Creating a sustainable future requires a paradigm shift in thinking. Instead of focusing on footprint – the social and environmental impact of operations – is it now time to start focusing on handprint? This is a focus on how we have a net positive impact beyond organisational boundaries, and how we look at the interdependencies of sustainable action.
- Focusing solely on reducing footprints may still lead organisations and individuals to have a negative impact.
- Handprints, instead, can amplify the contribution to global sustainability goals.
- Digital twin solutions and sustainable development go hand in hand because they orchestrate disruptive technologies.
SG Voice spoke to Rodrigo Fernandes, director, ES(D)G, at Bentley Systems (NASDAQ:BSY), about the difference between footprint and handprint and how digital twins can accelerate global sustainability goals.
What’s the difference between footprint and handprint?
This all starts with an existential question: how is our presence affecting the world?
We are conscious that almost any day-to-day activity generates environmental impacts that can harm the planet – this is what we call environmental footprint. We can think about typical footprint categories such as greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, or water consumption. Simple activities like commuting to work or cooking our own food – all of these have negative impacts. It goes without saying, footprint is very important.
As a software development company, Bentley’s footprint is relatively low when compared to many other sectors that may be more resource intensive in terms of physical infrastructure and materials.
However, if footprints are all we focus on, we might spend our lives just trying to reduce our footprint to zero and still have a negative impact. We need to do more.
As we strive to shrink our own footprints, what if we can also collaborate on specific projects, products or solutions to help others reduce their footprint, restore natural resources, or increase resilience to extreme weather events? These positive actions are what we call handprints. A handprint amplifies the benefits we bring to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Why is handprint important?
Suppose our handprint is larger than our footprint for a given impact category. In that case, we can say we are driving net positive change for that category. This means our presence in the world will do more good than harm. In this scenario, we give more than we take, being a net contributor.
A handprint-based approach to sustainability delivers a very powerful message, and it can help individuals and businesses like Bentley align with a purpose. Bentley’s handprint, for example, derived from our users’ projects, applying our software is significantly larger than our footprint – or the impact from our operations.
We already know that infrastructure is linked to significant footprints, producing more than 70% of all global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, for example. At Bentley, we want to help infrastructure professionals lead the transition to a world where more sustainable and resilient infrastructure becomes a reality.
Thus, while we are actively finding ways to reduce the company’s footprint, we are also conscious that our most significant societal contribution is exactly the handprint – empowering SDGs through infrastructure digital twin solutions, supporting users to realize more sustainable, predictable, and resilient outcomes. And that’s precisely why we say empowering SDGs is one of our most strategic priorities for the next decade.
What is the connection between infrastructure digital twins and sustainability?
At Bentley, we advocate that digital twin solutions are crucial for accelerating SDGs and driving climate action. We believe that disruptive technologies and innovation will allow us to decarbonize and adapt to climate change in the long term.
With infrastructure digital twins, we also can achieve quick wins right now by prioritizing sustainability levers such as circularity, efficiency, and by diversifying renewables. We advocate that infrastructure digital twins are one of the most effective approaches to holistically implement those sustainability levers.
Infrastructure digital twins can successfully advance on those sustainability principles by orchestrating available technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, numerical models, web services, cloud computing, and immersive visualization. All of them can be combined toward a dramatic increase in performance at all levels.
So, that’s why we say that infrastructure digital twin solutions and sustainable development go hand in hand.
Can you give us a few examples of how users achieve their sustainable goals by using digital twins?
You know, the most fascinating part of my job is the fantastic diversity of success stories we can find from our users and partners. But the hardest part is when I’m asked to select just two or three stories!
I can give three examples aligned with some of our ES(D)G priorities.
In terms of energy transition, there’s a company called Silo AI.
Silo AI developed a digital twin for Helsinki’s district heating system, using our digital twin platform to facilitate data integration and provide a holistic visualization of the entire pipeline network. The solution is helping owner-operators prioritize maintenance activities where leaks are likely to occur. At the same time, their AI-driven cooling performance analysis allows the network to lower its heating network temperature by 3°C, while supplying a consistent heat level to residents. This significantly improves the energy efficiency of the system and reduces fuel consumption.
Another story I will highlight is linked to mobility and electrification and a company called AFRY.
Electrified and autonomous vehicles are the future of transportation, but the technology is still developing.
AFRY was selected by a commercial vehicle manufacturer to design a new test track, to test and drive electric and autonomous trucks. AFRY used 3D modelling to efficiently design the project, minimizing mass handling and usage of excavated material to lessen the surface impact on the environment. As a result, AFRY reduced the environmental footprint of the test track and provided long-term assistance with the development of vital vehicle technology.
The third example I will highlight is water scarcity in Africa, and Ruden AS.
Ruden AS is recycling and repurposing technology, data, and competence from the oil and gas industry to detect fresh groundwater in areas where water is scarce.
More than 40 years ago, geological data such as seismic profiles were collected in an effort to find oil along the coast of Tanzania. They didn’t find any oil then. But 40 years later, Ruden AS used that same data to build a conceptual geological model for Tanzania to locate freshwater aquifers. The project was a success, resulting in the discovery of a sustainable water source that now provides 2 million people with fresh water.
Now, Ruden AS is completing the mapping of the whole country of Somalia in a similar way, with the help of Seequent technology, where they have identified 400 cubic kilometers of fresh groundwater that can be used for human consumption or agriculture.
