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Appens Commitment for a Better Environment

Appens Commitment for a Better Environment

Appens Commitment to a Better Environment

It may seem odd for the global leader for Data for AI Lifecycle to step aside from our usual AI insights, Data for AI Lifecycle content, and recognize an organic moment like Earth Day. Is data really having an impact on our planet?

The short answer to this question is “Yes”, but we as corporations with global footprints have an obligation to respect and sustain the planet that we share. Appen has taken critical steps to reach this goal and is committed to net zero emissions by 2030.

A shift in the Significance and Significance of Earth Day

Created April 22nd1970 marks the beginning of the modern environmental movement. The US established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after the first Earth Day.

Earth Day was originally created to celebrate our planet and all that it has to offer. In recent years, there’s been a shift to raise awareness about changes in our global climate and what can be done to address this.

The creation of numerous acts during the next years was also possible thanks to the first Earth Day.

  • Clean Air Act
  • The Clean Water Act
  • The Endangered Species Act
  • National Environmental Education Act
  • The Toxic Substances Control Act
  • Occupational Safety and Health Act

It wasn’t until 1990 when a worldwide campaign reached 200 million people across 141 countries. This campaign was a huge success and led to a worldwide increase of recycling efforts.

More than 5,000 environmental groups had been established in 184 countries by the beginning of the new millennium. Earth Day is still strong today, with more than a billion people participating each year. Modern technology is now joining the fight for a better world.

The Role Of AI in the Fight Against Climate Change

Data plays an important part in the future development of our planet. Machine learning is used to predict weather conditions and determine when natural disasters will occur. These AI models are being trained using historical weather data. The expected outcome is a reliable prediction about when the next storm will strike and the potential impact it could have on the area.

Concerns have been raised about the energy required to train the AI model and whether it could increase GHG emissions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) currently states that Only 1% contain all the global data center energy that is required. Hardware efficiency will continue to improve to ensure that this is true. This will ensure that a rise in service demand won’t lead to an increase in power output. PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted a study that shows by 2030, GHG emission can decrease globally by 4%.

Additional ways AI could help combat climate change

  • Create more energy-efficient buildings
  • Increase renewable energy production by only sending electricity to the item you specify when it is needed
  • Predicting wildfires and how to reduce response times. Also, providing recommendations to minimize damage.
  • Simulations of weather events and climate change in regional regions that have an impact on city planning and mitigation strategies

The best way to achieve all of the above is by training AI models that can adjust the temperature and turn on the lights. Smart sensors detect when people enter and leave rooms. These sensors can detect temperature changes and adjust the heat or air conditioning as necessary when the room is occupied. We’ve worked on both hardware and device testing projects. It’s one of the eight data types we work in, and we look forward working with companies to help create more energy-efficient devices.

How Appen can help us reduce our environmental impact

Appens’ goal as an organization is to achieve net zero emissions by 2030. We also aim to be certified by Climate Active. Recently, we completed our first Greenhouse Gases emissions inventory for Scope 1 & 2. We plan to concentrate on Scope 3 emissions this year. This information will help us reach our goal.

Types of GHG Scopes

  • Scope 1 – emissions include all fuel consumption at a facility to produce electricity, steam, heat, or power.
  • Scope 2 – emissions includes indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat, or steam.
  • Scope 3 – emissions include all thats excluded from Scope 1 and Scope 2 such as purchased goods and services, business travel, and other investments and assets.

Our footprint is small. You can see that our combined Scope 1 footprint and Scope 2 footprint are 1,278tCO.2e for 2021. This includes all offices around the world (excluding those located for less than six months or those that have been operational for less time).

We are aiming to further reduce our carbon footprint by reducing our impact across all Appen facilities, offices, travel, and data center usage

  • Letting energy efficient buildings and adopting efficient practices are two of the best ways to save energy.
  • Reduce our electricity consumption, and increase our use renewable energy.
  • Optimizing our data centers and working with a cloud vendor that uses 100% renewable energy.
  • Reducing waste production and water usage and increasing recycling.
  • Evaluation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Digital conferencing and collaboration tools can reduce travel costs.
  • Carbon offsets can be purchased for unavoidable travel.
  • Partnering with suppliers and partners to develop sustainable procurement solutions

For more information about our plans to reduce our environmental footprint, please refer to our 2021 Annual Report starting at page 30.

Our Future Plans

Scope 3 GHG categories will be added to our inventory process over the next year. We are also planning to create a partnership program. This program is designed to assist suppliers in reducing their carbon emissions and education. We also plan to increase our use of renewable energy over the next year.

Our longer-term goal is to become Climate Active certified. This is in line with our goal to reach net zero emissions by 2030. Climate Active certification is only possible if a business reaches net zero emissions.

How you can reduce your environmental impact at home

Earth Day was established in 1970 as a celebration of the earth and an opportunity for education on how to help the environment. Businesses play a major role in making more environmentally-friendly choices. However, everyone can help. Some items are as simple as turning off the lights when you leave the room. Others require more effort, such as planting trees.

Here are some tips to help the environment

  • Recycle, and make sure to check your local recycling guidelines.
  • Use reusable bags to shop
  • Use a reusable water container
  • To find gently used items, check your local thrift shop and online sites such as eBay or Craigslist
  • Donate items that you no longer need
  • When you are done using a light, turn it off and unplug any items that are not required. You can also use a power strip.
  • Switch to LED lights
  • You can compost food scraps and even use it as fertilizer
  • Plant trees by yourself or volunteering

This year’s theme is Investing in Our Planet. The following list is a great starting point. Appen offers an employee match program to match contributions made to earthday.org in line with this theme. Visit the website to learn more about Earth Day. official website.

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