EDUCATION & TRAINING


Tools and technology are important for advancing


decarbonisation, but industry must upskill for meaningful


improvements. Jocelyn Golding, OEM Industrial SI & IAD


channel marketing manager, Schneider Electric, comments


W


ith Sir Keir Starmer committing the UK to an 81% reduction in emissions by 2035


at the recent COP-29 summit, industry needs to adapt to new requirements in terms of regulation, reporting and best practice. However, the challenge is that, being new, sustainability often comes with limited budgets, knowledge gaps and a need for more support. Every industrial business is different, each


leveraging technology in unique ways and approaching processes to best serve customers. With that being said, there are two big factors that apply to all industrial businesses today, namely sustainability and the skills gap. Across the spectrum from single-facility businesses to sprawling global enterprises, all have been tasked with improving sustainability. Marking 10 years since the Paris Agreement, 2025


will be an important year for sustainability efforts. This provides an opportunity to review progress so far and highlight sustainability skills gaps. The well documented industrial skills gap refers to loss of critical skills when older workers go into retirement. Unlike this, the sustainability skills gap can affect any employee regardless of experience level. Climate-led changes come with their own technologies and processes, requiring a commitment from every employee to advance sustainability understanding. Business performance and sustainability will


become more closely linked in 2025 as industry ramps up to meet the incoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and voluntary schemes like the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Cutting environmental footprint provides an opportunity to elevate a brand’s reputation and add a competitive edge while contributing meaningfully to the collective effort of industrial decarbonisation.


MAKING AN IMPACT Understanding the climate science will add context to decarbonisation and digital transformation. It provides the ‘why’ of certain actions beyond just saving money and energy. Industrial businesses that are already advanced


in digital transformation will have a firm understanding of how technology, like a digital twin, will enhance production agility whilst also meeting energy and climate goals and optimising the use of resources in spare parts through condition-based maintenance. However, this only covers the known. By measuring and tracking performance, businesses can identify areas for improvement – and then tackle them. In 2023 Tottenham Hotspur was named the Premier League’s greenest club by Sport Positive EPL. Tottenham’s operations are an example of how


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SUCCESSFUL SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES START WITH SKILLS


metrics can be used to continually improve your efficiency. Named as a 2024 European winner in Schneider Electric’s annual Sustainability Impact Awards, the stadium uses digital technology to minimise energy consumption and avoid waste. So, what are the climate


science metrics that should steer digital transformation journeys?


1. Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions Almost all businesses are already tracking the direct emissions from owned sources which is covered in scope 1. Scope 2 covers indirect emissions based on energy usage and power sources, again this is well understood by industrial enterprises. Scope 3, however, is the least understood as it requires data from across the diverse industrial supply chain. For example, the scope 1 and 2 emissions required to make steel will become the scope 3 emissions of a steel distributor. Any link in that chain should be seen as a piece of the sustainability puzzle, rather than a separate entity.


2. Energy intensity Monitoring energy output and energy intensity are two different metrics. Energy intensity measures the energy used per unit of production and offers an opportunity to be more efficient without compromising on service or costly infrastructure changes. While new equipment will always perform more efficiently than legacy assets, rip-and- replace isn’t the only way to advance in sustainability. Lowering energy intensity through digital monitoring should be at the top of the list for sustainability-driven activities in 2025.


3. Lifecycle assessment Just as whole life costing is a good way to optimise the financial value of assets, lifecycle assessment (LCA) should be used to guide sustainable decision- making. LCA includes the environmental impacts at every step from sourcing raw materials and manufacture to lifetime operation and eventual end-of-life reuse, repurposing, or recycling. Businesses must look beyond the initial investment


ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Winter 2024


in energy and cost. Instead, they should answer crucial questions; does this asset provide the capacity for better more efficient use, can it be used longer, and can it be used again? These questions will bring sustainability best practices into all business decisions.


EDUCATION CAPABILITIES As we go through 2025, sustainability and digital transformation are intertwined. Setting efficiency benchmarks based on climate science understanding creates the foundation for Net Zero by 2050. Making an impact in sustainability involves


bringing every employee along, even if they may not seem to be directly involved in production. Marketing professionals, IT leaders, legal teams, plant floor operators, OEMs and C-suite all need sustainability skills. This will help businesses differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace, prepare for new reporting requirements, and avoid greenwashing pitfalls. Having been named as the world’s most


sustainable company by Time magazine and Statista, Schneider Electric has opened its own in- house training to provide sustainability knowledge and skills to the industrial workforce and beyond. The Sustainability School is a pathway to bring in-demand expertise and practical tools to people in many roles and elevate a brand’s reputation as an impact maker. Sign up today on the website.


Schneider Electric www.se.com/ww/en/


www.essmag.co.uk


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