Column: Going Green


ESG for a better world


usage between 2014/15 and 2020/21. Our 2030 commitment is to reduce absolute emissions from our own operations by 75%, attaining net zero using science- based targets and supporting gold- standard projects to offset residual emissions, which will include our distribution centres, offices and vehicles. We intend to operate on 100%


By Andrea Barrett, Vice President for Social Responsibility and Sustainability,


Electrocomponents Group C


limate change is arguably the most pressing challenge facing our planet. Social inequality in all its forms is also generating considerable concern globally.


We at Electrocomponents Group have


set ourselves four 2030 environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals as part of our environmental, safety and health (ESH) action plan to support a more sustainable and inclusive world. Te first is advancing sustainability with a commitment to reach net-zero emissions across our global operations by 2030 and across the wider value chain by 2050. Te second is championing education and innovation, with the aims of reaching one million young people with educational technologies, learning content and skills development, and engage with 1.5 million engineers and innovators developing sustainable solutions. Doing business responsibly is our third goal, which involves evaluating our suppliers against high ethical and environmental standards. And, finally, empowering our people by working towards a more diverse workforce and increasing employee engagement. Our action to reduce our carbon


footprint started more than a decade ago, having already achieved a 62% reduction in CO2


emissions from our premises’ energy


renewable electricity by 2025/6, up from 67% in 2020/21. We have added solar panels to the roof of our newly-expanded distribution centre (DC) in Germany, capable of generating 750kW, feeding power to the RS site and surplus energy to the grid. We plan to increase renewable electricity generation at all our sites. Packaging is a major issue for us, and


one where we can make a significant impact. We’re looking to reduce packaging intensity by 30%, re-use more and ensure materials are made with at least 50% recycled content by 2030. We already recycle 75% of our waste and will work toward more than 95%, with the aim of sending zero waste to landfill from our direct operations. Our plan is to reach net zero emissions


across the wider value chain by 2050. Tis will involve working more closely with customers and suppliers. As a global distributor, transport is a key issue. Our 2030 action plan is to reduce our Scope 3 transport emissions by 25% per tonne of product sold. We have already switched the delivery of product replenishments to our Asia-Pacific DCs from air to sea, driving down associated emissions by almost 60%. We will also select carriers investing in green technologies. Our new UK carrier is DHL Express which has a strong electric fleet. In Germany, Deutsche Post DHL Group is committed to investing €7bn in green technologies by 2030. We are restructuring our supply chain to source, store and deliver products closer to our suppliers and customers, made possible by our global network of 14 DCs. Tis is an ongoing initiative that not only allows us to cut carbon emissions, but also reduce costs while supporting local economies and jobs. Of course, we are not the only


organisation in our industry on this 08 December 2021/January 2022 www.electronicsworld.com


journey, so we will be partnering with our global supplier community to learn, share and inspire action. Many of them are already engaged and working toward setting science- based carbon reduction goals of their own and we want to learn from them. Meanwhile, our ambition is to engage at least 65% of our top suppliers (by spend) to establish science- based targets by 2025. Our own survey has determined that 78% of suppliers believe that ESG is important to their strategy. We also work closely with our customers


to offer sustainable product and service solutions. We will partner with our suppliers to bring new sustainable technologies to market and encourage customers to buy greener products. Design for recyclability has obvious benefits, and we will promote more circular solutions, such as the Raspberry Pi recycling scheme, OKdo Renew in partnership with Sony TEC, launched in 2021.


Education and innovation Our focus is to build the skills of young engineers and innovators, as well as foster innovations that improve lives. Tere is still a significant shortage of digital and engineering skills globally, and we need to inspire and encourage the young to seek careers in this area. Te next generation will need to be equipped to meet the environmental challenges the world faces, as well as help it ensure that our industry continues to thrive. Our aim is to reach one million young


people in education. Already today, RS Components UK supports more than 200 UK universities, and we will expand our ‘Grass Roots’ programme globally. Meanwhile we continue to build digital skills via our OKdo products and learning content, supporting 400,000 students annually. Trough RS Components in the UK, US, South Africa and Australia, we are a partner in Engineers Without Borders, which supports 20,000 future engineers annually. We support and promote innovation and


emerging technologies that can become product differentiators for our customers and help shape a better future. We aim to engage 1.5 million engineers through our DesignSpark community in activist engineering projects that promote sustainable


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