POWER October 2021 - 56

COMMENTARY
Why Now Is the Time to
Push for Carbon Neutrality
Doug Bloss
n March 2021, we reached an important milestone in the
push for carbon neutrality across industries. A report by the
Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), a UK-based
non-profit, found more than 21% of the world's 2,000 largest
public companies have announced carbon-neutrality commitments
to their customers, shareholders, and investors. Together,
these companies represent more than $14 trillion in sales.
It's clear climate change initiatives are becoming increasingly
common among major companies, for good reason. This
doesn't mean the process is easy, however. Here are some key
considerations companies need to reflect on when embarking
on their carbon neutrality objectives.
I
The State of Carbon Emissions
The most recent global carbon emissions data paints a troubling
picture. While the average consumer can help by lowering
their own carbon footprint, the reality is major companies
produce most of the world's greenhouse gasses.
Two current global carbon emissions data points from the
Environmental Protection Agency are particularly alarming:
energy and heat production accounts for 25% of all carbon
emissions, while industry produces 21%. Together, energy
production and industry create 46% of global carbon emissions.
This puts much of the responsibility of protecting our
planet on major global corporations.
Carbon Neutrality Is Only Possible
with Renewable Energy
Converting to renewable energy is the only way to take carbon
out of our energy systems completely, so companies need
to begin making the transition to these sources. This process
will take time, as many companies are using the same carbonbased
electricity production established decades ago.
The renewable energy system one company uses may be
completely different from the next. Talk to experts to see what
form works best for your business model. Depending on what
your company produces and where it's located, one form of
clean energy might be better than another. Stay educated on
future technologies too, because a new development could be
the perfect way to reduce carbon usage in energy consumption.
Energy Efficiency Is Important Too
The transition to renewable energy sources is an important
step in the journey to carbon neutrality, but it's not the only
one. Optimizing company facilities for efficiency is also crucial,
especially in the transition to renewable energy. Right now,
most companies rely on carbon-emitting energy sources, and
they will continue to do so until their energy is fully renewable.
Between now and then, optimizing facilities to use as little energy
as possible is key.
By using less energy, companies will pump less carbon into
56
the atmosphere. Like investing in renewables, this is something
that can be done right now. As the transition to renewables
is in progress, using less energy will continue to keep
greenhouse gas emissions down and lower the cost of transitioning
to clean energy.
Thermal Efficiency's Critical Role in Reaching
Net-Zero Carbon Emissions
In the journey to carbon neutrality, optimizing thermal energy use
is a significant, but often overlooked, way to improve the efficiency
of facilities across a business. According to the Renewable Thermal
Collaborative, a global coalition of companies, institutions, and
governments committed to scaling up renewable energy for their
thermal footprint, thermal energy constitutes 50% of the world's
final energy use and it accounts for 39% of energy-related greenhouse
gas emissions. In the U.S. alone, 25% of total energy usage
comes from thermal energy. Therefore, significant benefits
can come from improving efficiency.
The transition to renewable energy
sources is an important step in the
journey to carbon neutrality, but it's
not the only one.
For example, steam traps are a frequent failure point in thermal
systems. When these fail, efficiency of the thermal system
collapses, more energy is used, and significant safety risks are
presented. At Armstrong International, we produce steam trap
monitors that give users real-time failure alerts and track efficiency
of the system. The best part is that these systems run
off harvested energy in the plant. For companies that require a
constant supply of thermal energy to support their manufacturing
processes, effective steam trap management can lead to
an overall energy reduction.
Eventually, thermal systems can transition to renewable
sources such as biomass, geothermal, or electrification. It's
important to note that our journey to decarbonization starts
with minimizing and optimizing thermal energy. Once a full
renewable energy source is available, companies can shift toward
decarbonization.
Carbon Neutrality Is the Future-Let's Make It
Happen Sooner Rather Than Later
The journey to reach net-zero carbon emissions might be the
most important initiative companies take over the next decade.
It will require time, work, money, and most importantly, planning.
Switching to renewable energy and maximizing efficiency
for electricity and thermal energy in the industrial sector is the
best way to lower global carbon emissions and ensure a prosperous
planet for generations to come. ■
-Doug Bloss is CEO of Armstrong International.
www.powermag.com
POWER | October 2021
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POWER October 2021

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