Want a Sustainable Earth? Bring on the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The author contends that Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies—including 5G, the Internet of Things, and 3D printing—are essential for reducing carbon emissions and resource usage across industrial and agricultural cycles. While acknowledging that 4IR is not a sole solution, the author suggests these technologies can provide critical insights into climate manifestation and mitigation. The document emphasizes the urgency of this transition given that global population is projected to reach 11.2 billion by 2100, with growth concentrated in regions most vulnerable to climate change, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.

• Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) innovations, such as 5G networks, 3D printing, and the Internet of Things, have the capacity to lower resource consumption and carbon emissions throughout the entire production cycle, including manufacturing, shipment, packaging, and reuse.
• 4IR technologies, including autonomous devices and sensors, can provide unprecedented data on how climate change is occurring globally, which can inform more effective mitigation and adaptation strategies.
• The challenge of climate change is compounded by projected population growth, with the global population expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100, primarily in regions most susceptible to harsh climate effects: South Asia, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• While 4IR technologies are not a standalone solution to climate change, they offer the possibility of reversing environmental damage caused by previous industrial revolutions if sustainability is integrated as a primary objective from the start.

APA

Vestberg, H. (2019). Want a Sustainable Earth? Bring on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/want-a-sustainable-earth-bring-on-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/

Chicago

Vestberg, Hans. Want a Sustainable Earth? Bring on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. World Economic Forum, 2019. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/want-a-sustainable-earth-bring-on-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Vestberg |first1=Hans |title=Want a Sustainable Earth? Bring on the Fourth Industrial Revolution |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=22 January 2019 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/want-a-sustainable-earth-bring-on-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{vestberg2019want, author = {Vestberg, Hans}, title = {{Want a Sustainable Earth? Bring on the Fourth Industrial Revolution}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2019}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/want-a-sustainable-earth-bring-on-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }