SAP is committed to a world of zero waste and it’s leading by example. SAP recently launched the concept of the plastics Cloud as a way to promote a more circular economy, and is creating solutions to assist their customers in taking smarter and more informed business decisions, whilst having a positive impact on environmental sustainability.
Efficiency equals sustainability
Reviewing the supply chain management process and inventory control are key when transforming a company into an environmental-friendly business. Through historical data analysis and the understanding of inventory flow and purchasing patterns, businesses can improve forecasting, reducing the risk of wasting resources, raw materials or unwanted and unused products – which usually end up in a landfill adding up to the tons of waste produced worldwide. But improving efficiency in other areas can also help companies to become more sustainable as efficient systems and processes tend to free resources not previously available, typically increasing the company’s overall performance.
Singapore, the greenest city in Asia is dedicated to environmentalism and has many eco-friendly initiatives. It is called the “Garden City” due to its beautiful parks and gardens which wouldn’t be as green if it wasn’t managed efficiently. To achieve that, the city works closely with SH Integration Services, a local facilities management company that uses technology powered by SAP Hybris Cloud, and who is responsible for maintaining the green areas and attending to emergency maintenance calls. By using data analysis and real-time information, the city saves around $11,000 USD a month. In Australia and New Zealand, Veolia has implemented SAP to standardize finance processes for their 123 water and waste treatment plants and their more than 120 waste management sites. The implementation of S/4HANA solutions across the board has helped Veolia to introduce discipline and transparency to critical business data but has also consolidate efficient procurement processes for all plants that allow Veolia to manage materials and vendors more effectively and in a more transparent way.
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Protecting endangered species
SAP applications are versatile and limitless. In Ecuador, the SAP Cloud is used to protect the Chocó Rainforest, home to 500 bird species that don’t exist anywhere else in the world. The birds, as well as endangered species like the brown-headed spider monkey and subspecies of jaguar are monitored by the Rainforest Connection Guardian spyware (RFCx). The equipment is installed in the tree tops to record and monitor sounds in the tropical forest allowing conservationists to identify sounds of chainsaws, logging trucks and animal species. With the use of the SAP Cloud Platform, the information is streamed, analysed and translated into pinpoints. The system is able to identify animal sounds and can predict deforestation before it happens, sending real-time alerts to rangers and allowing them to catch illegal loggers on the spot.
In South Africa, the charity organization Elephants, Rhinos and People, also uses SAP technology to protect animal species from poachers. They track the movements of elephants and rhino herds with GPS and drones and store the information on the SAP HANA Cloud to get insights that help them plan how to protect these species better and send rangers to the herd’s location to assist in case of danger.
Protecting maritime life
There is a growing trend in governments and private initiatives to reduce plastic waste around the world, with over 127 countries implementing regulations on the use of plastic bags and promoting recycling. The Clean Seas campaign, launched in 2017 by the United Nations Environmental Programme aims to engage governments, enterprises and individuals in reducing plastic waste to protect maritime life. Fifty-seven countries around the world have joined the initiative, including the government and a number of private businesses in Spain. They are currently the country with the highest straw waste in the world with around 13 million straws used each day.
Meliá hotels, a leading Spanish hotel chain, is one of the corporations undergoing a major transformation toward becoming environmentally friendly. Meliá is committed to the Paris Climate Agreement and aims to eliminate single-use plastic in all its hotels by the end of 2019. The chain alone is using 22 million plastic bottles annually but has now an environmental strategy that includes monitoring water and energy consumption. Meliá supports its strategy by controlling their purchases on the SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, removing all plastic from the catalogue and buying only from vendors with alternative products. As part of their strategy, they also train their staff on how to politely ask guests to reconsider the request for straws or other plastic items in favour of the environment. Meliá’s commitment and dedication have led them to win awards like Best Company in Digital Transformation and Best Luxury Leisure Hotel Group in the World.
Healthier food for the world population
The Waterwatch Cooperative is an organisation in the Netherlands with the mission of making essential information about weather, water and crop conditions accessible and affordable to farmers, producers, and anyone involved in the agriculture industry. The Waterwatch Cooperative has worked together with SAP to develop the Crop Disease Alert app, which gathers and analyses weather and crop data through satellites to predict water shortages and crop diseases. The app alerts farmers if a field is in potential danger, allowing them to react quickly and save their crops. It has been reported that since launching the app, users have reported 25% less water consumption for wineries in Africa, a 40% reduction of crop disease and a 15% reduction on pesticides applied.
The app has been built for smartphones and is available at a cost of only $1 USD per year, making it accessible to the more than 500 million smallholder farmers worldwide, who cannot necessarily invest or access expensive technology.