In an interview with The Manufacturer, Lloyds Bank’s head for UK manufacturing, Dave Atkinson, has outlined why he believes manufacturers of all kinds should see sustainability and net-zero goals as a business opportunity.
Atkinson started by pointing out how the Lloyds Bank Business Barometer had revealed that roughly a third of manufacturers already planned to become net-zero emitters within the next two decades. While he said that public commitments like this could add value to a brand, he also pointed out that they could also help with recruitment by presenting a business as a credible employer:
“We’re starting to find more manufacturers are saying to us that they interview someone for an apprenticeship or a role, and actually the interview is being turned around, with the candidate starting to question them and interview them about their sustainability and carbon credentials.”
Manufacturers have multiple challenges to deal with right now, and Atkinson admitted it can be hard to get a board to consider sustainability, but he insisted that the important part is just to begin somewhere, whether it’s installing solar panels or electrifying some vehicles. Once this initial step is taken, it becomes easier to start understanding and monitoring the different emissions and measuring the progress towards net zero.
One of the simpler steps for manufacturers to take is to adopt advanced energy-efficient lubricants, and at TrAchem, our friendly team can help manufacturers to explore eco-friendly products like the Shell Naturelle range, which is also carbon neutral thanks to reduced emissions intensity for production and carbon offsetting.
