Greentech Lead America: Verizon will cut its CO2
intensity in half by 2020. The mobile operator will also focus on developing
solutions to address social issues like health care and energy.
“Our business continues to grow at a rapid pace, but
we’re committed to innovating our way to growing responsibly by becoming more
energy efficient, even as our business expands,” said Verizon
Chairman and CEO Lowell McAdam.
Carbon intensity is improved by reducing the absolute
amount of energy and by moving more data with the same unit of energy. Verizon
is using its 2009 carbon intensity level as the benchmark for the company’s 50
percent reduction by 2020.
Verizon believes that creating healthy, sustainable
communities is the surest path to creating a healthy and sustainable business.
By focusing on mobility, broadband and global
connectivity, Verizon is breaking down old technology barriers and empowering
businesses and communities.
The company is working with health insurance provider
WellPoint to change the model for delivering patient services via secure
videoconferencing. WellPoint subscribers will be able to use their smartphones
and tablets to consult with nurse managers for help in managing chronic
conditions.
Through a grant from the Verizon Foundation, the
University of Virginia launched its first telehealth nursing program to train
medical personnel at the school’s Wise County campus on the use of emerging
telehealth technologies to improve health care access and services in rural
regions of the state.
Deployment of 4G LTE mobile networks will be a game-changer
in education, as it enables the adaptation of various technologies in the
education setting. At St. Phillips Academy in Newark, N.J., for example, a VGo
telepresence robot helps solve several classroom challenges including helping a
homebound student undergoing medical treatments stay involved with the class.