PLANT PLANET
Sustainability in the World of Plant
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Why is sustainability important for plant machinery? I’m so glad you asked! When you think about big, heavy machinery and large plant equipment, it’s easy to think of scary, smoky fumes, engine gas and pollution. But nowadays, that isn’t the case, and lots of work is being done so the construction industry isn’t labelled as messy and damaging to our planet. That’s when we get onto the topic of carbon neutrality. Going carbon-neutral is the new gold mine. As each day passes, more and more companies pledge to become carbon neutral, net-zero or even climate positive. This is great to see! Terms like this have been around for quite some time now, but it’s not until the last few years we’ve heard them being said a lot more. And whilst they all promote a similar thing, they don’t all have the same meaning. Carbon Neutral: This suggests the balance between emitting CO 2 into the atmosphere and absorbing it again. Elevated levels of CO 2 are bad for the environment, so making sure it’s absorbed again eliminates any chance of pollution, therefore preventing catastrophic consequences driven by global warming, such as rising sea levels and extreme weather events. Net Zero Emissions: In addition to carbon neutrality, net zero emissions simply means that net-zero carbon emissions are being entered into the atmosphere. Climate Positive: Also known as “carbon negative”, this means an activity takes an extra step further from net zero emissions, which in turn creates a huge environmental benefit that sees extra CO 2 being removed from the atmosphere. To go deeper into this, one must understand the term ‘ Carbon Footprint ’. This is the total amount of greenhouse gases, such as CO 2 and methane, that are generated by our activities and actions. The average carbon footprint per person in the United Kingdom is roughly 10 to 13 tonnes. Having a high carbon footprint prevents carbon neutrality, so when one is aiming to be climate positive, their Simple solutions like going hybrid or electric, using energy efficient appliances and/or using 100% renewable energy providers are positive steps in the right direction to reducing your carbon footprint. So, when it comes to construction and plant machinery, reducing your carbon footprint is vital. By prioritising sourcing local, low-carbon materials, optimising energy use, and minimising waste through recycling, your carbon footprint whilst on-site will be dramatically reduced. As I said before, if we all do our bit, the bigger difference will be made! Mass production and consumption can result in a high carbon footprint, but when taking the necessary steps to reduce that, becoming climate positive and achieving net zero emissions is much easier! Using the circular economy cycle means the life span of products is prolonged and extended! Wait… I’ve used a new term… carbon footprint needs to be low. Are you keeping up? Jolly good!
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APRIL // MaY 2025
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