# Sustainable Development with IoT - Challenges and Solutions Source: https://ordergroup.co/blog/iot-sustainability-monitoring/ Last updated: 2022-03-17 > IoT makes work and business processes more productive and plays an important role in sustainable development and environmental protection. ![Sustainable Development with IoT - Challenges and Solutions](https://ordergroup.co/media/images/Want_to_Reach_the_Sustainable_De_PgLMkPF.width-2850.format-webp.webp) Sustainable Development with IoT - Challenges and Solutions [Maciej Sułek](https://ordergroup.co/authors/maciej-sulek/), Co-founder & CTO | March 17, 2022 | 7 min read Table of Contents The brief SDGs for Business IoT & Sustainability IoT - Case Studies Summary The brief IoT can make workplace life and business processes much more productive and efficient, and, most importantly, it plays an essential role in sustainable development and environmental protection. The Internet of Things (IoT) is widely used across industries to streamline internal processes, access real-time data, and reduce costs. It was only a matter of time before IoT technology found its way into the sustainability sector, helping businesses and the environment at the same time.This article shows how companies are stepping up their efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and what role IoT systems play in these processes. SDGs for Business In September 2015, at the United Nations General Assembly, 193 countries agreed to work towards 17 common goals to be achieved by 2030. **Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guide the world in response to global challenges.**SDGs focus on sustainable development in social, environmental, and economic terms. They are aimed at all of us, both individuals and companies. Businesses and the private sector must work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals listed below.![The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals icons](https://ordergroup.co/media/images/goals_yisCSmH.width-800.format-webp.webp)Source: [Read more about Sustainable Development Goals](https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2023/)Why are sustainable development goals relevant for businesses?SDGs help companies create a business strategy that meets the requirements of modern society. They identify areas of innovation and lead to the **recognition of upcoming opportunities** resulting from changes in the behavior of consumers, who often choose sustainable solutions.Companies implementing the Sustainable Development Goals attract not only customers but also new, talented employees. More and more people consider the company's social responsibility when choosing a workplace.Implementing the SDGs improves a company's reputation and creates more opportunities for synergies and partnerships with other organizations that share similar goals.Among the most significant Sustainable Development Goals for organizations are numbers 9 and 12 because they have the greatest impact on the company's development. Let's take a closer look at them.**Goal 9**: **Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure**. This SDG focuses on building resilient infrastructure and investing in sustainable industrialization and innovation.**Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.** In this case, the goal is to work towards ensuring sustainable management over production patterns and sustainable consumption.Challenges When Companies Are Committed to Sustainable DevelopmentToday, a major challenge for entrepreneurs and business managers is **introducing sustainable practices into the core functions of an organization**. So far, companies have focused mainly on the ecological and economic aspects of sustainable development, and the social aspect has often been overlooked. But that is slowly changing.Today, more and more companies face the challenge of taking into account sustainable social development, choosing values such as equality, organizational culture, poverty, commitment, and education.Another significant challenge facing companies striving for sustainability is the **circular economy**. It means that waste should become a resource input that reduces the depletion of primary resources and decreases the pollution generated. Adopting a circular economy requires the implementation of advanced, innovative technologies and the establishment of cooperation between different sectors.Another challenge is the lack of political signals in the government's actions. The role of the government is to create a framework that encourages companies to make efforts to achieve sustainable development. It is the only way to see system-wide change supporting SDGs. So far, global political uncertainty is slowing down corporate sustainability efforts. IoT & Sustainability The [**Internet of Things (IoT)**](https://ordergroup.co/iot-software-development/) is a system of electronic devices that can automatically communicate and exchange data on a network without human intervention. Companies mainly use it to collect data, monitor and analyze supply chain management and improve processes.*Companies were expected to invest a total of up to $15 trillion in IoT by 2025* - according to Gigabit.How can IoT help in sustainable development?The Internet of Things is based on data generated and transmitted in interactions between machines and people. The data collected by sensors gives users information that can help **identify areas for improvement**.Thanks to this data, individuals and companies can transform processes and strive for sustainable development.**How can the Internet of Things strengthen global development efforts?**IoT provides the massive amount of data needed for deep analysis, pattern recognition and reliable predictions. Companies use the insights to optimize processes, plan more efficiently, and transform systems and supply chains.Companies now optimize processes to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by **reducing product and energy waste**. IoT - Case Studies Below you will find some of the most interesting case studies of IoT solutions that support companies' sustainable development.KYOTO: Industrial Solar Energy System (CSP) for Heat and Power Generation (CHP) with Thermal Energy Storage (TES)[**KYOTO**](https://ordergroup.co/case-studies/kyoto-digital-twin-software/) is a Norwegian startup focused on renewable energy sources. Its mission is to capture and manage large amounts of energy from various renewable sources such as solar and wind energy. The company's goal is to use it to **reduce CO2 emissions** from industrial thermal loads.Our team at Order Group used advanced technologies such as AWS, C++, NVIDIA Jetson, Terragrunt, React, and many more to build an MVP first to test the idea and find investors.Our software supported the prototype Kyoto presented to investors.Then, we built software for Kyoto's small and efficient power plants based on CSP technology. Its main functionalities include:A secure cloud infrastructure that uses IoT to connect and maintain all systems in a concentrated solar power plant.A surveillance system that notifies the team of potential hazards on the plant site with an image recognition solution.A battery management system that controls valves, pumps, and the flow of hot liquids in a molten salt accumulator.The company's advanced platform, which selects the best possible location for solar power plants and provides cost-effective solutions based on collected data to improve overall performance.![Kyoto Group platform screens with thermal camera view, site photo and system diagram](https://ordergroup.co/media/images/kyoto_zGGrVu1_FedxbYu.width-800.format-webp.webp)Wexus: IoT software that helps the global food supply chain[**Wexus Technologies**](https://wexusapp.com/) is a San Francisco-based company that focuses on empowering farmers with the Internet of Things.Their IoT software supports food supply chains by providing users with data on many things, such as maintaining irrigation pumps and processing solar kits.How is it possible?The company streams data from equipment installed in the pump, which controls energy consumption, and provides insight into the information collected. Based on this, companies can significantly **reduce their energy and maintenance expenses**.Blue Pillar: IoT power and energy management services[**Blue Pillar**](https://www.bluepillar.com/) is a company based in Indiana that offers IoT power and energy management services.Their mission is to give companies insight into their energy needs so they can **increase the efficiency of their operations** and prepare for a potential grid failure. Companies from various industries, including the military, healthcare, research labs, and governments, can benefit significantly from IoT power and energy management services.It is an excellent step towards sustainable development.HydroPoint: intelligent IoT architecture for sustainable water management[**HydroPoint**](https://www.hydropoint.com/) uses IoT solutions to provide **innovative water management** that can be used for irrigation applications. For this to work, sensor data analytics are necessary.The company developed several products, including:WeatherTRAK - a cloud-based irrigation controller that provides data in real time.HydroPoint 360° - a Smart Water Management system that can be used across different industries.Both solutions support the sustainable development of organizations and help them achieve their SDGs. Summary While more and more companies are investing in the Internet of Things to accelerate their efforts to meet the SDGs, **there is still much work to be done**.*"Across a universe of 8,550 companies in the MSCI All Country World Index, constituents were measured from strongly aligned to strongly misaligned to the UN SDGs.**Companies fell mostly in the middle-roughly 38% were aligned, while almost 55% were misaligned or neutral. Meanwhile, just 0.2% of companies were strongly aligned to the UN SDGs." -* According to [World Economic Forum](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/how-aligned-are-un-companies-with-their-sustainable-development-goals/)The table below shows how strongly the 8,550 companies in the MSCI All Country World Index are aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).![Table of how 8,550 companies in the MSCI ACWI index align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals](https://ordergroup.co/media/images/table_7NLRnSn.width-800.format-webp.webp)As you can see, there is still room for improvement.**Real change is only possible through the joint effort of companies all over the world.**Hopefully, more and more organizations will transform their processes and focus on sustainable development, following the example of the companies mentioned in this article.If you are looking for IoT solutions that support the SDGs, we can help. At Order Group, we have experience providing companies with advanced solutions that support their development, reduce unnecessary costs and help with sustainable development. Let's talk about a unique, technologically advanced solution for your company [Estimate your project!](https://ordergroup.co/estimate-project/) Explore this topic further Domain hub [IoT & Device Software Development Services](https://ordergroup.co/iot-software-development/) Service [Custom Software Development](https://ordergroup.co/services/software-development/custom-software-development/) More articles about Industrial IoT [Industrial IoT | September 3, 2022 | 6 min read Best Design Practices for Industrial IoT Dashboards](https://ordergroup.co/blog/industrial-iot-dashboard-design/) [Industrial IoT | February 22, 2022 | 4 min read 6 Fascinating Industrial IoT Projects](https://ordergroup.co/blog/industrial-iot-examples/) [Industrial IoT | April 5, 2024 | 5 min read Get More Out of Cognite Data Fusion](https://ordergroup.co/blog/cognite-data-fusion-guide/) [All articles about Industrial IoT](https://ordergroup.co/blog/iot/)