Guilhem Isaac-Georges - Self-Awareness And Responsibility: The Role of Tech in Sustainability Transition (Turing Fest 2022)

Humans release billions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year, global temperatures are on the rise, and greenhouse gas emissions are hitting new highs every year. COVID19 may have curbed GHG emissions for a while, but are now on the rebound. Despite the facts and alarm bells ringing loud and clear for swift action, much of the world seems to have adopted a business-as-usual stance. Turning the tide on climate change requires urgent and deep societal change, and for everyone to pull their weight — starting with corporations. The tech sector alone is responsible for 3-4% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. If it's part of the solution, it is now also clearly part of the problem. When it comes to something as devastating as climate change, where do you even start? What can tech companies do to begin their own sustainability transformation? And what kind of concrete measures and actions will help drive meaningful impact? Join Guilhem Isaac as he discusses the role of tech in building a more sustainable future, and how he's helping one tech company become part of the solution.

Head to www.turingfest.com to learn more about Europe's best cross-functional tech conference.

Transcript

1. Self-awareness & responsibility The role of tech in sustainability transition Turing Fest, July 27, 2022 Guilhem Isaac-Georges VP, Sustainability, Contentsquare
2. © Contentsquare 2022 “Contentsquare has reached a point where we’ve built up power through our product, people, partner network, resources and sheer scale. And — as you’ve heard — with power comes responsibility. Our growth must have meaning. We can’t become one of the greatest software companies in the world if our company isn’t good for the world.” STARTING POINT 2
3. Contentsquare is the global leader in Digital Experience Analytics 1000+ enterprise & 1M SMB clients 1500+ employees 17 offices worldwide 3,200 Trillion human digital interactions collected monthly $428m value given back to customers 58 NPS Score 250+ partners 100%+ YoY ARR Growth 6 acquisitions last 34 months
4. © Contentsquare 2022 The last few weeks in climate headlines 4
5. © Contentsquare 2022 We’ve known about the greenhouse effect 
 for more than 150 years 5 The Mauna Loa Curve 1st measurement and prediction of ghg concentrations in the atmosphere Creation of IPCC Large scientific consensus on the human origin of climate warning 1st scientific theory by Irish physicist John Tyndall 1859 1948 1988
6. © Contentsquare 2022 © Contentsquare 2022 It is now an indisputable fact that 100% of global warming is caused by human activity. 6 *Source : IPCC 2022 report The magnitude of current climate change has not been observed for centuries or even thousands of years.
7. © Contentsquare 2022 7 What’s the risk ? The collapse of human civilization At this pace, global warming could reach +4° by the end of the century The consequences are well known: • Rising sea levels • Massive floods • Desert expansion • 6th mass extinction of biodiversity *Source : IPCC 2022 report
8. © Contentsquare 2022 8 Many civilizations in the history of mankind have collapsed The Rapa Nui from Easter Island Viking colonies in Greenland Highly advanced and thriving Incas
9. © Contentsquare 2022 © Contentsquare 2022 We know, and yet we don’t act. 9
10. © Contentsquare 2022 © Contentsquare 2022 Why it is so difficult for us to change in regard to global warming ? 10 Dopamine (sometimes referred to as the ‘pleasure molecule’) is released in the striatum during human emotional processing Striatum We can predict what will happen in 20 or 30 years but we don’t act One the main reasons probably lies deep inside our brain
11. © Contentsquare 2022 Consumerism is messing with our brains 11 “Abundance overstimulates our striatum ! “ “It manages the human incentives to feed, reproduce, feel pain… “
 Sebastien Bohler Neuroscientist, Author of the “Human Bug” “The striatum is a primitive region of the human brain designed to help our species survive” “As with any addiction, to feel pleasure, we tend to increase the dose”
12. © Contentsquare 2022 As with any addiction, to feel pleasure… …we tend to increase the dose 3X According to WHO 
 Obesity kills three times more people than malnutrition 16% Pornography 
 Represents 16% of the global data flow on the web 2 H 27M Social media 
 The average daily time worldwide spent using social media is 2 hours 27 minutes 12
13. © Contentsquare 2022 So what is the answer? Train our brain! 13 By stimulating other areas of our brains like the cortex, responsible for consciousness By giving, an infinite source of pleasure for human beings By making moderation a new and valued social norm
14. © Contentsquare 2022 At this point, you may be wondering what you have to do with it 14 I’m a developper, my activity is clean Climate change is a hoax invented by the Chinese My startup is trying to survive first we'll see that later On a personal standpoint, I do everything I can
15. © Contentsquare 2022 © Contentsquare 2022 Digital is responsible for 3-4% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, which is… 15 equivalent to Japan’s share of global emissions more than the whole of civil aviation
16. © Contentsquare 2022 And it’s just the beginning ! Blockchain AI / Machine Learning 5G IOT Metaverse Wearables Crypto-currencies
17. © Contentsquare 2022 There is no virtual anything without physical stuff 17 Devices 65% Networks 20% Servers 15%
18. © Contentsquare 2022 And it’s not all about CO2 18 Natural resources Digital waste
19. © Contentsquare 2022 Software is (h)eating up the world 19 467 Kb 2207 Kb 2021 2010 Median page weight Source: httparchive.org
20. © Contentsquare 2022 © Contentsquare 2022 20 = annual electrical consumption for 10 British households 🏠 🏠🏠🏠🏠🏠🏠 🏠🏠🏠
21. © Contentsquare 2022 Too many startups think that pursuing impact is impossible 21 It would be a distraction from our 
 main goal: market conquest. It’s one or the other. That’s an issue for 
 public companies. We’ll cross that bridge if/
 when we get there. We already have a 
 CSR manager who 
 reports to marketing. That should cover it. Our investors would 
 never go for it. It’s not us, it’s them.
22. © Contentsquare 2022 And yet there are great examples of tech enabling transparency and consciousness 22 Carbonfact Greenly App Decarbonizing the 
 fashion industry Committing to the climate has never been easier Assess. Manage. Reduce
23. © Contentsquare 2022 © Contentsquare 2022 There are basically 3 levels of maturity 23 Consciousness 
 1 Exemplarity 
 2 Impact 3
24. © Contentsquare 2022 #1 - Acknowledge the issue 24 Assess your 
 carbon footprint Identify your main 
 emissions sources
25. © Contentsquare 2022 #2 - Build a clear roadmap 25 Build a roadmap to get on track with 1,5° Obtain a 
 SBTi validation Google achieved net Zero in 2007 and 100% renewable in 2017 Salesforce achieved Net Zero and 100% renewable in 2021 Microsoft plans to be Carbon negative by 2030 Amazon plans to achieve Net Zero by 2040 and 100% renewable by 2025
26. © Contentsquare 2022 #3 -Try to use business as a driver 26 Identify solutions to help your customers 
 Contribute to reduce 
 their impact
27. © Contentsquare 2022 #4 -Try to go beyond focusing on what you’re good at 27 At Contentsquare, we’re pretty good in UX design This could be useful, not only to improve e- commerce transformation rate More than one billion people have disabilities that affects their ability to read the web So we decided to focus on digital accessibility
28. © Contentsquare 2022 Readapt Chrome and Word A solution that allows anyone to create a personalized reading profile for digital content based on their unique needs. The fundamentals in a 30 minutes course to become a real digital accessibility advocate. Digital Accessibility Basics training Digital Accessibility Handbook Partnership with Institut de la Vision The accessibility guidelines you've been looking for. Learn the best practices to create a better user experiences for all. We support scientists, research institutes and nonprofit organizations that are working to build an inclusive digital word. Start the training Discover Learn more Download We have created a foundation We are committed to building a more accessible internet. And we have many great projects
29. © Contentsquare 2022 This path will help you define your identity 29 PRODUCT + SERVICES RESPONSIBILIT Y GIVING IDENTITY What we do
 Products, features, professional services and partnerships
 
 How we do it Policies, practices, procurement, skills/ expertise, infrastructure, workplace and mechanisms for accountability How we give and give back
 CS for Causes, philanthropy (scholarships, fellowships, donations and matching gifts), civic engagement (volunteering, community organizing) Who we are Culture, bylaws and brand
30. Thank you