SUSTAINABILITY
ACO PAVES WAY TO NET ZERO BY 2045
With climate change more apparent than ever, ACO Technologies aims to be Carbon Net Zero five years ahead of the government’s deadline.
E
arth’s climate is rising at a rate not seen in the past 10,000 years, according to NASA, and the United Nations state that the Earth is now 1.1°C warmer than it was in the 1800s. In the UK, the Met Office confirmed June 2023 as the hottest June on record. Meanwhile scientists from the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) uncovered 4th July 2023 was the hottest day on Earth since records began in 1979, with global temperatures registering 17.18°C. ACO Technologies is the first manufacturer to be selected as a CO2nstructZero Business
Champion, and is aiming to align to the government’s Net Zero Strategy: ‘Build Back Greener’ by 2045. In doing so, it will also meet CO2nstructZero goals by the same date as well as the Science Based Targets initiative Net Zero near-term targets.
This aims for a year-on-year reduction of 4.2% in Scope 1 and 2 emissions, as well as a 2.5% reduction for Scope 3 emissions. To join the SBTi, ACO has evaluated its Scope 1 and 2 emissions and set realistic targets that are in line with keeping global temperatures within 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial temperatures. To remain compliant and achieve the SBTi’s
A HANDLE ON SCIENCE
Science Based Targets Initiative provides companies with a defined path to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals. BMJ finds out more.
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iming to drive ambitious corporate climate action, the Science Based Targets Initiative is a partnership that has been created between
not-for-profit charity CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to enable organisations to set science- based emissions reduction targets. It aims to define and promote best practices in emissions reductions and net-zero targets in line with climate science, whilst providing companies with technical assistance and expert resources. Over 4,000 organisations across the world are currently supporting the transition to a net-zero economy by committing to emissions reduction targets grounded in climate science through the Science Based Targets Initiative.
near-term targets, ACO is aiming to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 57% by 2030. As part of its decarbonisation strategy, ACO has already invested into renewable and green energy solutions at its manufacturing facilities in the UK. The investment has resulted in ACO Qmax, the combined drainage and attenuation system, becoming the first ‘Carbon Smart’ product in its range. Qmax components, manufactured at ACO’s Caxton Road site in Bedford, emits Zero Carbon from direct and indirect scope 1 and 2 emissions. Mike Simpson Lane, managing director of ACO Technologies (UK), says: “The journey
commitment to transparency, as they have to annually report on their progress and share these findings with stakeholders. Targets are considered science-based if they are in line with what the latest climate science deems necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.”
The Paris Agreement The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change that was adopted by 196 Parties at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in December 2015 and came into force in November 2016. The overarching goal of the treaty is to maintain the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre- industrial levels.
Lara Coutinho, sustainability programme manager at ERA, says that, by setting science- based targets, companies can understand how much and how quickly they need to reduce their GHG emissions to prevent the worst of climate change by restricting temperature rises. “Subscribing to the Science Based Targets Initiative also demonstrates a merchant’s
“Achieving net-zero GHG emissions is a key target for reaching the goals set out by the Paris Agreement. That’s why many countries have pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, including the UK, which has introduced a law to cut GHG emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to its levels in 1990,” Coutinho continues. “Whilst carbon neutrality
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net March 2024
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