Plant & Works Engineering July/August 2022

10 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk July/August 2022 Insight – Talking Industry Review I chaired this Talking Industry broadcast in June from Tuscany where the temperature was around 30C. Now back in the UK, I am writing it up in temperatures touching 40C! The importance of energy efficiency, carbon neutrality and net zero has never been more urgent. In 2019, net greenhouse gas emissions in the United Kingdom (UK) were 454.8 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 e), of which manufacturing generates almost 11% of the total, so as a collective we need to invest in and promote new technologies to change our course. Carbon neutrality and net zero Marie Wells (MTC) explained the distinction between carbon neutrality and net zero, terms often (incorrectly) used interchangeably. When we say carbon neutrality, we are referring to the PAS 2060 standard, which specifies a four- stage process to demonstrate carbon neutrality. The PAS 2060 standard was published by the British Standards Institution in 2010 and updated in 2014. It enables organisations to demonstrate that their carbon neutrality claims are credible and verified to increase customer confidence. PAS 2060 is the only internationally recognised certification for organisational carbon neutrality. It guides companies to quantify their carbon footprint and supports subsequent reduction of emissions with a 12-month review. The inclusion of offsetting using certified credits encourages the support of climate finance projects that add social and environmental value. It provides guidance on how to quantify, reduce and offset GHG emissions on a specified business area. This can include activities, products, services, buildings, projects, cities and events. Scope One emissions are anything you directly burn - gas usage, fuel and any fugitive emissions from processes. Scope Two is indirect emissions, such as electricity and heating and cooling networks. Net Zero also encompasses Scope Three, which is everything else - everything you buy or lease, your commuting, and business travel. For the MTC, 79.9% of our carbon footprint is Scope Three. MTC started by turning everything off over a weekend (with a few exceptions!). "We found we could save £90k a year just from doing that, and then putting in systems, just visual management systems that said, when this isn't being used, turn it off, we saved £100k in our electricity. In terms of a carbon neutrality, though, our biggest challenge is what we do instead of our gas. So we are looking at what's the best answer in terms of heat pumps, Talking energy efficiency Andy Pye reports on June’s Talking Industry, which covered the topical subject of Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing.