Global Alliance (PGGA) met recently to discuss the timely new book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need.” The panel discussion was moderated by PGGA co-founder Jos Voskuil with participants Klaus Brettschneider, Lionel GrealouPatrick HillbergIlan Madjar, and Richard McFall. Listen to the discussion HERE.

Invitation to Participate & Collaborate

To participate in our PLM Green theme sub-group we invite you to first join the PLM Green Global Alliance LinkedIn Group at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12304531/ then contact one of our moderators.

References & Resources

Here we have started creating a curated list of featured white papers, blog posts, presentations, case studies, webinars, and recorded interviews on the role of PLM-enabling technologies in addressing climate change. We invite you to send us examples you have come across in your own work, company, industry, or country to info@plmgreenalliance.com.

Climate Change Chronicles October 2023 - 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… Continue Reading
Climate Change Chronicles July 2023 - 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… Continue Reading
Climate Change Chronicles May 2023 - 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… Continue Reading
Climate Change Chronicles December 2022 - 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… Continue Reading
Climate Change News Digest November 2022 - 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… Continue Reading
Climate Change Chronicles August 2022 - 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… Continue Reading
PLM & Sustainability August 2022 - Experienced Product Lifecycle Management professionals, consultants, and solution providers all know that the biggest obstacle to implementing a PLM strategy is not in technology or software, but in business organizational cultures that resist critical self-examination and change, despite being confronted by inconvenient facts which threaten their performance or even survival.… Continue Reading
Climate Change Chronicles July 2022 - 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… Continue Reading
Climate Change News Digest June 2022 - 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… Continue Reading
Decarbonizing the Atmosphere Opportunities and Cautions - “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… Continue Reading
Climate Change News Digest May 2022 - 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… Continue Reading
Climate Change News Digest April 2022 - The latest Climate Change News Digest for April 2022, prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance LinkedIn Group, summarizes in one place 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:… Continue Reading
Climate Change News Digest March 2022 - 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… Continue Reading
IPCC 6th Report Climate Change 2022 - 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… Continue Reading
Digital Technologies and the Environment from Diplo - A discussion on "Digital Technologies and the Environment: A Synergy for the Future" was held on February 17, 2022 that was promoted by the NGO event organizer Diplo, as: "Digital technologies can amplify efforts to mitigate climate change and, as such, are becoming part of environmental and digital policies on… Continue Reading
Did Engineers Cause the Climate Crisis? - In this provocative article from Digital Engineering "Engineers Caused the Climate Emergency - Only We Can Save the World From It" the author Stephen Ferguson writes: "If we are going to avoid, or even mitigate, the devastating effects of anthropological climate change, then, in the next twenty to thirty years,… Continue Reading
PLM Plays Part Tracking Carbon Footprint in DE - In this Digital Engineering commentary, PLM Green Global Alliance contributor and climate change theme moderator Klaus Brettschneider examines the role of PLM in tracking the carbon footprint of products and processes. Download and read the full article HERE. Continue Reading
Climate Change News Digest January 2022 - The latest Climate Change News Digest for January 2022, prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance, summarizes recent news about the changing climate, including preliminary data from calendar year 2021. While many of the atmospheric climate trends are still negative, it does not diminish the recent progress in… Continue Reading
Speed & Scale Climate Action Plan – Book Discussion - The PLM Green Global Alliance invites current and future followers to participate in a review and discussion of the new book from esteemed venture capitalist John Doerr, “Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now.” Learn more about this very timely book and what others have… Continue Reading
Climate Change News Digest November 2021 - The latest Climate Change News Digest, prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance, summarizes considerable good news from the UN COP26 conference on the growing urgency of world leaders and business leader to move faster to decarbonize the global economy. The  good news question of the month: how… Continue Reading
Climate Change News Digest for October 2021 - The latest Climate Change News Digest prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance summarizes a significant number of news items from October 2021 on the climate crisis and the growing movement to decarbonize the global economy. The good news question of the month: which country announced its intent… Continue Reading
Science Based Targets Initiative - The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) drives ambitious climate action in the private sector by enabling companies to set science-based emissions reduction. Science-based targets provide companies with a clearly-defined path to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals. The PLM Green Global Alliance recommends the SBTi website at… Continue Reading
Dassault Systemes Announces Climate Commitment - Leading PLM solution provider Dassault Systemes has announced its commitment to reducing its own carbon footprint at https://www.3ds.com/sustainability/compass. The company endorses the Science-based Targets initiative and Net Zero Emissions Timeline to help meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and support the global response… Continue Reading
The Role of PLM in Tracking Carbon Footprint - In Part 1 of this series of posts from the PLM Green Global Alliance on the Role of PLM in Slowing Climate Change we identified four primary opportunities to employ Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in reducing, mitigating, or adapting to climate change from human-generated Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, most importantly… Continue Reading
Climate Change News Digest September 2021 - This month’s Climate Change News Digest prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance summarizes the latest news not just about the changing climate but the growing momentum to decarbonize the global economy. Our good news question of the month: how many international companies have now joined The Carbon… Continue Reading
GHGSat Methane Emissions Monitoring - A new generation of orbiting satellites is producing remote sensing data to help visualize and identify sources of Greenhouse Emissions emissions, like those from methane. This example image from a recent BBC article is produced by GHGSat's Pulse interactive mapping solution Methane is a more powerful GHG, compared to carbon… Continue Reading
Climate Change News Digest August 2021 - The month’s Climate Change News Digest prepared for busy followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance summarizes the latest news from the end of summer while many of us were out on vacation. It was not a good month for the planet due to the record heat, droughts, and wildfires… Continue Reading
IPCC 6th Assessment Report - The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) prepares comprehensive Assessment Reports about the state of scientific, technical and socio-economic knowledge on climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for reducing the rate at which climate change is taking place. In the IPCC 6th Assessment on Climate Change, "the… Continue Reading
Climate Change News Digest July 2021 - Climate Change Digest good news question of the month: Along what country's coast is the world's largest tidal energy turbine being installed? Read on to find the answer in the latest Climate Change News Digest prepared for followers of the PLM Green Global Alliance. The previous month of June 2021… Continue Reading
Carbon Capture From Climeworks and Accenture - Climeworks https://climeworks.com/ and Accenture http://www.accenture.com/ are collaborating to use new digital technologies to develop a carbon direct air capture and storage plant in Iceland. The carbon removed from the atmosphere will be sequestered underground where in two years it will turn to stone. This can certainly help as one component… Continue Reading