Emerging Technologies

How can quantum technologies advance the sustainability agenda?

Blue glowing futuristic quantum computer, computer generated abstract background, 3D rendering

Can quantum be a sustainability game-changer? Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

Laura Converso
Thought Leadership Principal Director, Accenture
Arunima Sarkar
Lead, Quantum Technology, World Economic Forum
  • A new report by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Accenture, Quantum for Society: Meeting the Ambition of the SDGs, raises awareness about the potential of quantum technologies to advance the UN’s SDGs.
  • Shortening the gap between ambition and reality entails not only seizing the short-term opportunities ahead of the 2030 milestone but also embracing them fully by building the foundations of a quantum for society ecosystem.
  • Aligned with this vision, the Forum’s Quantum Economy Network has been working jointly with the global quantum ecosystem by providing governance principles, guidance and practical frameworks, and launching the Quantum Applications Hub to advance the responsible innovation and commercialization of quantum technology.

As we approach the 2030 deadline established by the United Nations to progress the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda, quantum technologies might offer a unique opportunity to advance the 17 sustainability goals, from alleviating poverty, to decarbonizing our planet, moving to renewable energies, and improving health and well-being for all.

The report, Quantum for Society: Meeting the Ambition of the SDGs, aims to provide some guidance on how quantum technologies might unlock value for society. To do this, the nascent ecosystem must work jointly to identify, prioritize and research quantum technologies – e.g. quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum communication – that offer the chance to bring significant progress to our sustainability goals.

Can quantum be a sustainability game-changer?

Quantum might well be the disruptive technology we were waiting for to turbocharge the race to the SDGs. Identifying quantum solutions that might achieve readiness in the next six years and have the potential to scale fast, affecting billions of lives, will be critical to impact the societal agenda in a concrete and tangible way.

Have you read?

However, several quantum technologies are still in the early stages of development. Some applications in the quantum sensing space may unlock value shortly, leading to practical usage in health and well-being (SDG3) and affordable and clean energy (SDG7), for instance. Quantum communication, on the other side, will ensure the ultra-secure transmission of data in a way that modern communication systems cannot today. Assessing the short-term potential of quantum computing, however, remains difficult. So far, there is no leading approach and different quantum modalities (e.g. superconducting, neutral atom, trapped ion, photonics, etc.) coexist showing a mixed bag of advantages and disadvantages.

The power of quantum resides on its capability to advance every single SDG. But which quantum solutions should be prioritized? Some use cases identified by the Forum, such as water quality monitoring, Earth observation to support disaster preparedness, solar cell design, and climate modelling and weather forecast have a higher chance to trigger real and measurable impact, showing a multiplier effect and the capacity to boost several SDGs simultaneously. Not surprisingly, these same use cases are aligned to the Water-Energy-Food Nexus, a framework established by UNESCO to exhibit the complex and dynamic interrelationship across certain goals (see figure below).

The water-energy-food nexus. Source: The World Economic Forum.
The water-energy-food nexus. Source: The World Economic Forum.

Building the ecosystem is a 'Glocal' effort

Currently, the quantum for society ecosystem is embryonic. Only an orchestrated network of business leaders, policy-makers, international organizations and academia that works in this regard, will enable systemic change. To accelerate and enhance its development will require the commitment of all stakeholders involved, combining global considerations with local priorities and interests. Sub-Saharan African countries, for instance, need to access reliable drinking water (SDG 6), but often do not count with the tools and technology to make it happen. Quantum sensing and quantum simulation technologies might help to alleviate drinking water disinfection problems for millions of people in the region.

Global commitment to accelerate quantum for society solutions. Source: The World Economic Forum.
Global commitment to accelerate quantum for society solutions. Source: The World Economic Forum.

Social entrepreneurs experimenting with quantum technologies will struggle to get access to private funding due to quantum technologies’ lack of immediate return on investment. They will need guidance from the entire ecosystem to gain exposure, learn about governments grants, take part in open innovation challenges and collaborate with public-private partnerships.

Discover

What is the World Economic Forum doing about the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

The Uplink Challenge, for instance, was launched by the Forum in partnership with the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Saudi Arabia to source start-ups that maximize the potential of quantum technologies to address key societal issues, including climate change, health and well-being, affordable and clean energy and sustainable growth.

Sustainable-by-design: in the quest for a greener computing paradigm

Quantum computing’s tremendous opportunity relies on the possibility to outperform classical computers in three domains: molecular simulation and discovery in materials science and biology; optimization and risk management in complex systems; and AI and machine learning. By definition, a quantum advantage can be obtained when a quantum machine can solve a real-world problem faster and more efficiently than the most powerful supercomputer. But what if – in the quest for a greener computing paradigm – the advantage could be measured in terms of energy efficiency?

Proclaiming that quantum machines can provide energy savings compared to classical computers, however, is not that simple, as multiple factors need to be contemplated (e.g. quantum modality, cooling system, problem size, etc.). While scientists continue in their pursuit for a greener computing paradigm, finding more rigorous energy efficiency metrics for measuring quantum’s carbon footprint and building machines sustainable-by-design are highly relevant imperatives to fulfill the sustainability agenda.

Loading...
Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Quantum Computing

Related topics:
Emerging TechnologiesForum Institutional
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Quantum Computing is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

Equitable AI skilling can help solve talent scarcity – this is what leaders can do

Sander van 't Noordende

December 5, 2024

Closing the AI equity gap: Trust and safety for sustainable development

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum