COMMENT November 2020 Automation Smarter solutions for industrial efficiency automationmagazine.co.uk November 2020


Automation The green bandwagon


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couldn’t agree more with the comment made by Linda Tsai, Advantech’s IIoT President, at her company’s recent virtual summit that “We only have one Earth; [and] we need to focus on climate change and sustainability”. She then announced Advantech’s commitment to a greener future: “As a company, we want to be more green!”


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Advantech is not the only firm to commit to a greener future. Some, like ST Microelectronics for example, have had green manufacturing practices for many years, but the current impetus for sustainability is growing more rapidly than ever – which is fantastically good news. Surveys show more people supporting sustainability actions. In the UK, for example, nearly two thirds of the population are willing to donate a percentage of their salary to fight climate change. A recent survey by Nexans shows that 84% of people believe the UK’s post- pandemic economic stimulus package should be climate-friendly, and over half (56.5%) of workers are prepared to donate up to 5% of their income to fight climate change. And some 63%, according to Kapsch TrafficCom Index 2020 survey, are prepared to leave their cars at home, ideally supported by environment-friendly transport solutions.


The 2020 survey by Macfarlane Packaging looked specifically at the quality and environ- mental credentials of retailers’ packaging. It found that consumers welcome the increase in green packaging. This will certainly be further helped by a recently-introduced British standard for biodegradable plastic.


And there’s more: In a new report, the Mineral Products Association (MPA) estimates that in 2018 some 71 million tonnes of aggregates from a range of sources have been reused in construction in Great Britain. Recycled and secondary sources of construction aggregates supplied 28% of the total demand in 2018 in Great Britain, well ahead of the European average.


Healthy competition with the rest of the world


aside, these are all positive moves. And, for once, I am happy to urge, let’s all jump on this – green! – bandwagon.


Svetlana Josifovska, Editor


Editor Svetlana Josifovska Tel: 01732 883392


SJosifovska@datateam.co.uk


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