ENGIE Impact

May 9, 2022

Share Technology Centre Mongstad in Norway, the world's largest CCS R&D site | Credit: Gassnova World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) joins forces with Engie Impact in bid to scale global net zero manufacturing practices The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has teamed up with engineering giant Engie to develop a set of guidelines and principles to support manufacturers in their pursuit of net zero emissions targets, the two organisations announced last week. Over the next six months, WBCSD and Engie Impact - the French engineering and energy giant's management consulting arm - said they would bring together a host of leading sustainability experts as part of a 'Net Zero Manufacturing Masterclass' series. From the series of workshops, the partners aim to develop a set of principles that heavy industry and manufacturing firms across the world can use to rapidly scale up their decarbonisation efforts, they explained. The initiative is set to explore areas such as renewable energy sourcing strategies, tackling Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and planning for the deployment of emerging technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS). Alexander Nick, director for climate action at WBCSD, said the masterclass series and eventual guidelines and principles would "explore current challenges on production-related carbon reduction measures, exchange best practices and identify unlocks to scale net zero manufacturing". He added that companies taking part in the workshops would gain a better understanding of how to implement a net zero roadmap that generates momentum across manufacturing sectors, and helps businesses move from planning to implementation of rapid decarbonisation strategies. Industrial decarbonisation remains one of the biggest challenges for the net zero transition, with the sector accounting for around 34 per cent of all direct and indirect global emissions, according to WBCSD. Nicolas Lefevre-Marton, Engie Impact's managing director for sustainability solutions, said that in order to meet global climate goals, action is needed within the current decade to tackle emissions from industry and manufacturing. "From ensuring raw materials are responsibly sourced, to maintaining reduced levels of energy and water consumption, industrial and manufacturing companies are facing increasing pressure to adapt processes and resources in line with global sustainability goals," he said. "Decarbonisation challenges within the industrial sector are unique and require a holistic view across multiple decarbonisation levels. In addition, industrial footprints are often distributed across multiple sites and geographies adding further barriers to decarbonisation. This masterclass with WBCSD aims to help industrial companies achieve net zero and determine the right technical approach to decarbonisation while optimising economic outcomes." Share