In this article
Walking the walk towards a sustainable business
There’s a great deal talked about and written about sustainability – including in this issue of Know+How. Now, as customers, stakeholders and the Government begin to ask difficult questions about companies’ progress towards sustainable, zero-carbon operations, the need to find answers and take action is more pressing than ever. ERIKS is already taking important steps to achieve sustainability. And helping its customers to do the same.
There are many products and services which ERIKS offers, which are helping customers to optimise efficiency, reduce energy consumption, shrink their carbon footprint, and increase the sustainability of their processes. However, no matter how much know-how ERIKS is able to offer, ERIKS’ customers quite rightly want to see the business putting sustainability into action in its own operations. And so do ERIKS’ employees and stakeholders.
So before outlining ERIKS’ answers to customers’ questions about sustainability, let’s look at what ERIKS is doing to address its own sustainability challenges.
Driving down emissions
The single greatest contributor to ERIKS’ carbon footprint is the company’s fleet of vans and cars. And of the two, the vans are by far the larger emitters.
With this in mind, ERIKS is moving as quickly as possible to fully-electric or hybrid vehicles, and you may begin to notice these delivering to your site in the future. As a result of this move to EVs and hybrid vehicles, ERIKS’ diesel usage is decreasing noticeably year-on-year.
At the same time, the business is investigating other opportunities for reducing its carbon emissions at existing ERIKS-owned operating sites throughout the UK and Europe. These may include initiatives, such as moving to providers of green electricity for all sites, or smaller steps such as retrofitting lighting sensors and LED lighting.
Where some of these steps may not be practical or economically feasible we are considering tree planting to offset a sites carbon emissions.
In new ERIKS facilities, emissions-reducing solutions – whether large scale (renewable power generation) or small scale (LED lighting) – will be installed from day one wherever possible. In potential new shared sites, ERIKS will always consider the carbon footprint of the building before committing to occupation.
Ever-increasing circles
Sustainability is about more than carbon and other emissions. It’s also about reducing the use of material through recycling or – as part of the circular economy – through re-use.
While ensuring packaging made from recycled materials is in use across all sites, ERIKS is now moving towards re-usable packaging rather than recyclable, where possible.
When recycled materials are used, ERIKS is committed to ensuring they are actually recycled after use. For example, all brown card used by the business is now recycled. As another alternative, some waste which is neither recyclable nor re-usable is sent for electricity from waste generation.
The overall result is that the volume of material sent to landfill by ERIKS has decreased – and the aim is that it will continue to do so.
ERIKS sustainability is yours too
What ERIKS does to increase its sustainability and reduce its emissions has a knock-on positive effect for ERIKS’ customers too [see box-out below].
But at the same time as these indirect benefits, there are more direct ways in which ERIKS can help you as you strive for greater sustainability.
Two services available to customers are the unique Sustainability Design Sprint, and the energy management and sustainability initiatives provided by ERIKS’ sister company EM3.
Sustainability Design Sprint
ERIKS experts work with customers to understand their current situation and identify areas where improvements can be made.
The experts will then set the scope of each potential project, develop sustainable change models, and help the customer to achieve practical solutions that are specific, precisely costed, and measurable.
EM3 services
Targeting specific industrial processes (for example, the operation of a boiler, HVAC or compressed air system), EM3 services start with an initial energy audit.
This enables resources to be focused on delivering easily measurable energy-efficiency savings through a clearly defined project.
People, Planet, Performance
If you look after people and their wishes, you’ll be looking after the planet too – and in the long-run your performance will benefit.
As your customers, employees and stakeholders become more aware of the need to operate sustainably, it’s more important than ever to work with partners who think the same way.
There are no simple answers on sustainability. But if you work with partners who are asking the right questions and looking for solutions, then you will be continually moving nearer towards your goal of a successful, sustainable business. So if you want to walk that walk, talk to ERIKS.
Scope 3 emissions out of control?
Some emissions are more difficult to control or manage than others, and Scope 3 emissions are an example of these. Defined as indirect emissions resulting from activities related to your business, they could be from production, transportation, waste disposal, company-owned vehicles, or even employees commuting.
Also known as ‘value chain emissions’, these can come from upstream or downstream.
Upstream emissions result from the production of the goods and services your business uses. Downstream emissions result from the use of your products and services.
So if you manufacture original equipment for a production line, the emissions resulting from its use count as downstream Scope 3 emissions.
ERIKS’ actions to reduce emissions will in turn reduce Scope 3 emissions for ERIKS’ customers.
For more information, get in touch with your local ERIKS Service Centre who will be happy to discuss your options.
#ERIKS #LetsMakeIndustryWorkBetter #Sustanability #SustainableBusiness #Investments
Author
