It would appear that some elements of the modern day science community have become the modern version of the eccentrics who you used to see outside football grounds wearing boards proclaiming ‘the end of the world is nigh’ when it comes to discussing climate change. It does not have to be all doom and gloom. There are real opportunities for business, and individuals within business, to play key roles in bringing about the necessary change.
No one person, business or country has the answer but we can all play our part. We have to develop the will to make the necessary changes, not only in the way we live but in the way we go about our business. Some good initiatives have started in the area of building energy efficiency into our working practices but these must be accelerated across the whole industrial and commercial landscape.
Reducing waste and improving efficiency are targets that are obvious to everyone today. The good news is that the technologies are available and are commercially feasible.
We are all urging our political leaders to set the tone with guidelines, targets, laws, rules and regulations. Ultimately, it will be down to you and I as individuals to deliver on these. Industry and commerce can make a difference and they can do so both immediately and in the longer term. Almost two thirds of all energy produced is consumed by industry. Consumer awareness is crucial and can provide important momentum but really the answer lies within the business community itself. Improve efficiency in this important sector in life and the UK can meet the targets that are being set for this country in the desired timescales.
In the areas of technology, simple examples include ABB’s automation equipment in the form of highly efficient drives and motors that give huge reductions in industrial energy consumption, while our power offering includes technologies that eliminate waste, enable the efficient transmission of power over long distances while addressing a wide range of environmental concerns.
In this issue of FastForward we take a look at a selection of solutions that can (and already do) improve efficiency, increase productivity and save money. This has to be in all of our interests.