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According to a study presented at the Laser World of Photonics 2019 in Munich, the photonics industry has already accounted for 1.1 billion tons of lesser CO₂ emission till now and is estimated to take the value upto 3 billion by 2030. The study, Licht als Schlüssel zur globalen Nachhaltigkeit [Light as the Key to Global Sustainability] was presented by the German industry association SPECTARIS and Messe München in cooperation with Fraunhofer ILT and the Fraunhofer Group for Light & Surfaces.

The report states that the photonics industry is making a significant contribution towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reaching the targets of the Paris Agreement: through reduced power consumption, CO₂ emissions, and use of fertilizer, by saving material and as a result of new recycling processes and technologies for environmental protection. 2030 is an intermediate stop on the road to carbon neutrality that is to be achieved by 2050 according to the Climate Change Agreement.

The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. In 2030, eleven percent of the CO2 savings achieved will be due directly or indirectly to applications in the field of photonics. The study describes the ecological contribution of selected technical light applications and exposes the underlying innovations.

According to SPECTARIS CEO Jörg Mayer, climate control and environmental protection are the greatest challenges facing humankind. The technical achievements in photonics show that we already have important tools at hand. The things we have already achieved with lasers and light sensors were still regarded as science fiction just a few years ago. Today, these technologies are part of our everyday lives and reduce climate-damaging emissions considerably – technologies such as photovoltaics, energy-efficient lighting, and optical communication.

It is expected that the current contribution to CO2 reduction will almost triple to approximately three billion tons by 2030. Consequently, in 2030, the photonics industry can claim to contribute at least eleven percent towards achieving the target of limiting temperature increases to 1.5 degrees, or, respectively, 22 percent of the slightly less ambitious 2-degree target of the Paris Agreement.

According to Professor Reinhart Poprawe, Head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT/RWTH, Aachen University, our society is currently facing the challenges of megatrends such as mobility, energy, communication, climate control, security, and health and thus fast, effective solutions are needed. Photonics offers solution approaches for the challenges resulting from these megatrends. In many cases, this benefits the environment. Photonics-based solutions have already been presented with Europe’s richest environmental award, the German Environmental Award, three times. And there are now 32 Nobel Prize winners in the field of photonics.

LASER World of PHOTONICS, the world’s leading trade fair for optical technologies, showcases the incredible developments that have been made in the fields of lasers and photonics since 1960. It is presenting sustainability in the context of electric mobility – which would be inconceivable without laser technology – from battery production to lightweight construction and cockpit component manufacturing. Many of the exhibitors are companies that pioneered the links between photonics and sustainability.

Background: Technical utilization of light – photonics – enables countless applications in industrial and private areas, which would be inconceivable without this key technology. For example, the Internet is based on data that is transmitted by fiber optics and that circles the planet at the speed of light; displays, cameras, and sensors from smartphones are the interfaces to our human senses; and, thanks to optical systems, physicians can make accurate diagnoses and carry out treatments that are efficient and non-invasive.

The German photonics industry is one of the most innovative areas in Germany and in the world and is also experiencing dynamic, long-term growth. Currently, in Germany more than 140,000 people work directly in the photonics industry, generating almost EUR 40 billion each year.

Click here to view more highlights from the photonic industry at Laser World of Photonics 2019 happening in Munich from June 24-27.