Each year, Autodesk publishes the results of The State of Design and Make study. This global survey gathers input from over 5,368 industry leaders, futurists, and experts in architecture, engineering, construction, and owners (AECO); design and manufacturing (D&M); and media and entertainment (M&E).
Sustainability was one of the topics of focus in the 2024 study. Nearly all of the study participants (97%) said that their industry has made changes to improve sustainability. In addition, 87% indicated that improving sustainability practices is a good long-term business decision and over two-thirds (69%) say it’s a good short-term decision.
Source: Autodesk 2024 State of Design & Make
The motivation to undertake sustainability initiatives often comes from customers and employees. Customers tend to be the greatest source of pressure to define and meet sustainability goals. Over 80% of the study respondents said that customers influence their sustainability activities.
Sustainability initiatives offer two significant benefits to companies:
- They attract talent. When people are passionate about sustainability, they seek jobs where they know their work will align with their values. If companies focus on sustainability, they know that they will attract these individuals and once hired, those people will do their best work.
- They strengthen brands. Sustainability-focused actions can improve a company’s reputation. This may, in turn, boost its revenues and profits. For example, sustainable projects and products are often more appealing to customers who are willing to pay a premium for sustainability.
As organizations consider their product offerings and manufacturing processes, many are striving to reduce waste, lower carbon emissions, apply sustainable design principles, incorporate more recycled materials, and more. Sustainability also applies to company operations, such as the energy efficiency of manufacturing lines or data centers.
Often technology can help organizations achieve their sustainability goals. One-third of digitally mature companies said they are using artificial intelligence solutions to become more sustainable versus 21% at less digitally mature firms. IMAGINiT recently worked with a manufacturer who used ProModel for AutoCAD Edition to compare manufacturing processes and predict how different process changes will affect energy consumption, carbon dioxide output, and profits.
