Nokia commissioned PwC UK to support the development of a Private Wireless Sustainability Calculator, drawing on Nokia's extensive experience deploying private wireless networks for more than 760 industrial customers worldwide. Initially created for the mining, manufacturing, and port industries, Nokia's tool helps companies leverage private wireless technology to achieve their environmental and social objectives, addressing growing investor demand for transparency.

Digitalization is key to accelerating industry sustainability and enabling companies to achieve long-term growth. Private wireless networks provide high-performance connectivity for digitalization, enabling new applications such as drone inspections, digital twins, and real-time environmental monitoring. These applications, when combined with private networks and edge computing, improve operational efficiency and contribute to sustainability goals.

Industry 4.0 applications powered by private wireless networks offer significant improvements for businesses.
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions: A report by GlobalData and Nokia found that 79% of surveyed companies saw a reduction of 10% or more in emissions after implementing private wireless solutions such as drones, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and digital twins.
Improved worker safety: Medium-sized chemical manufacturing plants using private wireless networks can save approximately €1.4 million in social costs (assuming constant production volumes) and experience an average decrease of 35% in health and safety incidents. Social costs refer to the economic and social burdens associated with accidents, injuries, and illnesses, including healthcare expenses, lost productivity, and the impact on families and communities. This is due to factors such as remote machine control, which reduces workers' exposure to hazardous environments.

Improved efficiency: Autonomous forklifts powered by private wireless networks reduce fuel consumption and wear by 7%. Furthermore, operations became 10% more efficient, resulting in reduced energy consumption and improved worker safety.

Nokia's Private Wireless Network Sustainability Calculator builds on PwC UK's expertise in impact measurement and valuation, and its Total Impact Measurement and Management (TIMM ) framework, to develop environmental and social impact methodologies for private wireless networks. TIMM is rooted in impact pathways, going a step further than most other methodologies to translate societal costs and benefits into monetary terms.

Nokia's calculator uses data from multiple sources, including previous quantifications from other projects and network models, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of private networks. From there, the model's insights help users identify opportunities to improve business operations, including extending equipment lifecycles, reducing transportation downtime and fuel consumption, and enhancing worker health considerations. Through this process, Nokia Private Wireless' Sustainability Calculator provides companies with vital findings and insights to improve their business, from improving operational efficiency, worker health and safety, to potentially reducing costs and environmental footprint.