Electricity + Control March 2019

ENERGY MANAGEMENT + ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Green for growth: Why green manufacturing is crucial for a low-carbon future

By Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Schneider Electric

Climate change is indisputable, as is its impact on our planet’s invaluable but finite re- sources. Indeed, this is one of the most pressing paradoxes of our time: How do we strive for industrial growth while also being mindful of the traditional environmental impact of productivity?

1. Economic growth can and must be decoupled from environmental degrada- tion. Take Note! 1

W e must find the right balance. Everyone feels this urgency.The world is on a fast track to consume four Earths’ worth of resources by 2050. [1] A recent United Nations re- port also warned that CO 2 emissions must be cut nearly in half by 2030 to safeguard the planet from additional threats of climate change. [2] Take note: this is just 10 brief years away. Without a doubt, the time for change is now. Green manufacturing, an emerging industrial trend with an achievable, long-term future for sustaina- bility, addresses these environmental challenges at a systemic level. It answers the call to action. What is green manufacturing? In short, green manufacturing is primarily about changing business and manufacturing practices, as well as the mindset of stakeholders, to mitigate the industrial impact on climate change and oth- er environmental concerns. Green is not a hollow word. There are tangible ways to drive sustainable practices: within manufacturing facilities, across the supply chain, and through the customer base. The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) present new opportunities to unlock process innovations to develop sustain- able, environmentally-friendly materials; decarbon- ise energy; tap digital innovation for doing more with less; and extend the life cycle of goods within a ‘zero waste to landfill’ framework.

What are the results? • Reduced use of natural resources and energy. • A lower carbon footprint worldwide. • Technology advances that optimise efficiency, resilience and sustainability across the full man- ufacturing life cycle, including the supply chain. • The building of a strong foundation for a global circular economy. Develop new materials There is significant potential to substitute carbon-in- tensive materials for less carbon-intensive ones. In the buildings sector at large, for example, it is possible to use timber or pozzolan-based concrete instead of Portland cement to mitigate pollution. It also is possible to improve materials processing systems. For instance, in addition to using greener electronic materials such as innovative bio materials, electronics companies now can incorporate green packaging. A case in point is wheat straw packaging, which can lead to a 40% saving in energy and a 90% reduction in water required for production. [3] Companies can – and should – adopt eco-label- ling to let consumers and end-users know where they stand. In Schneider Electric’s case, we use a Green label and tool for transparency on regu- latory compliance, product environmental profiles and end-of-product-life instructions. In the coming years across manufacturing segments, look for blockchain advances to improve green traceability.

10 Electricity + Control

MARCH 2019