The global economy is consuming more of the world’s natural resources than ever. This year, a report by the UN Environment Program (UNEP) found that natural resource extraction – everything from fossil fuels and timber to water, crops and land – has tripled in the last 50 years and could rise by a further 60% by 2060, derailing efforts to reverse the tide on climate change, waste and pollution.
Among the many initiatives in place to help prevent this from happening, and safeguard our planet’s future, is World Nature Conservation Day. It takes place every year on July 28 to raise awareness about the importance of protecting our natural resources, especially those we extract from lower income countries, which are disproportionately affected by climate change.
“Reducing the resource intensity of mobility, housing, food and energy systems is the only way we can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and ultimately a just and livable planet for all,” said Inger Andersen, executive director of UNEP, in a press statement.
Here, we put the spotlight on five Dassault Systèmes customers that are doing their part to cut down on the amount of natural resources we use and protect the future of our planet:
- Evolectric: making old trucks last longer
California-based Evolectric’s business model is centered on extracting as much value as possible from old diesel trucks by converting them into electric vehicles, and making them cleaner, smarter and more affordable to run in the process. Its CircularEV approach – which involves swapping out a truck’s existing internal combustion engine and parts for an electric powertrain, new cooling system, battery, electronics, and chassis – is managed entirely on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Compared to manufacturing a new EV from the ground up, the entire conversion process is faster, more cost-efficient and better for the environment.
- Metsä Board: a frontrunner in sustainable packaging
Sustainability is part of the DNA of Finland-based paperboard company Metsä Board. All of the wood it uses to make its packaging products comes from sustainably managed forests and the company has taken concerted steps to operate as efficiently as possible with minimal impact on the environment. One of Metsä Board’s latest sustainability measures is to use the simulation features within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to determine how its paperboards perform in various conditions. From these virtual tests, it can strike the optimal balance between strength, size and performance and save both materials and costs. The company estimates that by cutting the paperboard weight by just 1% would save the amount of natural resources needed to produce 4.3 million packages a day for its customers.
- Naarea: turning nuclear waste into clean energy
Intensifying pressure to reverse the tide on climate change leaves society no option when it comes to breaking our reliance on fossil fuels and moving to low-carbon energy production. That’s why NAAREA in France is on a mission to develop a pioneering micro nuclear power plant that will deliver a reliable supply of clean energy to industrial companies and use up radioactive waste. Its fast neutron micro reactor, XAMR® (eXtrasmall Advanced Modular Reactor), uses molten salts as coolant and long-life nuclear waste as fuel to produce heat and electricity without releasing any greenhouse gases. And the company is developing the entire reactor in the virtual world first, using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud’s integrated virtual environment to manage all its design, engineering and manufacturing processes.
Discover how NAAREA is bringing XAMR to market using the power of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
- Pacific Consultants: future proofing infrastructures
In Japan, Pacific Consultants uses its wealth of engineering know-how to deliver infrastructure and protection systems, such as erosion control weirs, that contribute to the sustainable development of society. Before moving to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud, its engineers produced most of their building models from 2D drawings, which was both time consuming and inefficient when making design revisions. Now, they create a 3D virtual twin and work from the same digital model throughout an engineering project.
- PIVETEAUBOIS: making the most of every tree for mass timber
Architects and builders are increasingly turning to timber, specifically engineered wood called mass timber, as a substitute for carbon intensive concrete and steel. One company recognizing this trend is PIVETEAUBOIS, which has evolved its timber business to develop cross-laminated timber (CLT) – a sustainable multi-layered wood panel used for making large-scale walls as strong as concrete. As well as transforming its manufacturing processes, PIVETEAUBOIS has also embraced digital solutions to further optimize its resources, using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud to extract the most value from every cubic meter of raw wood that comes into its factory every day.