Imagine running a manufacturing plant and knowing that every decision, every task scheduled has the potential to make a positive impact on climate change. Industries, responsible for 23% of the U.S.’s greenhouse gas emissions (EPA, 2022), are at a critical juncture. While renewable energy offers hope, its unpredictable availability often forces reliance on fossil fuels, leaving vast opportunities for emission reduction untapped.

Let’s break it down. A typical plant consuming 500 MWh of energy daily operates with a mix of renewables and fossil fuels. On high renewable days (60% renewable, 40% fossil), emissions average 204 tons of CO₂. On low renewable days (20% renewable, 80% fossil), they spike to 408 tons. Randomly scheduling tasks results in an average saving of 306 tons of CO₂ emissions daily.

By 2050, climate change is projected to cause an additional 14.5 million deaths and $12.5 trillion in economic losses worldwide (World Economic Forum, 2024). If we continue business as usual, these estimates are only likely to worsen, leading to more frequent and severe natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, droughts and floods. To mitigate these catastrophic outcomes, accurate and transparent carbon emissions reporting is crucial. Unfortunately, carbon emissions reporting has lost its credibility due to a pervasive global failure to ensure transparency.