San Murugesan

Our well-being and socioeconomic progress are inseparable from the health of our environment. A sustainable environment underpins human survival, economic stability, and the future of life on Earth. Livelihoods, industries, ecosystems, and biodiversity all depend on a stable planet. Yet decades of environmental degradation have brought us to an unprecedented crisis. Extreme weather events—droughts, floods, heat waves, snowstorms, and wildfires—are increasing in frequency and intensity, disrupting lives, damaging economies, and escalating recovery costs. Environmental degradation also poses serious health risks, contributing to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, the spread of infectious illnesses, and food insecurity.

Engineering has long driven human progress, and today it must lead sustainability efforts. Green (or sustainable) engineering balances environmental responsibility with economic viability, performance, and profitability.

This talk outlines the severity of the environmental crisis and draws lessons in sustainability from nature and ancient Indian practices that remain relevant today. Recent advances in sustainable green technologies –  green IT, green AI, green cloud computing, renewable energy systems, green manufacturing, sustainable transport, and climate-resilient agriculture – are examined. Emerging innovations, market trends, and practical recommendations for adopting green technologies are discussed, along with key IEEE initiatives supporting a sustainable future.

Engineers are problem-solvers. As Albert Einstein once wisely suggested, our significant problems cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical practice, and informed policy engagement, we can drive meaningful change. Let us act now to create a cleaner, greener, and more resilient planet—because if not now, when?

Biography:

San Murugesan is Director of BRITE Professional Services, an Adjunct Professor at Western Sydney University, Australia, and a Senior Consultant with Cutter Consortium (USA). His career spans senior roles in academia, industry, and government research, including service as a Senior Research Fellow at the US National Research Council at NASA Ames Research Center, California, and as Deputy Division Head and Project Engineer at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Bangalore.

With over 40 years of experience, Murugesan has led numerous innovative IT initiatives and demonstrated sustained leadership in research, development, and professional practice. His interests span green IT and sustainability, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, IT applications, and smart systems.

Murugesan has edited or co-edited 12 books, including the widely cited Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices (Wiley–IEEE Computer Society, 2012) and the Encyclopedia of Cloud Computing (Wiley–IEEE, 2016). He has served as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Intelligent Systems and IT Professional, and as an editor of IEEE Computer. He is a Distinguished Visitor and a member of the Publications Committee of the IEEE Computer Society, and currently serves as Associate Chair of COMPSAC.

Murugesan is a Fellow of the Australian Computer Society, IETE, and IICA; a Golden Core Member and Distinguished Contributor (charter member) of the IEEE Computer Society; and a Life Member of IEEE. More information is available at: www.tinyurl.com/san1bio.

Address:New South Wales, Australia