Back to Better: Sustainability's role in post-pandemic manufacturing

The pandemic has disrupted life as we previously knew it, but has also presented many companies the opportunity to re-think the way they do things, including becoming more sustainable. The trend towards sustainability, of course, was there before the pandemic, with government targets for a Net Zero economy including things like a ban on sales of petrol and diesel cars and a move towards renewable energy. Reassuringly, though, the appetite doesn’t seem to be dissipating – recent research MM conducted with Inenco found that almost 95% of manufacturing leaders say that sustainability is either important or very important to their operations, with 98% saying it has grown in importance in the last 12 months. However, many are concerned about funding any green projects, especially in the current economic climate. Sustainability is also changing buying behaviour: Recent research from Deloitte shows that 43% of consumers are already actively choosing brands based on their environmental values, and with Glasgow hosting the UN’s COP26 conference in November, 2021 promises to be the year the green revolution really takes shape. To discuss how manufacturers can maximise the green opportunities as we recover from the pandemic, MM editor Chris Beck is joined by three experts: - Daisy Lavington, Sustainability Lead for Oxfordshire components manufacturer, Essentra Components - Brigitte Amoruso, Climate Change, Energy and Environment Lead at Make UK, the manufacturers' organisation, and - Dan Hulme, manufacturing consultant at Inenco