Issues and Insights

While the scale of the pandemic and its effects on society and the economy is unique, for procurement planning, it represents only one of many external factors.

 How connected devices increase a business’s vulnerability to cybercrime.

You probably haven’t thought much about screw threads lately, but they make do make an appearance in our daily lives, from bottle tops to flatpack furniture and just about every machine used in manufacturing.

With the right technology in place, manufacturers can leverage the power of their data, make informed choices, and prepare for the future, now.

Over the last several years, much has been written about the large economic potential of Industry 4.0 and related digitisation initiatives.

This time last year, global executives were mid-air on the way to Switzerland for the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.

Missed our Business Continuity In Times of Crisis webinar? Catch the VOD here!

IAA spoke with Christian Ploner, Go-to-Market Manager Service Solutions and Min Ling Chan, VP, Head of Industrial R&D, Industrial Asia Pacific, Schaeffler on Concept1 and automation trends to expect in 2021.

A DHL perspective on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains and logistics.

Leading automation companies in ASEAN give their thoughts on the challenges, trends, and opportunities in the year ahead as the world begins to emerge from a global pandemic.

Singapore Polytechnic to train its students using Zebra Technologies’ advanced technology

Alvin Yap, sales director, Geek+ speaks with IAA on the current state of the logistics sector and trends in logistics automation.

Elliott Middleton, Director of Product Management, Aveva, sets out seven steps to data-driven decision making.

John Young, APAC director at EU Automation, looks at four areas where greater automation could have a significant impact in helping speed the process of bringing a new drug to market in the years ahead.

In the age of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing industry was gaining more momentum than ever—until the outbreak of Covid-19 threw a spanner in the works.

IAA spoke with Emerson Automation Solutions on what can be learned from top-performing terminals and digital transformation best practice for O&G.

New precision irrigation carriage reduces water and fertiliser consumption by 75 percent – e-chain in a trough guides hoses with additional energy saving.

EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles are likely to reach sticker price parity sometime in the next decade.

As manufacturers increasingly pivot towards ASEAN, what challenges remain for electronics manufacturers in search of low cost, high-yield production.

During today’s times of profound change, some manufacturing organisations are falling into the trap of trying to maintain existing processes

Covid-19 has impacted global supply chains to varying degrees. What risk management lessons can we learn from our experience?

What false expectations are raised using RPA in companies? By Zakir Ahmed, Senior VP and GM, Asia Pacific & Japan at Kofax.

As the coronavirus pandemic evolves, the focus is now firmly on response. But the recovery may be even more challenging.

IAA interviewed Marcelo Tarkiieltaub, regional director of Southeast Asia, Rockwell Automation on digital transformation best practice.

Automotive HMIs have become a crucial part of modern automobiles. By Robert Huntley for Mouser Electronics

In process industries today, all organisations, regardless of their level of smart machine sophistication, are interested in reducing downtime

Singapore is set to open a new manufacturing training office amid a renewed drive to upgrade the country’s local workforce.

Innovative digital technologies go hand in hand with sustainability when it comes to increasing business performance and resilience.

How has Schneider Electric been managing their global supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic and what steps have had the most positive impact?

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how many companies view the necessity for digital transformation and their use of data.

Cars are tech-powered devices that can enhance your life, and machine learning is behind the wheel of innovation. By Vincent Tang, regional VP, Asia, Epicor

As businesses continue to embrace IoT, the sheer quantity of connected devices in warehousing today opens innumerable points of access for cyberattacks with costly repercussions.

EU Automation takes a closer look at the Japanese vision of Society 5.0.

To improve the risk culture of an organisation businesses need first to adopt a holistic business risk identification process that helps the company identify the most critical part of its business.

What is automation and how can an SME owner automate process?

Can healthcare instruments survive signals competing for attention?

COVID-19 has accelerated the road to digitalisation, but is that a good thing?

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, offers a unique solution to diversifying the modern supply chain, which due to Covid-19 is a much-needed resource.

Industry 4.0 has long been hailed as a new frontier for Asia’s businesses, particularly the manufacturing sector which is the lifeblood of many of the region’s economies.

A rising wave of automation and digitalisation is sweeping across Asia. Can Singapore stay competitive amid this growing shift towards smart manufacturing?

Governmental regulations all over the world created an urgent need for solutions to secure social distancing in public buildings in order to support slowing down the spread of Covid-19.

From power lift gate and sunroof to electric seat adjustment and fuel pumps, an increasingly large number of electric motors ensure safety and comfort in modern cars.

Infineon Technologies AG is expanding its product offering for battery management systems with a new sensing and balancing IC, the TLE9012AQU.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the manufacturing industry on a massive scale. What will the “New Normal” be for manufacturers?

Efficient signal acquisition is fundamental to applications ranging from industrial process control and measurement to high-speed communications and imaging.

HIMA asks four critical safety questions to achieve post-COVID-19 success in smart and safe automation.

Looking back, there are things we wished we could have prepared for during these uncertain times. Although we can’t turn back the clock, we can use the bad times to prepare for the good ones.

The stability of power grids supplying energy to our homes and businesses is emerging as a critical success factor for maintaining both physical and economic security.

Sensitive and collaborative robots look set to play a defining role in the future of robotics in medicine. By Sebastian Schuster, Global PR & Content Manager, Kuka.

As manufacturing resumes across the globe, many of us are considering how the industry can prepare for the ‘new normal’.

With the coming of 5G technology and the implementation of 10+ GbE networks in factories, real-time data processing for OPC UA and other tactile Internet applications is emerging as an important new area of use.

We believe that digitisation is a way to resilience with remote monitoring, predictive and preventive maintenance, and remote operations all leading to ensuring productivity. 

Energy-saving cases and solutions that use digital technology to optimise the operation of utility plants are introduced.

Animal husbandry is a labour-intensive industry on many Southeast Asian farms to this day. Yet traditional methods can hamper an industry already facing labour shortages and climate change.

The world changed overnight. Globally, we still have communities under lock-down and we are slowly progressing to “business as unusual”.

While the manufacturing sector is set to restart faster than other sectors, it is necessary for businesses to adapt to the evolving situation.

Schneider Electric explores some of the practical ways its integrated Modicon and AVEVA solutions are already bringing benefits to Industry.

Factories, handcrafted products and premium quality – three attributes that almost always influence the price level.

Business leaders the world over are coming to terms with a brave new normal: a world of remote working, digital-led interactions, and increased uncertainty.

Throughout most industrial operations, electric motors play a critical role in driving conveyor belts, pumps, compressors, agitators, fans, and other critical infrastructure assets.

How can you tell when the time is right to upgrade your ERP software? Here are some tips on how to tell if you are ready to update your ERP.

Gibu Mathew, Zoho Corporation’s VP and GM for Asia Pacific, discusses how digitisation is enabling manufacturing companies to evolve their traditional linear supply chains.

John Young, APAC director at automation parts supplier EU Automation, suggests three key ways in which forward-thinking manufacturing companies will respond to the current period of uncertainty.

In light of the continued impact of COVID-19, IAA conducted a survey on how the pandemic has changed business as usual for many regional manufacturers. 

Case Study: How Schneider Electric deployed AVEVA Discrete Lean Management at 70 manufacturing plants in two years for real-time production response and continuous improvement

Ulrich Balbach, CEO at Leuze discusses the company’s brand value and how it is paving the way with its innovative sensor technologies.

Christopher Findlay, honorary professor of economics, Australian National University, shares his thoughts on the implications of banning Huawei from Australia’s 5G network.

As control systems increase in both scale and data-rich sensors, we need a way to ensure that operators can recognise what is important and act to deliver a more efficient control system.

The Newcastle University Urban Observatory has developed smart city technology to help understand the impact of social distancing measures.

When it comes to effective waste management, manufacturers can look to implement process technology that delivers high yield at low operating costs.

When power grids, water networks and gas utility systems are targeted by cyberattacks, systems that are essential to our everyday lives are affected.

HCI brings a robust set of features to organisations looking to lower TCO, makes support and troubleshooting easier, and allows for an on-demand scale of resources.

As smart automation and digital solutions take hold, the role of industrial automation system integrators becomes more important than ever.

With global supply chains significantly disrupted, we are seeing more manufacturers bypassing distributors and retailers to sell directly to customers.

Businesses are realising that they need to innovate quickly to adapt to the new digital world.

Manufacturing supply chains are designed to save costs by moving the manufacturing process to the most efficient locations and by minimising inventory.

With data analytics businesses have the ability to maintain confidence that they are preparing for and will be able to recover from climate hazards.

See solutions to optimise your processes and workflows and how you can achieve savings. During each session, a practical demo will address common questions in manufacturing, smart buildings, and industrial automation.

Industrial plants, hospitals, data centers and, in fact, every type of facility, can’t afford any amount of downtime due to electrical system problems.

From optimising asset performance to raising productivity, to elevating quality, there are countless reasons to pursue Manufacturing Operations Transformation.

How can SEA manufacturers leverage smart factory transformation to adapt to the “new norms” in localised work and lifestyle, cater to diverse consumer groups and evolve to match the future labor landscape?

Technological innovations in healthcare are as important as ever. Five technologies are explored that offer significant promise to the healthcare sector.

This is the third post in this blog series, looking at ways that intelligent solutions are helping facility teams optimise power and energy performance while meeting business and sustainability goals.

We are living and working in unprecedented times. Companies must find new ways to keep business and system in operations through the current pandemic and continuously improve to better respond to business interruptions in future. Join us online and find out what our recommendations are.

Digital sensors offer a solution to guarantee data consistency and a way to easy, uniform sensor management; an important feature for the biotechnology industry.

COVID-19 demonstrates that manufacturers need to be as focused on their suppliers’ capabilities as they are on their factory floors.

Four out of five organisations now do recognise the importance of operational network digitalisation. By Stephan Neumeier, Managing Director at Kaspersky

The Robot Operating System (ROS) is a set of software libraries and tools that help you build robot applications. Pilz builds on that foundation on its journey towards industry 4.0. By Pilz

Infineon Technologies AG expects significant growth in automotive 48 V systems in the coming years and is expanding its portfolio of suitable power devices.

With the onset of COVID-19, is it time to reassess the global manufacturing supply chain?

Motors play a significant role in the production of the microchip, powering our modern world. Contributed by Faulhaber.

Mikael van der Sluis, Senior Sales Manager, manufacturing and infrastructure, ASEAN, Aveva, shares his thoughts on why manufacturers need to embrace true digital transformation.

Robert Puschmann of DKSH and Mitchell Beness of HP speak about 3D printing, automation and Industry 4.0. Article by Stephen Las Marias.

Since B&R was acquired by ABB, the automation firm has continued to transform the factory automation space with robotic integration.

Industrial automation is when you use automated control like Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), Computer Numerical Control (CNC), Remote Terminal Unit (RTU), which are well synchronised with each other.

Cobots first appeared on factory floors two years ago, accounting for approximately five percent of global industrial robot sales in 2016.

Five Robotic Process Automation (RPA) developments are expected to impact Asia in 2020, including the potential elimination of paper, rise of hiring for RPA skills, and more.

As more enterprises enter the implementation stages of their digital transformation projects, they are searching for productivity improvements.

In 2017 Schneider Electric launched an initiative to improve its supply chain – with one part of that being the Smart Factory Program which aimed to digitise 80 of our global factories

Schneider Electric has joined more than a hundred other industry thought leaders and forward thinkers as a signatory to the Cybersecurity Tech Accord.

As Schaeffler Aerospace celebrates its five-year milestone for its MRO operation in Singapore, the firm looks to the future with regional ambitions.

Forrester’s Predictions 2020: The Internet of Things report has an eye-opening forecast on cybercrime for the coming year.

Although 5G’s long-term RoI — or “killer app”— is yet to be determined, the potential implications of the “massive IoT,” connectivity, ultra high-reliability, and low latency are very promising.

The process of digital transformation is happening across a wide range of industries today, and perhaps no more so than in manufacturing.

Autonomous cars will make driving safer, smarter and more efficient. The right technology infrastructure is critical, however.

It’s clearer than ever that we a need to be a part of the solution to the climate change emergency.

Industrial IoT and consumer IoT can benefit each other, but actualising these benefits requires a deep understanding of the topics. By Dr. Johannes Bauer, UL Principal Security Advisor, Identity Management & Security

History teaches us that when you’re in the middle of sweeping technology-driven change, the struggle to simply keep pace can make it hard to maintain perspective.

Since its founding in 2015, OnRobot has been on a mission to simplify the barrier to entry for firms seeking improved efficiency through automation; an important trait for Southeast Asia as traditional firms remain skeptical or persistent challenges remain such as a lack of skilled labour.

A human machine interface (HMI) is the main visible automation component that manages all vital machine features.

Digitisation is about much more than just technology. It’s also about collaboration and people. If you already understand this, you’re off to a good start.

We are seeing a major shift in sentiment towards sustainability from the major oil & gas companies.

Today, I have the honor of speaking on IoT security policy at the annual CyberNextDC conference organised by the Cybersecurity Coalition.

In this annual market outlook, we find out from executives on what they have in store for 2020 and their thoughts about the trends and opportunities in the manufacturing automation industry in the region and around the globe.

Acceleration: The Next Steps In Digitising The Industrial World brings sweeping benefits to manufacturing. But seeing that transformation through from start to finish can be tricky.

For years, industrial automation has provided the advantages of improving productivity and quality while reducing errors and waste, increasing safety, and adding flexibility to the manufacturing process.

At the recently concluded ITAP 2019 held at the Singapore Expo, IAA managed to catch up with Mr Syed Suroor Anwar at RS Components.

[Video] Interview With Mr David Chia, Regional Managing Director, Beckhoff Automation In the last of our exclusive interview series with professionals in the industry, Ahmad Alshidiq chats with Mr David Chia of Beckhoff Automation, regarding matters of the Internet of Things and the enablers of Industry 4.0

According to Kaspersky Labs, 47 percent of industrial control systems computers fell victim to cyberattacks in 2018.

Ahmad Alshidiq interviews Mr Joseph Ting, VP, Digital Customer Experience, Digital Transformation Platform Center, Yokogawa about the matters of the Internet of Things and the enablers of Industry 4.0.

More than 32,000 attendees and 1,600 exhibitors from across the Water and Wastewater industry came together in Chicago for WEFTEC.

In our exclusive interview series with professionals in the industry, Ahmad Alshidiq chats with Mr Tetsuo Kobayashi, Director, Business Development Group, Azbil, and delve into the matters of the Internet of Things and the enablers of Industry 4.0.

In this exclusive interview series with professionals in the industry, Ahmad Alshidiq interviews Mr Richard Habering, Head of Business Unit, igus Smart Plastics, about matters of the Internet of Things and the enablers of Industry 4.0.

Ahmad Alshidiq interviews Mr Jonas Berge, Senior Director, Applied Technology, Emerson, during the Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific 2019. Watch as we delve into the matters of the Internet of Things and the enablers of Industry 4.0!

In this exclusive interview series, Ahmad Alshidiq chats with Mr Lim Khay Guan, CEO and MD, Endress + Hauser SEA during the Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific at the Singapore Expo.

Do you feel ever overwhelmed by all the information you need to process in your daily life? According to Deloitte there are 45 times more data flows across countries than goods, with greater economic impact.

Ahmad Alshidiq, Senior Editor for IAA, interviews Mr Bob Lahey, Global Product Manager, Advanced Digital Services, of ABB during the Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific on 23 October 2019 at the Singapore Expo.

Ahmad Alshidiq interviews Mr Tommy Leong, Zone President, East Asia & Japan, of Schneider Electric during the ITAP on 22 October 2019 at the Singapore Expo.

To gain traction in the aerospace industry, Australian manufacturer of rotary shank cutting tools, Sutton Tools, has been using linear motor technology.

Cloud adoption has been gaining traction in Asia Pacific and will continue to do so.

Industry 4.0 is a double-edged sword. While it brings wireless and faster communications and processes, greater connectivity can lead to costly cyberattacks.

The essence of digital is accelerating your business. Digital is about enabling connectivity among people and processes.

The IIoT is essentially a network connectivity system of industrial devices working in sync to collect and interpret data in order to enable new-age insights and streamline business processes.

The key to reducing the unit costs of coating and painting metal parts is the optimisation of all steps along the process sequence. Article by Doris Schulz.

During Industry 4.0, or the Fourth Industrial Revolution as we often call it, companies who rethink the way they do business and how they make money are ones who will succeed.

Today, devices of all kinds across the Oil & Gas industry are equipped with intelligent sensors that gather data.

In a recent interview for i-SCOOP, Jean-Pascal Riss and Nicolas Larue teamed up to share their insights about the best ways to manage the harmonics created by variable frequency drives.

Similar to the previous three industrial revolutions which capitalised on steam power, assembly lines, and computers, respectively, Industry 4.0 also presents opportunity by capitalising on the Internet of Things (IoT).

The manufacturing industry is entering a new era where new forces created by the explosion of data, robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI), amongst others, are changing the dynamics for manufacturing companies.

Data is a key to start the journey towards Industry 4.0, and robust analysis of machine data can enable efficiency-optimised production, and potentially lead to new business models.

In automotive manufacturing, electricity makes up the majority of total energy cost compared to natural gas, water and other purchased fuels.

A programmable logic controller, or PLC, is a computer with a microprocessor used for industrial automation that can automate a specific process, machine function, or an entire production line.

A recent study concludes that customer experience is the top factor driving supply chain innovation, and the key to innovation is placing customers in the centre of supply chains.

We are now well-entrenched in the Industry 4.0 era, or the 4th Industrial Revolution, and are seeing advancements in technology that will require increasingly greater computing power at the network edge, driving the need for industrial edge data centers.

With advancements in AI, a truly smart factory can realise more capabilities by deploying intelligent robots that can learn and think like their human counterparts.

The industry is changing as End User customers are modernising their facilities with IIoT-based technologies.

Humans have a history of working with robotics since as early as 1937 when a robot powered by a single motor was engineered for industrial applications.

We should all embrace a solid cybersecurity strategy to defend ourselves against potential intrusion and other cyber-related attacks.

Get ready for the connected industry!

SCARA Robot’s Role In Manufacturing Transformation Smart manufacturing today combines the customisation, craftsmanship and closeness to customers of the pre-industrial era with the speed and efficiency of modern manufacturing.

Seeing the recent rise in demand and competition in the region’s manufacturing industry, we ask Festo about their strategy in helping customers achieve increased efficiency and improved productivity with automation solutions.  

When implemented correctly, robotic automation can spur greater efficiency, deliver better results, lower costs and increase flexibility.

Small manufacturing businesses face multifaceted issues like recruitment of younger workers, training older generation of workers and increased labour costs, especially in a country with high living costs such as Singapore. 

Austmine 2019, the biennial conference of Austmine was held on May 21-23, 2019 in Brisbane and AR was a great topic of interest.

When modernisation takes over, what happens to existing industrial operation and safety systems?

Ahmad Alshidiq catches up with Tommy Leong, Zone President of East Asia & Japan, Schneider Electric and discusses, among others, about the Southeast Asian opportunity for the industry and how is Industry 4.0 shaping up in the region.

One of the many benefits Internet of Things technology brings to companies in the commercial and industrial space is predictive maintenance.

Efficient, Process-Controlled Access Guarding Without Muting Sensors Innovative strength, a down-to-earth culture and strong commitment are the values that have made WITRON the company that it is today

According to IHS Markit, half of Internet of Things (IoT) devices shipped globally by 2026 will be destined for the Asia Pacific region.

Machine builder design efficiencies increase when core machine components are easy to select and simple to wire and install.

True digital transformation means not only collecting relevant data from intelligent assets – it also includes converting that data into information that empowers people at all levels of the organisation to work smarter and more productively.

Precision Sensors For Real-Time Position Measurement Advances in manufacturing technologies have created the need for higher accuracy and faster processing. Article by Shinrin Takahashi, Control Products Marketing Department, Advanced Automation Company, Azbil Corporation.

Two major trends are accelerating the pace of modern industrial transformation: increased pressure to improve productivity and boost ROI and the relatively low cost of IT-driven data acquisition and analysis.

Valves are like the executive body in the control process. They largely determine the dynamic response and at the same time must be able to withstand high dynamic forces themselves.

Doug Laney’s three Vs — volume, velocity and variety — provide a useful definition of big data. However, now big data is the norm in manufacturing environments, perhaps it’s more important to think about a fourth V — value.

From the most recent smartphone to the latest fashion, keeping up-to-date with trends can be tiring. In the manufacturing industry, future-proofing your factory may seem like a daunting task, especially as parts become obsolete as quickly as new advancements emerge.

Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott is bullish on edge computing technology, particularly the industrial edge.

New Collaboration Opportunity Bringing Together Digital Innovators and Experts The intriguing side of digital transformation innovative ways.

Smart manufacturing is all about leveraging the collective benefit of advanced technologies to optimise operations and gain competitive advantage.  

Thanks to automotive manufacturers’ platform strategies, component quantities are increasing while at the same time product life cycles are becoming ever shorter.

John Young, APAC sales director at industrial equipment provider EU Automation, gives his advice for keeping your programmable logic controllers safe from cyber-attack.

Industrial Automation Asia speaks with Vishal Goyal, Senior Technical Marketing at STMicroelectronics, to gather insights regarding sensors in smart industries. 

Whether you call it Industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), or Smart Manufacturing, the power of technology is being felt throughout the industrial world and fundamentally changing value chains and production methods.

In the past few years we have started to see more and more posts and adverts about glasses and head-mounted displays, augmented reality (AR), mobile computing and many more.

Ahmad Alshidiq interviewed Soichiro Kuninobu, General Manager, ASEAN Strategic Marketing Group, Factory Automation and Industrial Division, Mitsubishi Electric Asia, about the e-F@actory Alliance and the application of the IIoT in manufacturing.

Companies are continuing the transformation to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) characterised by digital, highly automated “smart” systems in virtually every vertical industry.

Still unsure where to start with digitalisation? It seems you’re not the only one.

One of the most important benefits of digitisation is the ability to capture and analyse data and to derive business value and profitability from that data.

Guido Ceresole, Zone VP SEAP, Gebo Cermex, discusses how ‘The Factory of the Future’ can help enhance efficiency, while bringing unprecedented agility and greater business opportunities.

From advanced robotics in R&D labs to computer vision in warehouses, technology is making an impact on every step of the manufacturing process. Article by CBInsights.

Schneider Electric is leading the digital transformation of industrial automation markets. Our IoT technologies are delivered through our EcoStruxure architecture and are ready for smart manufacturing.

The fourth industrial revolution is well underway and as state-of-the-art technology drops in price, many more industries are benefiting from smart factory

Over the last several years, the mantra of ‘digitisation is coming’ has rung like a steady bell in the ears of both industrial manufacturers…

Industrial markets are experiencing rapid change brought on by accelerated digitisation and new technologies such as IoT, data analysis, and artificial…

According to a recent ARC survey, 93 percent of industrial stakeholders agree that both edge and cloud processing will form the basis of their industrial…

Developers and Installers increasingly recognising what connectivity means to the end users. Connected solutions manufactures are offerings…

We live in a constantly changing dynamic environment. Therefore, innovation is a key driver for success. It means more than just research and development.

Demand for energy in SEA has driven the use of renewable energy sources, which require efficient storage and distribution of energy in the form of batteries

Internet of Things, benefits of iot in manufacturing when extended to industrial equipment require sensors to be plugged into physical assets of the manufacturing plants.

OEMs who build machines for industrial end users are finding themselves at a crossroads. Should they maintain their traditional business model.

KFM Holdings teams up with Schneider Electric to equip Malaysia PM Office with Building Management Systems. Never before has the need for an environment of high-performance buildings become as critical to the effort of the planet’s carbon footprint reduction.

There is no denying that we are well into the swing of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Early adopters of digitisation are seeing measurable benefits…

Ensuring the good functionality of electrical distribution infrastructure in the industry is one of the top priorities if you want your business to keep running without breakdowns.

Digitisation of Electric Utilities Meralco’s Innovative Approach Digitisation of Electric Utilities Meralco’s Innovative Approach Ferdinand Balagtas from Meralco shared with Schneider Electric in Singapore the next steps in their digitalisation journey.

As digital transformation unfolds around the globe, a new reality is emerging: Digitisation’s productivity gains depend on clean and reliable electrical power.

More than ever, the world needs bold ideas for reducing emissions and transitioning to renewable resources. A recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report stressed the need to cut global emissions by 45 percent by 2030 to minimise the risk of irreversible changes to our environment.