Technology plays a pivotal role in creating innovative solutions that effectively respond to sustainability challenges: Ashish Gaikwad, MD, Honeywell Automation India
Honeywell has been at the forefront of combining technological innovation with sustainable practices. It has developed solutions that help organizations worldwide to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and manage their carbon footprint. Moreover, a significant portion of Honeywell’s R&D budget is allocated to developing sustainable solutions that tackle climate change challenges and an industrial software portfolio for efficient implementations.
During a recent visit to Honeywell’s India Technology Center in Gurugram, Ashish Gaikwad, Vice President – General Manager HPS & UOP, India and MD, Honeywell Automation India Ltd (HAIL) in an interview highlighted the company’s commitment to integrating sustainability into business strategies. According to Gaikwad, 60% of the company’s R&D budget goes into sustainability research, with a focus on developing technologies that prevent climate change and offer environmental benefits while being economically viable. Read the full interview..
How does Honeywell balance its emphasis on technological innovation and sustainability, and could you provide specific examples or areas that have had both positive technological and environmental impacts?
Honeywell’s has been leading from the forefront when it comes to amalgamating technological innovation with sustainable practices. We have successfully developed technologies that have been enabling organisations worldwide to address greenhouse gas emissions and manage their carbon footprint. We are using a substantial portion of our R&D budgets to focus on Sustainability solutions that will address the Climate Change challenges and developing an Industrial software portfolio for Industrial Digitalization that will accelerate the usage, efficiency, adaptability, and reliability of Sustainable solutions.
We are focused around technologies for energy optimization, emissions monitoring and reduction, new renewable energy and materials – all of which address the bigger issue of climate change. We have created innovative solutions to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) and convert it into environment-friendly alternatives for fuels and plastics. Honeywell is helping mitigate the negative effects of industrialization while keeping industrial growth going. This approach showcases Honeywell’s commitment to finding practical and sustainable uses for CO2, establishing an ecological balance, and reducing the overall carbon footprint, while helping the overall industrial energy needs for growth.
Furthermore, Honeywell is actively involved in the development and promotion of biofuels. By promoting leveraging plant-based materials such as sugar, molasses, and agricultural waste to produce ethanol, which can then be converted into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) or biodiesel using Honeywell-UOP technology. This advancement in biofuel technology allows for reduced reliance on fossil fuels in the aviation industry, leading to lower emissions and a more sustainable approach to air travel and other transportation.
In addition to these specific examples, Honeywell offers a comprehensive portfolio of futuristic technologies that enable businesses to achieve their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. These technologies focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saving energy, measuring, and reducing carbon impact, and supporting the adoption of renewable energy sources. Honeywell’s integrated automation and sustainability solutions empower organisations, both large and small, to enhance their operational efficiency while minimising their environmental impact.
By emphasising both technological innovation and sustainability, Honeywell demonstrates its commitment to addressing global environmental challenges without compromising our current standard of living. Through the development of future ready solutions and a strong focus on ESG goals, Honeywell actively contributes to a more sustainable and greener future.
With Honeywell operating across various industries, how challenging has it been to take a leadership position in sustainability?
Scalability and consistent growth are dynamic constituents of any organisation. What has set us aside and helped us maintain our strong stead in the industry is our rich understanding and expertise of the ecosystem, the broad-spectrum diversity of our solutions and our investments in sustainable technologies, amongst other parameters. At Honeywell, a lot of our focus is on R&D to ensure we are innovating and curating the right product/solutions for our customers, in accordance with the larger sustainability goals and to fight climate change.
Balancing economic viability with environmental impact is another challenge. We integrate sustainability into our business strategies, developing solutions that offer both environmental benefits and economic value.
Scaling up sustainable solutions across markets can be complex. We collaborate with governments, industry partners, and communities to adapt technologies to local contexts and facilitate widespread adoption. In order to drive industry adoption and confidence – Honeywell uses its own solutions thus developed at its own facilities and chemical plants. In other words, we become our own “experimental subjects” to show the viability of our technology and products.
Despite these challenges, Honeywell remains dedicated to its sustainability leadership. 60% of our Research and Development Budget is invested in Sustainability research with a focus on bringing technologies that can protect the environment and prevent climate change. Our global reach and expertise inspire others to join us on the path to a more sustainable future.
Can you share Honeywell’s specific sustainability initiatives in recent years and how stakeholders within and outside of the company have received them?
At Honeywell, we are innovating to solve the world’s toughest ESG challenges. Whether it’s our ability to innovate in software or lead in the energy transition, Honeywell’s strong ESG practices have shaped the company’s ability to achieve ambitious, transformative goals.
Honeywell manages sustainability as a core business objective and has formed new gold business enterprises (GBEs) designed to further develop, create, and commercialise ready-now technologies that can help further transform the environment and help our customers meet their sustainability goals. We have created two new businesses: Sustainable Technologies Solutions (STS) and Sustainable Building Technologies (SBT), where (STS) develops innovative offerings that help support a lower carbon economy. The business focuses on a broad set of solutions that are designed to help lessen the environmental impact of our customers’ end markets both now and in the future. These solutions include renewable fuels, energy storage, blue and green hydrogen, carbon capture, and plastics recycling.
On the other hand, (SBT) is working to help reduce the carbon impact of buildings and enable more energy-independent communities while creating healthier spaces for occupants. The SBT team is building on Honeywell’s decades of experience in making buildings more energy efficient by improving indoor air quality without sacrificing sustainability efforts and working with communities to create energy equity and resiliency.
What challenges Honeywell faced in pursuing sustainable innovation, and how has the company addressed them? Additionally, are there any areas where you think Honeywell needs to be more proactive in driving sustainable innovation forward?
Given the dynamic construct of sustainability, organizations in the pursuit of sustainable innovation have faced their own share of challenges. One of the most difficult challenges for companies pursuing sustainable innovation, including Honeywell, is balancing economic viability and environmental impact. This problem stems from the need to create solutions that are both environmentally friendly and economically viable. Aside from that, there are other variables to consider, such as:
- Policy and regulatory barriers: We operate in several countries that have different environmental policies and regulations. As the company has sought to implement sustainable practices, it has faced challenges adhering to and navigating these various regulatory frameworks. Furthermore,inconsistencies in regional policies can make it difficult for the company to streamline its global sustainability efforts. In order to address this challenge, Honeywell has engaged with policymakers and regulatory agencies to advocate for sustainable policies. In collaboration with governments and industry associations, the company has developed regulations that promote long-term innovation. By participating actively in policy discussions, Honeywell aims to create an enabling environment for sustainable technologies and practices.
- Customer awareness and adoption: One of the challenges we face in pursuing sustainable innovation is educating customers about the benefits and significance of sustainable products and solutions. Customers are frequently unaware of the long-term value and positive environmental impact that sustainable innovations provide, which limits market demand.
- Supply chain complexities: Achieving sustainability goals can be challenging in complex and globally dispersed supply chains. One of the major obstacles is the difficulty of ensuring sustainable practices throughout the entire supply chain, which includes sourcing environmentally friendly materials and managing waste. To overcome these challenges, Honeywell has integrated sustainability criteria into its supplier selection process. The company also promotes transparency and responsible sourcing practices among its suppliers to drive sustainable practices.
In summary, technology can be leveraged to create innovative solutions that are responsive to sustainability challenges. Through sustainable energy solutions, energy efficiency innovations, smart infrastructure, circular economy practices, low carbon solutions, and data-driven decision making, we can effectively address climate change and foster a more sustainable future.
What key technologies do you think will shape sustainability in the coming years, and how is Honeywell preparing for these developments?
As we operate in aerospace, building technologies, performance materials and technologies, and safety and productivity solutions. We believe that technology plays a pivotal role in creating innovative solutions that effectively respond to sustainability challenges.
The construct of technology is going through an interesting transformation again. On one side you can see a new paradigm in AI, with open source, Chat GPT etc. becoming a new pedagogy for the services industry. On the other side, Industrial automative technologies are also evolving. Honeywell is preparing for the future by focusing on key technologies that will shape sustainability.These include:
Internet of Things (IoT) and Connectivity: We are investing in IoT solutions to optimize energy consumption and resource management.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Analytics: We leverage AI and data analytics to extract insights for improved sustainability performance.
Renewable Energy Solutions: We develop and integrate solar, wind, and energy storage technologies.
Energy Efficiency and Building Automation: We innovate energy-efficient solutions for buildings, industries, and transportation sectors.
Circular Economy and Waste Reduction: We invest in technologies for material recycling, remanufacturing, and waste reduction.
Green Chemistry and Sustainable Materials: We research eco-friendly alternatives and low global warming potential refrigerants. By focusing on these technologies, Honeywell is proactively addressing sustainability challenges and driving innovation for a more sustainable future.
