Sustainability wins – some good news!
The majority of us working in the industrial sector have a vested interest in sustainability, we understand probably more than those working in other sectors the need for electrification and decarbonisation, and seeing the daily news can be a lot of doom and gloom. Points of no return, missed targets, and ecological disasters fill the headlines but there are good-news stories out there, innovations and wins that show just how humanity is working together to protect the planet. And you don’t get to hear about them unless you dig deep. So, we’ve done the digging for you. Here are some of our favourites.
- Al Dhafra Solar PV solar farm
In 2023 the world largest solar plant began operating at a record low cost of $0.0135 per kilowatt hour. This figure is cheaper than coal, gas, or nuclear, proving just how viable solar is in certain regions. Projects like this show the potential of clean power even for industrial facilities that have higher energy demands and require constant availability. The Al Dhafra solar farm has the capacity to provide carbon free electricity to approximately 200,000 homes in the UAE and displacing 2.4 million tonnes of CO2 annually that’s the equivalent to the power generation of one typical coal fired power plant. - Electric Arc Furnaces
Steel and glass have always been difficult sectors to decarbonise. Unlike other production environments which can explore electrification incrementally, glass and steel involves a dramatic migration from coal fired blast furnaces to Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) but progress in this area has resulted in some impressive statistics. In 2023 69.2% of steel produced in North America used EAFs with reports from European regions ranging from 44.8% to 63.8%. EAFs reduce emission by approximately 75% when compared with traditional blast furnaces and as adoption continues this figure represents a meaningful contribution to collective decarbonisation on industry. - High Seas Treaty
Officially known as the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, the United Nations treaty is working to protect marine biodiversity in international waters. The treaty aims to address the critical gap in ocean protection where waters that had previously fallen outside national jurisdictions were largely unregulated. Now, these waters will be protected from overfishing, deep sea mining, and shipping route pollution. All activities planned in international waters will have to go through the same rigorous environmental impact processes of regional waters.
Progress is happening—quietly, steadily, and all around us. These wins are more than isolated successes; they’re proof that bold action, smart policy, and innovative technology can align to create real change. Our job is to keep communicating that together we can make a difference.
