LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – Global sustainability consulting firm Quantis has recently launched two digital tools that make environmental metrics accessible to non-sustainability experts and accelerate companies’ progress toward their sustainability targets.
geoFootprint and eQopack scale and streamline the business processes companies rely on to reduce their footprints and act on their environmental commitments. With geoFootprint, crop-based companies can instantly map and calculate their agricultural impacts with location-specific data from satellite imagery. eQopack helps packaging engineers assess the environmental footprints of pack options for more sustainable design choices.
geoFootprint, accelerating sustainable agriculture
Agriculture is a significant contributor to climate change, responsible for more than 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. For companies making crop sourcing decisions, geoFootprint closes the gap between the action needed to make agriculture more sustainable and the knowledge required to pursue it.
Drawing on the best sources of publicly available data, it is the first tool to use satellite imagery to visualize the environmental impact of crops on an interactive world map for smarter, science-driven decision-making. Users can quickly and easily measure the geography-specific footprint of 15 key commodity crops and run simulations to see which interventions would have the most positive impact on their supply chain.
geoFootprint also enables users to assess the risks posed by changes in climate, water availability and quality, soil health, and biodiversity to secure supply chains and the future of food.
A multi-stakeholder initiative launched by Quantis, geoFootprint was built collaboratively with more than 25 public, private and academic partners aiming to accelerate sustainable agriculture through innovation.
eQopack, a tailor-made ecodesign solution
Sustainable packaging has become a priority among consumers, who are increasingly aware of the environmental consequences wrapped up in their daily purchases. In response, companies are making ambitious commitments for more sustainable packaging.
eQopack embeds ecodesign into the packaging development process, regardless of a designer’s level of sustainability expertise. Instead of calculating the footprint of a pack on a case-to-case basis, these assessments become standard practice without sending designers back to the drawing board each time an adjustment is needed.
Built on robust environmental data, the digital tool measures 17 environmental factors such as climate change and land and water use across the entire packaging life cycle. In addition, designers can assess eight packaging design indicators, including reusability, recycled content and pack-to-product weight ratio, and generate an environmental performance score to guide decision-making.
Translating environmental data into actionable business insights
With the significant increase in corporate sustainability commitments in recent years — and expectation from shareholders and the public that companies deliver on them — businesses are required to make concrete changes and track their progress along the way.
The digitalization of sustainability opens new doors for putting such commitments into action, empowering professionals across sectors and specialties with the robust environmental data they need to make more sustainable decisions in their everyday work.
More information on geoFootprint and eQopack.