¢ WHAT ARTICLES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? LET US KNOW: [email protected]
knowledge on to your clients by giving them
the facts and encouraging them to make
sustainable decisions and purchases. While
you’re at it, make sure you’re supporting
companies that are working towards reducing
their emissions, too.
7
INSULATE YOUR OFFICE
HOW AUSTRALIAN ELECTRICAL
SUPPLIERS ARE REDUCING EMISSIONS
FROM HOW THEY RUN THEIR BUILDINGS, TO THEIR PROCESSES AND
THE PRODUCTS THEY DEVELOP, THESE COMPANIES ARE LEADING
THE WAY IN REDUCING THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT.
Keep energy use down by ensuring
your office is well-insulated. That
means double-glazing windows and reducing
draughts by sealing doors and windows to
reduce the need for heating or air-
conditioning. Even small offices can benefit
from smart solutions such as connected
thermostats, timer switches and integrated
lighting, which all reduce energy usage.
8
REDUCE, REUSE
AND RECYCLE
These three key
words can help you
remember what you’re
trying to achieve in all
parts of your business.
Always try and reduce first – cutting back on
packaging or office supplies can make a
significant difference. When you can’t totally
eliminate or reduce your waste, reuse or
recycle it. Some recycling businesses will pay
for old cabling, cable drums and used pallets;
this means the material doesn’t get wasted and
you’ll get a bit of extra cash in your pocket.
9
TRAIN YOUR STAFF
If your team understand and are
engaged with your goals, it’s easier to
achieve them. Offering incentives to staff for
helping the business reduce its emissions, and
then keeping them updated on the progress
the business is making are good ways to
encourage everyone to keep on track and
reach your targets.
10
OFFSET YOUR EMISSIONS
It’s impossible to run a business
– especially an electrical one
– without producing some emissions.
Transport, power and some elements of
waste are all essential to the trade. But you
can offset the emissions your business makes
by buying carbon offset packages. Companies
such as Climate Friendly and Carbon Neutral
run offset projects that reduce greenhouse
gas emissions or positively impact the
environment. To work out your carbon
footprint, visit epa.vic.gov.au and use the
Australian Greenhouse Calculator.
Philip Hsu, National
Manufacturing Manager,
Legrand
“OUR CULTURE HAS
CHANGED TO BE MORE
ENVIRONMENTALLY
FOCUSED.”
Legrand Australia’s mission
is to continuously refine its
manufacturing and supply
chain processes in order
to reduce environmental
impacts. This has changed
the way the business
operates, says National
Manufacturing Manager
Philip Hsu, enabling it to
meet and, in some cases,
exceed its environmental
goals. “We look closely at
our energy usage data.
We use this information not
only to reduce costs, but to
look at new ways of
reducing our energy
consumption.” With this in
mind, Legrand recently
rolled out a recycling
campaign, which includes
training, monitoring, and
measurement of waste
and recycling channels.
“The program includes
waste separation,
automatic sensor lights,
auto-timers for lighting to
turn on/off, LED hi-bay
lighting for the factory and
warehouse, installation of
energy-monitoring devices
to identify and monitor
areas of the factory
consuming the highest
electricity, removal of
disposable plastic cups in
the canteen and free issue
of more than 400 reusable
cups. We’ve replaced all
paper towels with cloth
towels, using up to 63%
less energy and creating
up to 79% less waste.” The
company is also focusing
on changing its product
development process. “We
want to minimise a
product’s packaging and
make it easily recyclable,
as well as applying
eco-design principles,”
says Hsu.
Jason Venning. Marketing
Director of Australia &
New Zealand, ABB Product
“WE’RE COMMITTED TO
REDUCING THE
GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS THAT STEM
FROM OUR USE OF
FOSSIL ENERGY AND
TRANSPORTATION.”
ABB has a clear goal over
the next three years. “Our
current target is to reduce
our greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions by 40%
by 2020 [from a 2013
baseline],” says ABB
Product Marketing Director
of Australia & New Zealand
Jason Venning. “In 2018,
ABB’s total GHG emissions
decreased to 988 million
tons; a 3.2% reduction from
2017, and a 36% reduction
from 2013.”
As well as being active
participants in the United
Nations-driven Sustainable
Energy for All initiative, the
Alliance of CEO Climate
Leaders, and the Science
Based Targets (SBT)
initiative, ABB is developing
technologies to help in
emission reduction. “We
want to enable utilities,
industry and customers in
transport and infrastructure
to improve their
performance and energy
efficiency while also
reducing emissions,” says
Venning. “Among the
revolutionary, energy-
saving innovations that
have emerged from our
research centres are a
high-power electric vehicle
charger that can add up
to 200km of range in just
eight minutes, and the
ABB Ability Smart
Sensor, which converts
almost any low-voltage
electric motor into a
wirelessly connected,
energy-efficient device.”
The company is also using
new technologies in its
own offices. “We’re
evaluating the feasibility of
installing electric vehicle
chargers at a number of
our sites in Australia,” says
Venning. The company
uses energy-reducing
building automation
systems in its own offices
as well. “It adds intelligence
and energy efficiency to
the lighting in a building.”
JUN – JUL 2019 GEMCELL.COM.AU
17