Page 11 - AUTOMATED - Issue 2 The sustainability challenge
P. 11
assess the impacts of climate change on the standards for every country and region. The THE SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGE
ecological system, socio-economic sectors UK can and should play an essential role in
and human health. Finally, the third and final encouraging other global leaders to identify the UK Plc is used for various types of motors.
part of the IPCC report will assess plausible and implement a common strategy to address Among these, electric motors consume a
options for mitigating climate change by climate change as soon as possible. significant amount of energy, not only in
limiting and preventing greenhouse gas industrial applications, but also in office
emissions. Automation – the key to energy efficiency ventilation or heating systems. By using a
Among other things, the IPCC’s AR5 report variable speed drive, which allows accurate
The stark messages of the AR5 report are highlights the importance of finding new and control and optimisation of the application,
enough to make even sceptics conclude that better ways to increase energy efficiency. energy consumption can be reduced by 30
attitudes and actions need to change to avoid While carbon reduction is clearly a pressing per cent.
causing irreversible damage to the planet. need, energy saving technology should also
However, this isn’t the first report of its kind. play an essential part in making global “ WE STILL HAVE A
Disappointingly, the previous four haven’t had industry more sustainable and eco-friendly. CHOICE TO MAKE
a significant impact on policy makers, ABOUT WHAT OUR
governments or international bodies, which In the UK, a recent industry scheme was the IMPACT ON THE
have a real influence on environmental Carbon Reducing Commitment (CRC), ”PLANET WILL BE.
regulations on a global level. adopted in 2010 and amended several times
since. The CRC is a mandatory scheme Other forms of intelligent control in
Climate changes – attitudes stay the aimed at improving energy efficiency and automation can also be used to minimise the
same cutting emissions in large public and private amount of energy used across industries. For
Despite the solid evidence of previous IPCC sector organisations, which are responsible example, installing a sensor that allows a
reports, their impact has been minimal and for 10 per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas piece of equipment to be switched off or
the overall attitude towards climate change emissions. turned down in response to its environment is
has hardly – if at all - evolved. Unfortunately, a simple and affordable option for businesses
national and international policy makers have The aim of the CRC initiative is certainly and always results in significant energy
failed to convey further the sense of urgency admirable, yet its current form lacks savings.
which the IPCC’s AR4 and AR5 so clearly coherence and could benefit from additional
demand. measures. The UK government initially The time to act is now
committed to cutting national carbon The IPCC report has shown without a doubt
“ GREATER emission levels by 60 per cent before 2050, that climate change is a stringent problem that
CONTROL OF compared to the same levels in the 1990s. In governments, industries and individual
CARBON AND October 2008, this target increased to 80 per companies can no longer afford to postpone
GREENHOUSE GAS cent. Sadly, the CRC scheme has often been addressing. The lengthy and complex AR5
EMISSIONS NEEDS criticised as being too complicated, report should spur policy makers into action
TO BE PUT IN bureaucratic and costly. and encourage them to compile and
PLACE implement an international strategy for
WORLDWIDE.Looking back at the last decade or so, Tax breaks on energy saving and reducing the levels of greenhouse gases and
”lobbying activity increased and new climate environmentally-friendly investments, for increasing energy efficiency across
policies were adopted after the 2006 Stern example, would represent much stronger industries.
report and the 2007 IPCC report. However, drivers for industry, while making companies
their scope and impact, has been minimal and more sustainable in the long run. Britain’s The underlying message of the most recent
the rate of new policies has slowed down manufacturing economy is currently using IPCC report is very straight-forward. We have
significantly in recent years. The painful truth ageing equipment. Replacing this equipment the science behind climate change, we
is that for attitudes to change, the drivers for with more energy efficient alternatives is understand the risks and the potential
business and industry need to be much more definitely a route worth encouraging. consequences of it. As opposed to Marcel
powerful than the ones already in place. Proust’s interminable novel, which has few
Moreover, new climate-friendly policies and Interestingly, European Automation generates implications outside the literary world, the
regulations need to be adopted on an nearly a third of its revenue from new 5000 or so pages of the AR5 report should
international level, otherwise they not only component sales, despite being known become the basis of new international
have limited impact, but create unfair primarily as a provider of obsolete automation policies, rather than ridiculously costly scrap
competition. equipment. One has to balance the paper, or just another report that nobody has
environmental impact of manufacturing and ever read entirely.
Greater control of carbon and greenhouse installing a new system against a repair using
gas emissions needs to be put in place refurbished, reconditioned or legacy At this point in human history, we still have a
worldwide. In the urgent race against climate equipment. choice to make about what our impact on the
change, governments need to set the same planet will be. But unless this choice is a
The ISO50001 standard for energy global, coherent and rigorous one, it will not
management systems aims to help be strong enough to have positive
companies continually reduce energy usage, consequences on the environment -
and therefore their energy costs and carbon something the report is very clear on.
emissions. There are many simple ways in
which businesses, regardless of the industry
they operate in, can reduce energy
consumption.
Around 60 per cent of all energy consumed by
www.euautomation.com 11
ecological system, socio-economic sectors UK can and should play an essential role in
and human health. Finally, the third and final encouraging other global leaders to identify the UK Plc is used for various types of motors.
part of the IPCC report will assess plausible and implement a common strategy to address Among these, electric motors consume a
options for mitigating climate change by climate change as soon as possible. significant amount of energy, not only in
limiting and preventing greenhouse gas industrial applications, but also in office
emissions. Automation – the key to energy efficiency ventilation or heating systems. By using a
Among other things, the IPCC’s AR5 report variable speed drive, which allows accurate
The stark messages of the AR5 report are highlights the importance of finding new and control and optimisation of the application,
enough to make even sceptics conclude that better ways to increase energy efficiency. energy consumption can be reduced by 30
attitudes and actions need to change to avoid While carbon reduction is clearly a pressing per cent.
causing irreversible damage to the planet. need, energy saving technology should also
However, this isn’t the first report of its kind. play an essential part in making global “ WE STILL HAVE A
Disappointingly, the previous four haven’t had industry more sustainable and eco-friendly. CHOICE TO MAKE
a significant impact on policy makers, ABOUT WHAT OUR
governments or international bodies, which In the UK, a recent industry scheme was the IMPACT ON THE
have a real influence on environmental Carbon Reducing Commitment (CRC), ”PLANET WILL BE.
regulations on a global level. adopted in 2010 and amended several times
since. The CRC is a mandatory scheme Other forms of intelligent control in
Climate changes – attitudes stay the aimed at improving energy efficiency and automation can also be used to minimise the
same cutting emissions in large public and private amount of energy used across industries. For
Despite the solid evidence of previous IPCC sector organisations, which are responsible example, installing a sensor that allows a
reports, their impact has been minimal and for 10 per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas piece of equipment to be switched off or
the overall attitude towards climate change emissions. turned down in response to its environment is
has hardly – if at all - evolved. Unfortunately, a simple and affordable option for businesses
national and international policy makers have The aim of the CRC initiative is certainly and always results in significant energy
failed to convey further the sense of urgency admirable, yet its current form lacks savings.
which the IPCC’s AR4 and AR5 so clearly coherence and could benefit from additional
demand. measures. The UK government initially The time to act is now
committed to cutting national carbon The IPCC report has shown without a doubt
“ GREATER emission levels by 60 per cent before 2050, that climate change is a stringent problem that
CONTROL OF compared to the same levels in the 1990s. In governments, industries and individual
CARBON AND October 2008, this target increased to 80 per companies can no longer afford to postpone
GREENHOUSE GAS cent. Sadly, the CRC scheme has often been addressing. The lengthy and complex AR5
EMISSIONS NEEDS criticised as being too complicated, report should spur policy makers into action
TO BE PUT IN bureaucratic and costly. and encourage them to compile and
PLACE implement an international strategy for
WORLDWIDE.Looking back at the last decade or so, Tax breaks on energy saving and reducing the levels of greenhouse gases and
”lobbying activity increased and new climate environmentally-friendly investments, for increasing energy efficiency across
policies were adopted after the 2006 Stern example, would represent much stronger industries.
report and the 2007 IPCC report. However, drivers for industry, while making companies
their scope and impact, has been minimal and more sustainable in the long run. Britain’s The underlying message of the most recent
the rate of new policies has slowed down manufacturing economy is currently using IPCC report is very straight-forward. We have
significantly in recent years. The painful truth ageing equipment. Replacing this equipment the science behind climate change, we
is that for attitudes to change, the drivers for with more energy efficient alternatives is understand the risks and the potential
business and industry need to be much more definitely a route worth encouraging. consequences of it. As opposed to Marcel
powerful than the ones already in place. Proust’s interminable novel, which has few
Moreover, new climate-friendly policies and Interestingly, European Automation generates implications outside the literary world, the
regulations need to be adopted on an nearly a third of its revenue from new 5000 or so pages of the AR5 report should
international level, otherwise they not only component sales, despite being known become the basis of new international
have limited impact, but create unfair primarily as a provider of obsolete automation policies, rather than ridiculously costly scrap
competition. equipment. One has to balance the paper, or just another report that nobody has
environmental impact of manufacturing and ever read entirely.
Greater control of carbon and greenhouse installing a new system against a repair using
gas emissions needs to be put in place refurbished, reconditioned or legacy At this point in human history, we still have a
worldwide. In the urgent race against climate equipment. choice to make about what our impact on the
change, governments need to set the same planet will be. But unless this choice is a
The ISO50001 standard for energy global, coherent and rigorous one, it will not
management systems aims to help be strong enough to have positive
companies continually reduce energy usage, consequences on the environment -
and therefore their energy costs and carbon something the report is very clear on.
emissions. There are many simple ways in
which businesses, regardless of the industry
they operate in, can reduce energy
consumption.
Around 60 per cent of all energy consumed by
www.euautomation.com 11
