Photonics makes a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change: through reduced electricity consumption, CO2 emissions or fertilizer use, through the saving of materials or through new recycling processes and technologies for environmental protection. 2030 is a stopover on the way to climate neutrality, which should be achieved according to the 2050 climate change agreement. The aim of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Eleven percent of the CO2 saved in 2030 will result directly or indirectly from photonics applications. This is demonstrated by the new study "Light as a key to global sustainability" by the industry association Spectaris and Messe München in cooperation with the Fraunhofer ILT and the Fraunhofer Group Light & Surfaces. The study describes the ecological contribution of selected technical applications of light and introduces the underlying innovations. It was presented at the press conference to kick off the world's leading trade fair "LASER World of PHOTONICS 2019" in Munich.

"Climate and environmental protection are among the greatest challenges of humanity. The technical achievements of photonics show that we already hold important tools in our hands, "explains SPECTARIS Managing Director Jörg Mayer. "What we achieved today with lasers or light sensors was still considered science fiction a few years ago. Today, these technologies permeate our everyday lives and save on a large scale climate-damaging emissions such. photovoltaics, energy-efficient lighting or optical communication. "It is expected that by 2030, today's contribution to CO2 savings will almost treble to around three billion tonnes. In the year 2030, the photonics industry can contribute at least eleven percent to the goal of limiting the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees or 22 percent to the weaker 2-degree path of the Paris Climate Agreement.