While security and ease of project execution are often the focus when discussing remote configuration, they’re just the beginning. In this post for our 2025 Environmental Sustainability blog series, we’re highlighting the environmental benefits as well. Embracing remote configuration not only helps reduce emissions—it also enhances efficiency, sparks innovation, and supports long-term resilience for your business and the planet.
One of the most valuable lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic is that remote work can significantly reduce a company’s carbon emissions and overall environmental footprint. While individuals often concentrate on minimizing their direct emissions, businesses have the potential to drive far greater impact by addressing emissions at scale. True corporate sustainability requires a holistic approach—one that considers the full lifecycle of every product, process, and operation. Software Toolbox offers several secure remote configuration options to help you achieve sustainability goals—featuring solutions like OPC Server Remote Configuration Client, Cogent DataHub, and OPC Router.
Understanding Carbon Emission Scopes—and How Remote Configuration Can Help
A company’s carbon emissions are typically categorized into three scopes, as defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the most widely recognized standard for greenhouse gas accounting:
- Scope 1: Direct emissions from company-owned operations
- Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased energy (e.g., electricity, heating, cooling)
- Scope 3: Indirect emissions from upstream and downstream activities, such as supply chains, logistics, and product use
Remote configuration can play a significant role in reducing emissions, especially in Scope 1 and Scope 3, while also improving your ability to monitor and manage all three scopes more effectively. Let’s take a closer look at what each scope includes—and how remote configuration solutions can help your company lower its overall carbon footprint.
Scope 1 - Cutting Emissions and Operational Costs with OPC Server Remote Configuration Client
Scope 1 encompasses all direct emissions from your day-to-day operations and processes, whether that is manufacturing, mining, or transporting products. This is a relatively small but meaningful part of a company’s footprint. For example, Scope 1 emissions account for around 1 to 10 percent of most discrete manufacturers’ footprints.
Software Toolbox solutions help reduce the need for sending personnel to physical device locations, especially when managing multiple plants. Traditionally, even with centralized HMI/SCADA visualization, updates or troubleshooting required driving from site to site. Remote configuration software eliminates this need by enabling secure access and modifications at any facility, no matter where you are. Whether you're on-site at one plant or working remotely, you can manage all your sites without visiting them—saving time, reducing emissions, and accelerating response.
The OPC Server Remote Configuration Client makes it easy to configure major device drivers and plug-ins remotely—whether you’re using TOP Server or KEPServerEX, regardless of your automation and control solution brand. With secure SSL/TLS encryption, your systems remain protected, while the optional audit trail provides transparency and accountability for every change. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also reduces the need for on-site travel.
Scope 2 – Secure, Efficient, and Environmentally Safe: Cogent DataHub’s Remote Configuration
Scope 2 covers the emissions from all purchased utilities we rely on, like the electricity that keeps your servers running and the heating system that keeps your office comfortable. Hybrid work can reduce a company’s scope 2 emissions, as seat sharing allows for smaller offices and less electricity use in the office.
Software Toolbox solutions, including our remote configuration options, support centralized management, allowing users to easily manage and integrate operations spread across multiple physical locations from a single location. This helps break silos and creates constructive collaboration between operations and sustainability!
Cogent DataHub’s Remote Configuration feature—introduced in version 9 and enhanced in version 11 —empowers users to securely manage and configure multiple Cogent DataHub instances across their enterprise from a single location. This eliminates the need for physical site visits, enabling real-time updates and data collection without service interruptions.
With support for CSV import across components like OPC UA, OPC DA, Bridging, MQTT, Modbus, and various historians, setup is fast and efficient. Security is built-in with SSL/TLS encryption, configurable user roles, and optional multi-factor authentication (MFA) using TOTP, ensuring changes are secure and access is controlled. In addition to improving operational efficiency and cybersecurity, remote management across multiple sites also supports sustainability goals by reducing travel-related emissions—helping organizations shrink their carbon footprint while maintaining agility and uptime.
Scope 3 - Sustainability with OPC Router’s Remote Configuration
Scope 3 covers everything else: all emissions resulting from activities not directly controlled or owned by the company. This includes commuting, travel, the raw materials used in your manufacturing process, the transportation and distribution of goods, and the waste footprints of each manufactured product, among many other sources.
At a company-wide level, this is where the personal carbon footprint comes into play. While it is not universal, remote workers often have a lower carbon footprint compared to onsite workers. A large part of that is because remote work means keeping cars off the road!
Software Toolbox solutions are designed to secure data communication and provide seamless integration — but what happens when you're managing multiple plants? Even with centralized HMI/SCADA visualization, teams have traditionally needed to travel between sites to troubleshoot or make configuration changes. Our remote configuration software capabilities change that by allowing you to make updates at one plant while sitting in another.
A great example is OPC Router’s centralized multi-instance remote configuration and management support, available for both Windows and Docker deployments. From a single interface, you can easily configure and maintain multiple OPC Router instances—whether installed locally on Windows or running in containerized Docker environments—with a consistent user experience. Secure, role-based access ensures only authorized users can make changes, reducing risk while improving control. Most importantly, by minimizing the need for inter-site travel, this approach lowers fuel consumption and emissions—helping you meet sustainability goals while saving valuable time and reducing operational costs.
Ready to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint? Let’s Go Remote.
Remote Configuration doesn’t just enhance security and simplify system management, it’s a smart step toward building a greener, more efficient, and future-ready business. By reducing travel, streamlining updates, and improving visibility across sites, you’re not only cutting costs but also aligning with the sustainability values of today’s consumers, investors, and partners.
Ready to reduce your footprint and elevate your operations? Let’s explore how remote configuration can work for you. Schedule a consultation and find out.
