Sustainable IoT
July 2024 – The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical devices equipped with sensors, software, and network connectivity, allowing them to collect and share data. An IoT architecture is a framework that defines how IoT devices, applications, and networks interact with each other to provide desired outcomes for a specific IoT project. The IoT architecture consists of four layers: the physical layer, the network layer, the middleware layer, and the application layer. The IoT architecture process consists of four stages: data recording, data acquisition, data processing, and data storage. Sustainable IoT refers to strategies to reduce the carbon footprint and energy consumption associated with IoT operations and the use of IoT systems to enhance sustainable business operations. Sustainable IoT technologies include Low-Power Wireless Sensor Networks (LPWSNs) such as LoRaWAN, Sigfox, and NB-IoT communications protocols. Sustainable IoT applications include renewable energy management, air quality monitoring, forest fire prevention, and water conservation. There are many benefits to utilizing IoT for sustainability, including cost savings, new employment opportunities, economic growth, reduced environmental impacts, and climate change mitigation. However, there are challenges facing sustainability in IoT utilization, such as the electronic waste (e-waste) generated from IoT devices, a lack of policies, and a lack of environmental awareness. To address these challenges, companies and manufacturers should design long-lasting and easily recyclable IoT devices and hardware to reduce e-waste, cooperate with legislators to develop policies encouraging sustainable IoT operations, and raise consumer awareness through programs and educational campaigns. Sustainable IoT implementation steps include defining goals and objectives, doing a thorough assessment of current capabilities and resources, selecting suitable technologies, planning integration phases, and monitoring IoT solutions. Policy wise, in 2021, the World Economic Forum’s IoT for Sustainable Development project was launched to accelerate progress on the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) by supporting the design of commercially viable IoT deployments to maximize their social and environmental value potential worldwide.
In this slideshow, you will learn about the definition, technologies, applications, benefits, challenges, implementation steps, UN policy, and global statistics of Sustainable IoT.