Small change - big impact

Reducing the carbon footprint by 2020 is something NWDA’s Head of Sustainable Consumption and Production, Sarah Downes, is clearly passionate about.

Speaking at The Manufacturing Advisory Services’ (MAS) sustainability event in March, Downes said becoming sustainable was simply a ‘no brainer’. “Research tells us we can save £799 million in waste and £41million in water,” she pointed out. “Come on guys. Why aren’t we all becoming resource efficient?”

NWDA will begin a two-year sustainability overview in April until March 2012 as part of the European Commission’s Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan (SCP), which includes series of proposals on sustainable consumption and production that will help improve the environmental performance of products and increase demand for more sustainable goods and production technologies.

“It’s about future proofing and thinking about new market opportunities,” said Downes sighting the reduction in materials such as copper important reasons to new ways of using new materials. Peak Oil is predicted to happen at the end of 2020 in many circles.

Food and chemicals are two areas the Northwest will watch closely. While the food industry is vital to the Northwest, it is the biggest environmental threat. Making up 21% of the Northwest’s ecological footprint and 69% of land used is in agriculture.

The objective is to develop a sustainable food plan with Food Northwest and the Food & Drink Federation (FDF) so that by 2020 the Northwest food supply chain will be the most sustainable in the UK.

FDF is working to zero food and packaging by 2015.

Meanwhile, the chemicals sector is also significant when thinking about improving the regions sustainability. In the Northwest there are 60% of the world’s top 50 chemical companies. Downes tells us “It really is the building block of every sector, pharmaceutical, paint to plastic and packaging. It has huge potential.”

To help move forward NWDA has produced a plan to help two major supply chains in the area improve to benefit the entire region. After which they will identify ten more. Already cleaning up it’s supply chain is Co-op, Kelloggs and Booths.

The key is smarter production and the NWDA has ambitious targets, including assisting 2100 companies, saving 1500 jobs and reducing 520,000 tons of carbon dioxide.

Businesses who want to find out what support is available can contact ENWORKS, apply for grants in resource efficiency through Business Link and contact Northwest’s eco innovation Programme.