Sustainability. What’s that all about then?
By Danny Williams, managing director of Pioneer Trading.
Sustainability? In my opinion, it is one of those words that is bandied about ‘willy nilly’ by people that want to sound ‘woke’ and trendy: ‘OK ya – our organisation is aiming for total sustainability by 2030’.
There are several fairly consistent definitions of the word offered following a search of the World Wide Web but my favourite of these was defined in 1987 by a United Nations commission that defined sustainability as: ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’
I care very much about the impact that I and my business have on the environment although my own personal attitude to carbon neutrality, essentially in the form of my choice of personal transport, might be called into question; but more on that later.
But rather than it being a marketing ‘mission statement’ (another pet hate), surely by doing what is right and best for your business, you will also be improving its sustainability. Do we really need a corporate boy scout badge for that?
I do not own my main factory and its construction does not lend itself to it becoming a showcase of thermal efficiency. But in every other sense, we install the most energy efficient systems that we can find, invest in the most energy efficient production machinery and systems and delivery fleet and do our outright best to make sure that the overheads of running our business are as low as they can be.
Because it is better for our business and therefore our customers and, by definition therefore, for sustainability.
The issue of this glorious publication that you are currently perusing contains, I was pre-warned, a focus on ‘sustainability’. Beyond that, I have no inkling whatsoever what that might include, the opinions of others, no idea whatsoever.
But at the risk of offending my boss the editor and losing a gig within which I believe I may offend or bore a better class of reader, what is the point of that? Because whatever you are doing, in any walk of life but especially in your business, any process you install, any new machinery, vehicles, management processes, building improvements…anything…should be ‘sustainable’ simply by being the most effective and efficient choice for your business. No further discussion necessary.
See, told you so….
However…those that know me well will understand that I have a life-long and deeply rooted love of all things mechanical and especially those powered by internal combustion engines. And, although my choice of steed might actually be considered amongst the best and most efficient within class, overall it’s fair to say that you wouldn’t look at my choices of personal transport and immediately connect me with an increase in welfare for polar bears and whales.
However, that is not to say that I have not seriously considered the acquisition of battery electric vehicles (BEV). I came close, once, to acquiring a Tesla.
And then I came to my senses and looked more deeply into the hell-for-leather race by European governments especially, towards a future dominated by battery electric vehicles. And concluded that the commitment to this form or propulsion from 2035 is fundamentally wrong and will result in a global impact on the environment that is as harmful as if we maintained the internal combustion engine in its current form. Perhaps even more so.
The decision to commit to the end of the production of ICE vehicles by 2035, then shortened by our mop-haired prime minister by five years before being restored by an under-pressure Sunak to the original target, was driven more by politics than common sense.
Electric vehicles should be considered as part of a mix of propulsion that also includes hydrogen, a fuel that can actually power ICE vehicles. Or synthetic fuels like those being developed in F1, biodiesels and others – it is not internal combustion engines that are the issue, but the fuel that we use to power them.
Commitment to electric power for cars is simply replacing one form of pollution with another; it is not the answer. But who, which government, anywhere in the world, will be brave enough to stand up and make that decision? None that I can see. Towards the cliff we race….
And finally…
I note the addition of a new event in the glass and glazing industry calendar, with the launch of Glass Conference’. My first thoughts are, why not call it GlassTalk? I remember my guest appearance ‘On the couch’ at one of those early events with a mate who had a similar haircut to me and host Paul Godwin, and someone said it looked like a ‘Right said Fred’ convention.
But despite the underwhelming title, it has all of the basic DNA of a definitive event for the window and door industry. Produced by a partnership between GGF, FIT Show and FENSA, the event will be held over two days in Telford (remember FIT Show there?) on October 16th and 17th.
This combined expertise holds the promise to give us an annual conference with some serious content. Looks good.