How NTT's Technological Advancements Blaze Path to Net Zero

Technology plays a pivotal role in meeting the aims of the Paris Agreement, which works to curb global warming to 1.5°C by 2030.

If these targets are not met, the Renewable Energy Institute warns of more erratic weather patterns, threatening ecosystems such as coral reefs, leading to potential extinction of reliant species.

The United Nations forecasts that failing to meet these goals by 2040 will result in one in four children living in areas faced with extreme water scarcity.

NTT is at the forefront of utilising technological advancements to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.

Akira Shimada, CEO, NTT says: “We aim to resolve a variety of social issues, contributing to a world where Earth and humanity can sustainably coexist.

“Striving for a resource-recycling future, not a resource-consuming one.

“To meet the expectations of our many stakeholders, our mission is to continue to contribute to the realisation of a better society by placing sustainability at the core of our management.

“We will continue to take on the challenge of making the NTT Group an organisation that supports global sustainability through the creation of new value.”

NTT’s sustainability strategy

NTT’s sustainable development plan hinges on three central pillars:

• Protecting nature 
• Maximising wellbeing 
• Improving prosperity

The company is committed to developing a green society by focusing on decarbonisation strategies that lessen the human impact on the environment.

““We are committed to reducing greenhouse gases by moving to IOWN technology and increasing the development and use of renewable energy sources,” NTT says.

Aiming for net zero emissions by 2040, the company has announced plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030.

As part of this initiative, NTT has acquired Japan's second-largest wind energy company and established a firm dedicated to developing and managing renewable energy grids for its operations.

Sustainability in agriculture

Technological advancement in agriculture at NTT involves initiatives to enhance a circular economy by converting food waste into fertiliser.

At the back of supermarkets, systems are installed where food waste, such as vegetable scraps, is fermented and decomposed into compost, aiding local farms.

Additionally, NTT is pioneering land-based aquaculture farms.

These farms promote ethical scaling of seafood and microalgae production, even in landlocked areas, ensuring an ongoing food source with minimal environmental impact.

NTT's future innovation plans

Since 2019, NTT has been developing the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) — a future-forward communication infrastructure using photonic technology.

IOWN aims to revolutionise the internet, transitioning from electronic to photonic connections, reducing power consumption while enhancing responsiveness.

This initiative involves core technologies including:

• Enabling the All-Photonics Network with an end to end solution, connecting devices at the edge of the network.
• Using digital-twin technology, building exact interactive copies of complex systems such as cities, traffic, machines and even the human body, to conduct precise tests and experiments to make highly informed decisions. 

The objective is to seamlessly integrate wireless and wired networks for visible connectivity around the clock.

NTT believes this could lead to safer cities, where real-time monitoring of crowds can alert emergency services.

Moreover, IOWN may facilitate autonomous vehicles, aiming to reduce road congestion and accidents.

Shingo Kinoshita, Senior Vice President, Head of R&D Planning Department, NTT Corporation says: “NTT announced its vision of an Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) in 2019. 

“Following this, research, development, and commercialization activities progressed steadily, and in 2023, NTT launched IOWN 1.0 as the first version of IOWN commercial services. 

“Going forward, NTT plans to implement the IOWN vision in the world by commercializing photonics-electronics convergence devices, applying them to communications and computer environments.

“Making full use of them in such fields as Digital Twin Computing (DTC) and next-generation general-purpose AI.”