LA: Mark Rushton, you’re kind of the go-to guy when it comes to sustainability. So tell me why it is that a lot of companies are looking at the sustainability of their products today.
MR: It’s a great question. I think what is really driving it, the climate change is becoming more urgent, there’s a lot of scientists say we’re close to reaching an environmental impact tipping point that we really can’t come back from. And consumers are actually demanding more from manufacturers and companies and want to see them step up in regards to corporate sustainability. On top of regulations that are coming out, it’s all pushing in the right direction, so it’s really positive that we’re reaching that point, I guess it should have been earlier, but it’s great that aPriori help.
How Collecting Sustainability Data Can Help to Mitigate Your Carbon Footprint
LA: So you say sustainability initiatives are pushing in the right direction for the planet and for the climate, but it’s pushing in a very challenging direction for manufacturers because in the past, it’s been very difficult to get a baseline level of carbon emissions metrics even to start measuring, let alone tracking and improving. So where have you seen companies start to get a handle around their sustainability management and their current carbon footprint?
MR: It is a really complex topic, there’s a lot to consider, and I think part of the problem is that very few have set up frameworks for sustainability reporting benchmarking, sustainability data collection, or kpis around sustainability goals. With cost, for example, if you compare two products, it can sometimes be obvious which one is going be more expensive, because it’s got more features, it’s got a more expensive material, things like that, and you can kind of gauge it, but with sustainability, a more expensive material or a heavier material, you think, “Oh, that’s probably gonna be worse,” when oftentimes it’s not.
LA: Because the processes might use less energy or because there might be less waste in the product, so there’s so many different factors to look at when it comes to sustainability and implementing sustainability solutions?
MR: Yes. Material has a huge impact and you really don’t want to waste any material. The trade-off analysis that aPriori has offered for cost is really the key to making some good progress around sustainability initiatives.
Sustainability Strategy and Net Zero Goals
LA: So we’ve heard of a lot of regulations that are coming to play for manufacturers, both now and in the years to head. There are 2030 goals, there are 2050 goals. What do you think is going to be on manufacturers’ plate for this year ahead for 2023? What do you think is really the short-term goal that manufacturers should be pushing towards in regards to their sustainability strategy?
MR: If manufacturers do not currently have a baseline for their company’s sustainability performance, that is a good place to start. People talk about a 50% reduction and getting to net zero, but you really have to know where you are starting to be able to get to and accurately report a 50% reduction. I think it needs to happen at the design phase. Stakeholders often think it’s easy to start in sourcing because you’re not having to change the design, you can just look at different areas to get it manufactured. This is not always an option, but it’s the easiest option. The more complex option is consider sustainability early on in the design phase and build in sustainability assessments at that early stage. This is where you’re going to get the biggest impact,
Design for Sustainability
LA: You say 80% of the cost is determined in the designs phase. I imagine that 80% of the sustainability impact is also going to be determined in the design stage as well.
MR: That is correct.
LA: So manufacturers should put sustainability management software in the hands of the designers to help with sustainability efforts at the beginning of the product lifecycle in order to really kickstart their sustainability program efforts?
MR: Absolutely, couldn’t have said it better myself.
