Why sustainability is so important

The headlines around the impact of a warmer climate have highlighted the importance of sustainability and climate action.

The government is also striving to make the UK leaders on combating climate change, through their target of achieving net zero by 2050. This has pushed a range of industrial sectors to provide ''greener'' products and to implement more environmentally friendly practices.

In 2019, transport emissions contributed to 27% of the UK's total emissions. To reach the net zero target, our transport emissions must be reduced significantly. As a result, vehicle manufacturers have come under pressure to develop energy efficient and low emissions vehicles.

The net zero transition for the transport sector must include supporting services. Manufacturers use a framework called a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to account for the environmental impact of a product, service or process throughout its life. In the past, the application of this has focused on product development and the manufacturing process. However, the industry is now looking further than this, to include repairs and maintenance in LCA's.

Stakeholders now expect your organisation to act on your carbon footprint. For the bodyshop industry, manufacturers, insurers, clients, and membership organisations there is a need to focus on your environmental practices. This is a trend we're seeing across the economy, so it's important that repair shops and the supply chain are geared up for the net zero journey.

Engaging in sustainable practices can create numerous benefits. It can improve your productivity and reduce your costs by acting on your energy efficiency. The recent energy crisis has highlighted the importance of this. A multitude of factors has led to soaring gas and electricity prices. Gas prices have increased due to restricted supply from Russia and low reserves, combined with a cold winter. We have then seen energy demand increase during the economic recovery from COVID-19.

The fire at the French interconnector created electricity supply concerns. We have also had low wind energy yields, meaning we've relied on gas power stations to make up the shortfall. With gas prices already high, wholesale electricity prices have skyrocketed. As a result, we have seen some electricity contracts quoted with a 400% increase in prices.

There is room for improvement in energy efficiency and management in bodyshops. They tend to operate in large spaces that are energy intensive to heat. This can be exacerbated by poor energy management when huge doors are left open, resulting in high heat losses.

Bodyshops utilise a range of energy intensive equipment. Large spray booths can consume up to 400kWh of gas and 42kWh of electricity in one hours use. It's important that they're well insulated and maintained to minimise consumption.

Spray booths and compressors also waste a lot of energy as waste heat. As much as 80% of energy used in a compressor is lost as thermal energy. Bodyshops could be more innovative with their energy use here. Heat recovery systems in the flue of the spray booth and cooling unit of a compressor can be used to pre-heat water before it enters a boiler. This reduces the amount of work the boiler needs to do to raise the temperature of the cold water, reducing natural gas consumption.

Bodyshops can produce a lot of waste from car parts and consumables. Materials should always be repaired and reused where possible. When it's not possible to reuse, materials should be recycled rather than sent to landfill. Furthermore, repair facilities generate hazardous waste, including solvents, paints, antifreeze and used batteries. By accounting for the waste your bodyshop produces, and the processes used to dispose of your waste in a carbon footprint, you can analyse the emissions associated with your practices and waste contractors. A bodyshop could then identify areas for improvement and implement a waste management policy.

Introducing sustainable practices and carbon reporting also future proofs your organisation against future regulations. Large corporations have been reporting on their carbon emissions in their annual accounts since 2016. In 2019, the government widened the threshold for organisations that need to include their carbon footprint in their accounts through the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) policy. It is likely that the government will widen this threshold further in the future, to include SME's. There is also the prospect of a carbon tax – with mandatory carbon reporting used to calculate the sum.

At COP26 Rishi Sunak announced that the largest firms will need to implement and publish net zero transition plans by the end of 2023. The aim is to make the UK's largest companies and financial institutions accountable for their activities. Meanwhile, the Science Based Targets Initiative have launched a standard for developing net zero plans and targets. Net Zero is a goal that companies of all sizes can strive for. Reporting on your footprint and implementing a carbon reduction strategy will help your business stay competitive, by being ahead of the curve as the economy moves toward the 2050 target.