A growing number of manufacturers are realizing obvious environmental and financial benefits from more sustainable business practices. Goals like “carbon neutral” have continuously been pursued across all sectors. Meanwhile, the industrial sector accounts for roughly 20% of the global greenhouse gas emissions (World Economic Forum), indicating that the potential for improvement is still high.
Sustainability has become not merely a popular buzzword but increasingly mattered to the customers, employees, profitability, and, most importantly, our planet. However, it concerns a broad range of operational practices, among which high-quality service practices crucially amplify these positive impacts and foster a holistic approach towards sustainable and responsible manufacturing.
1. What is sustainability in manufacturing and assembly?
Sustainability in manufacturing and assembly refers to the practice of producing goods in an environmentally responsible and resource- and energy-efficient way, with a focus on minimizing negative impacts on the environment, society, and economy.
Manufacturers can improve the production processes by:
- Reducing waste, energy consumption, and emissions during the production stages,
- Incorporating renewable energy sources and energy-efficient technologies,
- Focusing on production quality to achieve highest First-Time Right (FTR),
- Continuous improvement process which fosters an adaptive and efficient production.
2. Why is sustainability important?
Implementing sustainable practices in the production line will not only decrease your environmental impact but also increase your profitability. Utilizing state-of-the-art assembly technologies can help your plant reduce power consumption, increase the tact time, and reduce the need of re-work. Particularly, eliminating the need for rework not only save energy directly but also make assembly processes more efficient and simultaneously decrease unnecessary cost. Such steps help to address the challenges of climate change and resource depletion ultimately contribute to a better environment for all of us.
3. What is the carbon footprint of a product?
-
54%
of the world's total delivered energy were consumed by the industrial sector (World Economic Forum)
-
6.18
billion tons of CO2 emissions from the Manufacturing and Construction sector in 2020 (Our world in data)
-
30%
or more of US greenhouse gas emissions came from industrial activities in 2021 (United States Environmental Protection Agency)
4. How can the CO2 impact be calculated?
Calculating the CO2 impact might involve assessing the impact of different gases both directly emitted during the manufacturing process and indirect emissions from energy consumption, transportation, and other operational activities. There are several organizations (for example, Carbon Trust) specializing in calculating CO2 impact. Also, several CO2-calculator tools are available on the market and provide a first estimation of the impact.
Good to know: Atlas Copco CO2 calculator.
The CO2-calculator is a web-based tool available to our customers that allows the assessment of potential savings of CO2 by migrating to the modern and most efficient assembly technologies. It also allows the calculation of CO2 savings incorporating our proactive services based upon sophisticated analytics and statistical methods.
5. How can service improve your production process and achieve your sustainability goals in manufacturing?
Professional service of tools and equipment reduces breakdowns, decreases downtime, and prolongs the equipment’s lifespan. These factors significantly contribute to the reduction of carbon footprint of productions.
Preventive Maintenance outside of the production (as opposed to repairing upon unexpected breakdown) ensures the production lines run smoothly without unanticipated downtime, reducing the need of additional shifts and/or rework. Studies indicate that reactive maintenance consumes 30% to 60% more energy than preventive maintenance (The New Building Institute). In addition, regular and professional calibration can also increase the quality of the production and safeguard the precision of your tools and equipment.
New technologies have also been developed to monitor tools and equipment and to track energy consumption, emissions, and other sustainability metrics in real-time, overcoming the challenges of measuring and reporting and hence increasing transparency. With all the production data in hand, services can be data-driven and be provided before problems occur.
Glossary: terms that you should know
- CO2e
- Science-Based Targets
- Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions
- Carbon Trust
CO2e, or “carbon dioxide equivalent”, is a measure used to compare the environmental impact of various greenhouse gases (GHGs), relative to carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2e offers a standardized way to express how much a greenhouse gas contributes to global warming.
Science-based targets refer to specific and measurable goals that organizations set to align their emissions reduction efforts with the latest climate science. These targets are developed in accordance with the guidance provided by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The aim of the science-based targets is to promote corporate climate action in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Many leading industrial companies, including Atlas Copco, have adopted science-based targets as part of our sustainability and climate action plans (in English) and taken concrete steps to reduce the Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from sources owned (or controlled) by a company. For example, these could include emissions from company facilities and company-owned vehicles.
Scope 2 emissions refer to indirect emissions associated with the generation of purchased energy like electricity, heating, or cooling used by a company.
Scope 3 are other indirect emissions resulting from the entire life cycle of a product including the supply chain, transportation, and particularly the use phase of the final product.
The methodology of calculating the carbon footprint of our products in scope 1, 2 and 3 are based on the principles promoted by Carbon Trust.
The Carbon Trust is an independent, non-profit organization based in the UK. It was established in 2001 with the goal of accelerating the move to a sustainable, low-carbon economy by providing expertise, support, and certification services to companies and organizations. Carbon Trust supports companies on the calculation of the CO2 impact and supports businesses in CO2 reduction strategies.
