Utilizing AI to calculate carbon emissions and boost fan interaction at the Olympic Esports Week
Today’s buzz is about Alibaba Cloud, the digital tech and intelligence hub of Alibaba Group. 🚀 They unveiled that their AI-backed sustainability solution, Energy Expert, had a trial run measuring and examining carbon emissions from temporary construction for the Olympic Esports Week. 🛠️🕹️ This endeavor produced valuable insights about the material and equipment choices. The tool’s deployment was facilitated through Alibaba Cloud’s collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 🤝
A Deeper Dive: How Energy Expert Works 🤖
To analyze the event’s temporary construction’s carbon footprint, Alibaba Cloud rolled out its established carbon calculation tool, Energy Expert. It evaluated several metrics, such as the effects of energy use, waste management, and signage and decoration. 📊 This software-as-a-service solution was employed by the Local Organizing Committee to contrast the relative impacts of various types of materials and equipment.
Equipped with the latest tech-driven sustainability solution, Energy Expert aids event organizers in pinpointing the carbon emission sources from venue construction and operation. It quantifies the carbon footprint of a venue and provides a visualization of a venue’s sustainability performance via an integrated dashboard and online reports. 📈🌳
As per the Energy Expert’s findings, the carbon footprint of temporary construction for the Olympic Esports Week 2023 was projected to be 274 tons CO2e. However, a 60% shift from printed signage to digital alternatives led to 14 tons CO2e of CO2 emissions reduction. 📉 Moreover, reusing 50% of carpets post-event will further decrease emissions by 10 tons CO2e. 🌎
Vincent Pereira, Head of Virtual Sport of IOC Sports Department, expressed, “We are always seeking ways to minimize our environmental impact, and we’re delighted to collaborate with Alibaba Cloud to employ advanced technologies in measuring carbon emissions. Our commitment to making a difference continues.”
Selina Yuan, President of International Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, added, “Our role in the IOC’s digital transformation of the Olympics since Tokyo 2020 has been an honor. As the sports industry evolves, we remain passionate about delivering timely data, actionable insights, and energy-saving recommendations that have a significant and tangible impact.”
The Bigger Picture: IOC, Alibaba, and the Esports Industry 🌍🎮
The inaugural Olympic Esports Week signified a significant step in the IOC and Alibaba’s digital transformation partnership, following the successful development of sports innovations for Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022. It was Alibaba’s first major international project tackling carbon emissions in the esports industry.
The esports industry’s environmental impact is escalating as the sport gains more popularity. It’s estimated that a single esports team could generate up to 100 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2022. With approximately 40% of the world’s population (three billion people) now playing video games, the industry’s carbon footprint cannot be ignored. 🎮🌍
In addition to temporary construction’s carbon measurement, Alibaba Cloud’s web application for Olympic Esports Week encouraged public awareness of reducing carbon footprints. The app invited users to take photos of their everyday items (like keyboards and headsets) to help comprehend the carbon footprint of each item. Furthermore, users were urged to take carbon reduction actions in their daily lives, such as recycling e-waste. Participants could earn points on the app, culminating in a Sustainability Champion badge. 📸🏆
Inside the Olympic Esports Week 🎉🕹️
Hosted at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, the Olympic Esports Week showcased the best of virtual sports, including esports competitions, exhibition matches, and the latest innovations. 🏟️🎮 The festival concluded with the Olympic Esports Series finals, where the world’s top Olympic Esports athletes competed in ten disciplines for a gold medal. 🥇🌎
The Way Forward with Alibaba Cloud ☁️🌱
Alibaba Cloud, a leading global cloud infrastructure provider, is on a mission to aid organizations in cutting down carbon emissions with innovative technologies like intelligent computing and AI. Championing this cause, Alibaba Cloud aims for Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon neutrality and has committed to power its cloud computing with 100% clean energy by 2030. 💻🌳
