Five green agenda topics in 2023
3 January 2023
Interest in environmentally friendly measures to adopt on the route to Net Zero continues to grow, as do the challenges they bring. Here are five things I expect to see in 2023 which could impact the hire industry.
1. Discussions. While the need to protect the planet is clear, some protagonists approach the issue with an almost evangelical zeal. Fair enough: but this can encourage a divisive binary opposition of an almost Orwellian nature that regards fossil fuels as inherently ‘bad’ and greener energy sources as wholly ‘good’. Yet given the increasing demand for power, we need all these energy sources in the short term. The bigger question is how to phase some out and smooth the transition to the new alternatives, and whether economic incentives are needed. This is the sort of discussion we need to see more of.
2. Arguments. Indeed, some people question the pace of change. We have seen institutional investors challenge the boards of financial organisations and other businesses saying that the cost of delivering Net Zero is diluting shareholder returns, and some manufacturers are reluctant to spend on reducing their Scope emissions – particularly Scope 3. There are serious discussions to be had in determining a shared way forward, but the protracted debates at the global COP summits in Glasgow and Egypt show how hard that can be.
3. Education. There’s no denying that understanding the processes involved in calculating and reducing carbon footprints is demanding, especially as businesses have many other day-to-day challenges. However, some organisations have a legal obligation to embrace these changes and others want to do so, so I think we will see greater interest in sources of information that present the issues and measures in a clear, comprehensive and unbiased way.
4. New fuel research. We are increasingly familiar with technology like lithium batteries, solar panels, hydrogen fuel cells and wind turbines. But research and development is being undertaken into many more, such as recyclable batteries made from common salt, synthetic petrol, jet fuel derived from household waste and bin bags, and even heavy machinery powered by methane created from farm manure. What new energy sources will be used for the hired equipment of the future?
5. Innovation. The road to Net Zero is busy with product development. I’m speaking to many companies with new launches planned at events like the Executive Hire Show in February and at Plantworx in June, so hirers will need to keep abreast of the latest equipment that address customers' needs.
These are challenging but exciting times and there is much to look forward to in the next 12 months.
Photo: Jairojehuel
