The frugal manufacturer

Maintaining economic growth without accelerating climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today.

According to the IEA World Energy Outlook the demand for energy is rising steadily and is set to increase by some 47 percent by 2035 under current policies.

Carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion is increasing year on year and has almost doubled over the period from 1973 to 2010 having shifted from 15,637 million tons (Mt) a year to 30,326 Mt a year according to the IEA Key World Energy Statistics 2012, with around 45 percent of that coming from industry.

With industrial production set to expand in the coming decades, pressure is building on industrial companies to minimize their environmental impact, yet several barriers to investments in energy efficient technologies still persist. The results of a recent survey of industrial executives, commissioned by ABB and researched and written by the Economist Intelligence Unit, identified the critical importance of energy efficiency to long-term profitability and the kinds of measures that were likely to encourage investments in energy efficiency.

Significantly, the adoption of energy efficient technology does not appear to be driven by soaring energy costs (although this will have some impact) nor a desire to curb emissions, but rather from pressure for companies to comply with new regulations.

Do you think regulation will remain the only way to encourage more energy efficient practices?

To find out more about the frugal manufacturer please read the full article:

Part One  – Using energy sparingly

Part Two – Analyzing the industry’s commitment to improvement

Part Three – Regulatory issues set the agenda