On Demand — Cognizant CSO at Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero

Taking place on the first day of Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero, Adam Karnama, Chief Sustainability Officer at Cognizant, took to the stage to share his expertise on how sustainability and the energy transition as a whole can be supported by traceable data.

The two-day conference — held at the QEII Centre in London and hosted by sister title Sustainability Magazine —  was the first event in BizClik’s Sustainability LIVE series with a core focus on net zero.

Energy Traceability: Unveiling the Essential Role of Traceability in Sustainability and Energy Transition with Adam Karnama, CSO at Cognizant

Emphasising the need for energy traceability — something highlighted as an often overlooked subject in sustainability discussions — Adam’s address deep dived into the challenges when it comes to identifying the source of energy consumption compared to a physical product. 

“This is sort of a hidden topic within the large perspective of sustainability topics that most of us are covering,” he began.

His appearance at Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero also shone a light on how a societal push for greater transparency and traceability in the area of energy consumption — particularly when it comes to climate change and regulatory reporting requirements — will amplify the benefits traceability brings.

He said later in his speech: “I invite all of you to join us to make energy a truly traceable product.”

During his appearance, he advocated how regulatory reporting requirements regarding energy consumption, particularly when it comes to climate change, are of the utmost importance and act as a key player in reaching sustainability goals.

“The purpose of the energy certificates is only for traceability,” he said. “It indirectly contributes to the reduction of the carbon emissions in energy.”

Strategies for energy traceability

Differentiating between market-based and location-based verification methods for energy consumption sources, Adam talked about energy attribute certificates and how they help verify energy sources, with existing systems such as the Guarantee of Origin in Europe and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) in North America given as case studies.

Here are the strategies for energy traceability mentioned by Adam at Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero:

• Implementing market-based and location-based verification methods
• Developing more granular energy certificates, including hourly basis certificates
• Increasing transparency and trust through blockchain technology and advanced AI systems
• Integrating IoT systems for device-level understanding of energy consumption sources
• Partnering, fundraising and fostering commitment to make energy traceable
• Exploring the use of energy traceability platforms for matching consumption with generation, auditing, token management and integration with IoT devices
• Utilising commonly accepted systems like Guarantee of Origin, RECs and similar mechanisms across different regions to ensure traceability
• Continuously improving existing systems and addressing challenges to reduce carbon emissions, promote renewable energy and combat greenwashing

His strategies cover various aspects of energy traceability, from technical implementation to market acceptance and continuous improvement. While he urges the importance of the energy certificate market globally, Adam does acknowledge the scale of the market, the challenges and the ongoing need for improvement when it comes to energy traceability systems.

This comes as Adam then expressed the need for openness to partnerships and fundraising when it comes to advancing energy traceability initiatives.

He concludes his keynote by inviting the audience to participate in making energy a truly traceable product.

OUT NOW!

In honour of International Women’s Day, Sustainability Magazine kickstarted the launch of BizClik’s annual Top 100 Women supplement for 2024 on March 8. 

Featuring influential executives from the likes of Google, Amazon, EY, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Unilever, General Motors, Intel, HSBC, Kearney and Mastercard. 

To discover who featured in this year's Top 100 Women in Sustainability, click here.  

More to come in 2024…

Sustainability Magazine will be hosting a further five events in 2024, both virtual and in-person. Don’t miss out on your chance to hear from leading industry experts at:

• Sustainability LIVE Singapore
• Sustainability LIVE Dubai
• Sustainability LIVE New York
• Sustainability LIVE London
• The Global Sustainability & ESG Awards

To find out more about these events and awards, click here.

Essential diary dates – 2025

• Net Zero & Scope 3 LIVE 2025 | QEII Centre, London | 5-6 March 2025
• Sustainability Singapore Virtual Conference | 19 March 2025
• Sustainability Dubai Virtual Conference | 23 May 2025
• Sustainability LIVE Chicago and Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Chicago | 4-5 June
• Sustainability LIVE & Sustainability Awards 2025 | BDC, London | 9-10 September 2025
• NEW | ClimateTech Magazine

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Make sure you check out the latest edition of Energy Digital Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Sustainability LIVE 2024.

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