Under discussion is the notion that Industry 4.0 may be the way out of climate- change catastrophe as its transformative power to dematerialize and decarbonize the economy is marshalled by industries and governments

By Bruce Armstrong Taylor

SmartNations Foundation and The Climate 4.0 Project have teamed with CleanTech Alliance and the CleanTech Focus Network to host a series of panel conversations on the positive role Industry 4.0 can/will have on decarbonization.

How Digital Transformation will Bend the Curve of the Linear Economy Toward the Circular

The Carbon Zero, Circular Economy, is easily the most profoundly important result of digital transformation. Industry 4.0 has a massively cumulative impact on dematerialization (in all forms) and resultant decarbonization (both emissions and embodied) throughout the economy. Join panelists Bruce Arm…

CleanTech Focus

This is an idea that has been locked away in academia, primarily, with some notable exceptions such as the World Economic Forum.

We understand, generally, how Industry 4.0 tools can attack big eco-sustainability problems with velocity and scale.

Today I read how blockchain is being applied to bring transparency and accountability to trash/waste disposal and recycling efforts. That's a wonderful point solution to a giant problem. But it won't move the needle on slowing atmospheric temperature rise in the time we have remaining. Important. Inconsequential.

And, yet, must be done. This application combines a perfect suite of Digital Transformation technologies:

IoT sensing and monitoring at the cloud edge, check

Data capture and analytics, check!

Blockchain to show ownership "provenance"  for your trash disposal, check!

Capability to warn, automatically charge fees, levy penalties, incent good behavior, maybe...

But, the "Big Idea" is that digital transformation -- if properly governed, incentivized, taxed and regulated -- has the capacity to dematerialize and decarbonize the economy by the value shift and growth from material and product to digital and data. It is possible to have significant new shareable wealth creation and prosperity while simultaneously regenerating the biosphere.

Ok. Now Bring it!