A total of 63 million jobs are expected to be lost to automation by 2040 across India , China , South Korea , Australia and Japan , according to research and advisory firm Forrester .

Forrester ’ s latest Future of Jobs Forecast says that automation will cost jobs across wholesale , retail , transport , accommodation , and leisure in the APAC region , but that the green economy will help offset this as more countries commit to carbon neutrality . It says an estimated 28.5 million new jobs will be created by 2040 in renewable energy , green buildings , smart cities , smart infrastructure , and professional services .

The report also highlighted how jobs in the major Asia Pacific economies are more at risk from robotic automation than in Europe and North America . The sectors most susceptible to automation , it says , are construction and agriculture .

� RAIL FREIGHT

European Union sustainability proposals include a plan to double rail freight across the territory by 2030 , with the US also committed to increasing the role of rail as part of its transport infrastructure . The move to rail is being driven by the fact it produces 75 % less carbon emissions than road .

� ELECTRICITY 4.0

Schneider Electric ’ s Energy Management Chief , Steve Smith , says sustainability is most promising at the point renewable energy meets digital – so-called Electricity 4.0 . “ It ’ s where energy becomes visible , connected , smarter , and more controllable ,” says Smith .

� SMALL-TO-MEDIUM- SIZED BUSINESSES

Gartner Associate Principal Supply Chain Analyst Olivia Montgomery tells Supply Chain Digital that , in too many SMBs , employer communication around sustainability doesn ' t align with what is actually happening .

� GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS The UN reports that droughts are more frequent and prolonged , and , with China rationing hydropower , multinational firms need to rethink supply chains – yet most are unprepared for long-term droughts in China , Fortune says .

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