Reaching net zero in CO2 emissions requires moving from fossil fuels to the use of electricity, as well as generate that electricity sustainablyfrom renewable sources such as heat from the Earth's interior, solar radiationhe wind or the water.
The concentration of gases in the atmosphere is like tempered glass. Therefore, the objective of the Paris Agreement is to completely neutralize Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, based on the principle of decarbonization, that is, reduce or eliminate CO2 production from the countries' economyand with it, limit global warming to 1.5 percent by 2050. Sealed in 2015, this commitment has fallen short of its achievements.
“If we don't make that transition and take all economies to net zero, we will have many problems worldwide”said Gavin Towler, Honeywell's sustainability manager, during the company's Sustainability Day last September.
These problems, according to the United Nations, include drought, increase in the incidence of natural disasters, food shortages, disappearance of species, health risks, poverty and displacement; The solution, Towler said, is in “electrify everything you can…. and what is not, change it to a fuel that does not emit GHGs.”
The Data
Honeywell International has two active laboratories
In Illinois, United States, dedicated to energy research and development
Like other developing countries, Mexico has particular challenges to overcome, because “it grows rapidly; faces a crazy pace of urbanization, builds tall buildings to raise its cities and the use of motor vehicles is also constantly increasingwhich generates congestion and becomes a high consumption of fossil fuelsTowler noted.
In this sense, adds the Honeywell executive, electrification would help, so It is urgent to promote the rapid introduction of electric vehicles, especially in public transport, promote the electrification of energy uses in homes and industries; but above all, take advantage of the country's enormous potential to generate energy from renewable sources and the deployment of biological fuels.
Industrial decarbonization
The business sector in Mexico also plays its part, very much in line with the preocontributions and actions of their peers in the rest of the world. According to the Environmental Sustainability Index (created by Yale and Columbia universities), as of September 2023, 16 percent of respondents focused more on sustainability goals than digital transformation initiatives.
Consequently, the report indicates, 86% of corporations said that will increase their investments in sustainability for the next 12 months. In Latin America, 25 percent of organizations plan to boost their investment in energy evolution and efficiency by at least 50 percent in the following year.
Solutions
Innovative electric batteries fluid energy systems,
And blue and green hydrogen are some of the areas in which Honeywell works.
In Mexico this is true especially for large companies, which have announced fixed and measurable goals, and to meet them they are producing energy from solar panels to power their factories. moving towards the use of electric vehicles to transport their supplies and merchandiseand ensuring that suppliers align with their environmental policies and goals.
According to the report, The investments will be directed mainly to four key areas: energy evolution and efficiency, emissions reduction, pollution prevention and circularity/recycling.
Innovation
Reducing CO2 emissions to net zero requires constant pursuit
Of technological solutions that impact areas such as construction, agriculture, aviation
To fulfill those plans now there are technological solutionswhich both companies and governments can implement in order to execute and accelerate the energy transition and decarbonization, and although the companies that produce them make large investments in research and development, they must find a way to make them accessible to everyone, so that everyone works together, regardless of the state of their economy. “Emerging countries can be sustainable if they focus their development from that point,” says Towler.
“It is a challenge for us as a company, because we must make the solutions we offer —fuels, batteries, software— be cheaper; Maybe we ultimately can't make it cheaper, but as we make the technology more efficient and it becomes easier for governments to say okay (according to regulations), we can achieve the goal”explained the Honeywell CSO.
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