World Zero Emissions Day: Unite for a Sustainable Future!
How we're progressing on our carbon neutral journey
Becoming carbon neutral became a strategic aim for the business in 2019. We recognised the need to address the environmental impact of our natural gas operational activities and identified that the future of the business lay in developing services and infrastructure for a low carbon future. Specifically that of providing underground storage for hydrogen, allowing the decarbonisation of industries and production of renewable electricity.
The goal to decarbonise and become carbon neutral (zero scope 1 and 2 emissions) by 2025 was subsequently added to our vision and company objectives in 2019 and shared with staff as a company objective. This objective has remained year on year to the current date.
Where are we now?
73% Reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions end 2024
100% Green Power
33% of Staff commute using company facilitated EV's
Initially we reviewed the impact of our business on the environment through the emission of gases and use of power and prioritised 3 areas for action:
- Reduction in energy consumption across the business and local production of renewable energy
- The energy baseload on the site could be covered by local generation of renewable energy
- Optimisation of energy usage through tactical initiatives (e.g. LED lighting)
- Reduction of CO2 emissions both as part of the day to day business and as emitted from the industrial process
- Detection and reduction of fugitive gas emissions (leaks)
- Reduction in vented methane
- Sourcing of Greener energy for the industrial processes
- Gas storage can use large quantities of energy both as power and gas to operate, this was clearly visible in the baseline emissions where 64% of CO2e emissions originated from this use.
From this review we implemented multiple changes and projects including:
- Construction of a solar farm to provide the baseline electricity for the facility
- Gas recovery compressor - recovers vented gas returning it to the transmission system
- Green Electricity contracts to cover compressor usage when moving gas
- Fugitive emissions surveys to detect unrecognised emissions and reduce these emissions
- Electric Vehicle chargers and company facilitated EV car scheme encouraging a greener commute
Next Steps
In 2025 we intend to reduce our remaining emissions without any offsetting to 300 tonnes CO2 equivalent. We will investigate offsetting this remaining quantity which cannot be recovered.
We will also begin to investigate the methods by which we might understand and start working on our scope three emmissions.