Neil Grundon, Chairman of Grundon Waste Management, welcomes a crackdown on climate change claims and says real results are what counts.
The UK has decarbonised by 40% from 1990 levels, this is more than any industrialised nation and is something that UK governments of all political parties can be proud of.
One of the things that concerns me however, is that the current rush to adopt the science-based targets, necessary to achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement on limiting global warming to 1.5oC above pre-industrial levels, doesn’t factor in progress made before 2016.
The legally-binding international treaty on climate change only came into force in November of that year and the experts who know about these things tell us that anything before that date doesn’t count.
I think it’s much easier now to jump on the climate change “bandwagon”.
So instead of celebrating our successes, companies like ours who have been on a carbon “journey” for more than 20 years, are now being urged to pump out green rhetoric faster than black smoke from a ship’s engine, just to look as though we are doing something – when actually we’ve already been well ahead of the curve.
I think it’s much easier now to jump on the climate change “bandwagon” and engage audiences with a nice “touchy-feely” environmental topic that gets everyone going “ahhhh….”
Turtles are a good example, it seems to be one of the animals of choice when talking about climate change and how we need to save the planet.
I don’t doubt that turtles are both endangered and a very important species, or that their habitat is under threat, but the reality is as a waste and recycling specialist, our day-to-day operations do not cross over with the lives of turtles.
The only possible link I could draw is that turtles may either a) become entangled in plastic fishing nets or b) ingest plastic – and yes, I have seen the stats which tell us a turtle has a 22% chance of dying if it eats just one piece of plastic, so I am aware of the issues.
In fact, plastic recovery and recycling is something our research team is working hard on right now, with the end goal being to see if technology can turn plastic back into oil.
That would be a huge tick in the “green” box but, until it becomes feasible, I fail to see how turtles are relevant to our business and I don’t feel the need to talk about them just to prove our business is fighting climate change.
Instead of rhetoric, I prefer to talk about real-life scenarios – the actual, practical things we’re doing that make a difference to the environment right now. In other words, charity and environmental projects begin at home, or at least in our backyard.
Grundon has been planting trees for years – thousands in the last decade alone.Yes, we’ve signed up to embrace the electric vehicle revolution which, thanks to government tax incentives, has made economic sense. Is that very exciting? Probably not.
Grundon has been planting trees for years – thousands in the last decade alone. I’ve always been something of a tree-hugger myself, although the science behind it all seems a little muddled.
You read one report which is positive about trees and carbon capture and storage and another that says tree-planting projects can have a detrimental impact on land and communities and, by the way, the trees need to remain growing for a long time to be effective carbon stores.
And don’t get me started on carbon credits, rainforest offsets and double counting… it’s far too complicated. Earlier this year, one carbon-credit rating company said less than a third of projects aimed at preventing deforestation are high quality and that the carbon market lacked transparency.
At Grundon, we plant trees because they look nice, provide food and shelter for creatures (no turtles) and improve the local landscapes.
Issues around carbon offsetting and environmental claims have been in the news on a wider scale these past few weeks as UK and EU regulators look to crack down on “greenwashing”.
Terminology such as “carbon neutral”, “nature positive” and that old chestnut “environmentally friendly” will face a greater challenge from organisations such as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which wants to ensure the public isn’t being misled.
I prefer to concentrate on projects that deliver results not fancy headlines.
I absolutely welcome that, not least because I prefer to concentrate on projects that deliver results not fancy headlines. The unsung work that goes on day in and day out, such as helping our customers achieve 100% diversion from landfill and utilising our Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities to create green energy.
Our joint-venture Lakeside EfW is a success story on its own. It was the first in the UK to meet (and continually deliver) 100% diversion from landfill. As well as generating electricity to power the facility and export to the National Grid, the bottom ash is transformed into recycled aggregate and the Air Pollution Control residue (APCr) is captured and treated by O.C.O Technology to produce a certified carbon-negative aggregate.
That is just a snapshot of one tangible success story that makes a difference… no greenwashing involved.
We’ve been installing solar panels, harnessing power from landfill gas engines and installing water-saving devices for years – we even signed up for the original waste industry reporting scheme which was endorsed by Friends of the Earth.
Monitoring and reporting our emissions is second nature and we work hard every day to invest in new ways to continue that journey. We’re currently part-way through a major investment programme to electrify our waste wheelers and we’re busy installing electric vehicle chargers for visitors to use.
Together with being a good neighbour, investing in local communities and charities, as well as land regeneration projects to help improve biodiversity, this is an environmental commitment in the real world.
Over the last two decades, Grundon has helped fund an amazing array of projects in and around the communities in which we live and work, both through direct contributions and through the Landfill Communities Fund.
Overall, more than £6 million has been donated to help keep countryside footpaths accessible to all, to improve biodiversity, increase energy efficiency in village halls and promote sporting activities.
And by the way, since 2000, we’ve reduced our carbon emissions by 79.74%. But of course, anything before 2016 doesn’t count…
Got something to say on this article or topic? Submit your views and contact the editor at darrel.moore@ciwm.co.uk.
