Alibaba Cloud, a trailblazer in digital technology, stepped up to the plate during Olympic Esports Week to measure carbon emissions, as well as spearheading public participation in sustainability efforts. 🍃
The company deployed its AI-enabled sustainability platform, Energy Expert, to assess and track the carbon emissions resulting from the event’s temporary facilities, including energy consumption, waste management, and decorative components. 🏢💡
Carbon Footprint Breakdown 📊
Here’s a snapshot of the event’s carbon footprint:
- Temporary Construction: About 274 tons of CO2e
- Signage: Switching 60% of printed signage to digital alternatives led to a reduction of 14 tons of CO2 emissions
- Carpets: Reusing 50% of carpets after the event cut emissions by 10 tons
Pushing for Digital Transformation in Sports 🔄💻
Esports Insider estimates that a single esports team could generate up to 100 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually due to flights, facility maintenance, and other travel. This fact underlines the urgent need for digital transformation within the industry.
Alibaba Cloud has teamed up with the IOC to renovate the Olympic digital infrastructure to back the digital makeover of the Olympic Games and bolster its sustainability initiatives. For instance, during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Alibaba Cloud worked closely with the Olympic Broadcasting Services to shift the backend of broadcasting to the cloud, achieving a 25% size reduction of the international broadcast center compared to Rio 2016 and cutting the number of on-site staff by 27%.
Empowering Engagement and Championing Sustainability ⚡️💚
The four-day Olympic Esports Week was a thrilling spectacle featuring top players from around the globe competing in ten virtual and simulated sports competitions. This event also spotlighted the newest trends in e-sports and ran a variety of exhibition matches to foster engagement within the e-sports community.
Alibaba Cloud is leveraging its technology to encourage public involvement in cutting carbon emissions. As part of the Olympic Esports Week, it launched a web app that enables users to photograph everyday items like keyboards and headsets, revealing their carbon footprint. 🎧💻
The web app also provides suggestions for consumers to reduce their carbon footprint, such as prolonging the lifespan of digital equipment or purchasing second-hand gear. Users can make a sustainability pledge within the app to earn points, which can be exchanged for a Sustainability Champion badge. 🏆💚
“As the sports industry continues to evolve, we’re passionate about providing organizations with timely data, actionable insights, and energy-saving recommendations that make positive and tangible impacts,” — Selina Yuan, President of International Business at Alibaba Cloud.
Let’s take our first steps towards a sustainable future in the sports industry. Join us today!
