archiveMarch 2023

Sustainability remains a priority for companies with the majority embracing technology solutions alongside process changes. Sustainability is a key focus of companies worldwide, according to the latest Honeywell 2023 Environmental Sustainability Index that shows an increase in corporate confidence, quarter over quarter, in meeting near and long-term environmental goals with organisations taking a balanced approach to sustainability initiatives. Honeywell 1Q 2023 Environmental Sustainability Index is a quarterly indicator of key trends pertaining to global efforts in climate change mitigation and other sustainability initiatives. The index provides a comparison of corporate...

Decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors needs new tech and commitments to purchase near-zero emission products. That’s the aim of the First Movers Coalition (FMC) launched in November 2021 with a mission to accelerate the scaling of emerging decarbonisation technologies in hard-to-abate sectors. As of January 2023, more than 65 blue-chip member companies have joined the coalition with commitments to buy near-zero emission products totalling an estimated $12 billion. FMC is tackling the challenge of slashing emissions in seven critical sectors: steel, aluminium, concrete, trucking, shipping, aviation, and CO2 removal. The deep carbonisation...

Decarbonising cement and concrete used in the built environment is vital to reducing global greenhouse-gas emissions. Reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 will require the rapid decarbonisation of the cement and concrete industry. Although many companies in the industry have committed to decarbonisation, no individual organisation can achieve this goal without buy-in from across the ecosystem, according to a new report from McKinsey. The built environment accounts for approximately 40 per cent of global CO2 emissions from fuel combustion and 25 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions. As a part of these totals, cement production...

As climate change intensifies, companies across sectors are transforming their business models to forge a sustainable future – one that protects people, planet, and profits. According to a 2022 report from the Institute for Business Value (IBM), in the race to reduce emissions, consumption, and waste – while protecting biodiversity – everything is on the table, and consumers are playing a vital role in making it happen. 51 per cent of respondents to an IBM environmental sustainability survey, released in February 2022, said that sustainability was more important to them...

Metal recycler EMR has gained the world’s first environmental product declaration (EPD) for its reusable low carbon steel product. An environmental product declaration (EPD) provides an independently-verified summary of the environmental impact of a product through its life-cycle, calculated via a life-cycle assessment (LCA). Without the need for re-melting, long-distance transportation and the addition of nature-depleting iron ore, reusing steel beams and columns recovered by EMR within end-of-life buildings creates 97.5 percent less carbon emissions than conventional steel products (47kgCO2e per tonne compared with the World Steel Association’s global average...

EV sales in UK are forecast to reach half a million units in 2023 but measures are needed to ensure a fair net zero transition. Nearly one in four new cars sold in UK in February were plug-ins, battery-powered deliveries rose 18.2 per cent with all EV cars taking almost a quarter market share, according to industry group the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) recorded the most significant growth of all fuel types, up 40.0 per cent, followed by petrol, up 35.8 per cent...

Corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) have enabled significant growth in the commercial and industrial renewable power supply space, influencing final investment decisions from developers and investors looking to construct new renewable energy assets. Big tech companies are some of the biggest purchasers of PPAs. Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta were the top three largest corporate buyers of renewable energy through PPAs in 2021, with roughly 14.5 gigawatts secured between the three companies. According to Bill Kentrup, co-founder and head of origination at Allinfra, solar is the predominant solution for on-site or...

Net zero is driving economic growth with low carbon business activity generating £41.2 billion in 2020, according to Mission Zero. Mission Zero, the Independent Review of Net Zero, reports that there are already around 430,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country with turnover estimated at £41.2 billion in 2020. Government analysis suggests that nearly 68,000 green jobs have been created or supported since November 2020. The Independent Review of Net Zero highlights economic opportunities of net zero transition; first-mover advantage of investing ahead of...

A new UV pasteurisation system is minimising the environmental impact of salad cheese production at a Danish company. Sustainable pasteurisation has been achieved by Arla Foods Kruså by replacing its microfiltration system with a new a UV pasteurisation system from Lyras. Waste and energy consumption has been reduced while cleaning and operational processes have also become simpler and cheaper. As a result, Lyras’ UV technology, known as Raslysation, will be Arla Food Kruså’s chosen method of brine treatment for the company’s production of salad cheese. Previously Arla Foods Kruså micro-filtrated...

Rising energy costs are accelerating investment in the electrification of transport and renewable power, according to the ECIU. The Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit forecast rising investment in electrification of transport as Europe reaches a tipping point in electrification of the transport system, indicated by the number of EV models now available in Europe – at 184 models a five-fold increase compared with five years ago. An ECIU report shows global EV sales more than doubled in 2021 and similar growth was seen in 2022. Germany and Britain led the...