Australian businesses are being encouraged to adopt greener practices by the country's government, which is pledging up to $10 million to this cause.
The government-run Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) wants business leaders to be more mindful of their energy usage in a bid to reduce the level of potentially harmful excess carbon emissions throughout the country.
A new Internet of Things network is being launched to enable businesses to monitor their energy use via smart technology, which is being created by tech company Thinxtra as part of a $20 million strategy.
The CEFC will oversee the development of Thinxtra's Low-Powered Wide Area Network (LPWAN) along with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, with both committed to driving innovation in clean energy technologies across Australia.
Businesses will be able to connect multiple devices to the LPWAN, which will enable them to keep better track of their energy usage both within their premises and while their staff are on the go.
Examples of devices that it will be useful for monitoring the emissions of include gas canisters, waste containers and site gates, meaning it could have benefits for property investors and developers.
Ian Learmonth, chief executive officer of the CEFC, commented: "Our finance for Thinxtra will help build essential support technology which is set to play a key role in transitioning the Australian economy to net zero emissions by the second half of the century.
"We're talking about the potential to operate smarter cities, more energy-efficient and liveable buildings, better monitoring of environmental assets, better health monitoring and more sustainable agricultural practices."
Some 150 businesses across Australia have already signed up to the Thinxtra network. It is hoped that 17 million objects will be connected to it by 2022, while 95 per cent of the population down under should be able to access the network by the end of this year.
