Come Together … Right Now for Sustainability

So many exciting things are going on in the sustainability sphere right now.

President Obama’s and President Xi Jinping’s U.S.-China landmark co-commitment to reduce carbon emissions by a third over the next two decades is no less than astounding.

In June, Tesla’s Elon Musk open-sourced his hard-won electric vehicle patents to accelerate EV growth. Then, just last month, Toyota open-sourced its hydrogen fuel cell patents to accelerate that technology’s growth.

In fact, the automotive industry, once a seeming opponent to vehicular fuel-efficiency standards, has now completely switched gears and is one of manufacturing’s greatest catalysts for sustainability. GM, Ford, and Subaru are leading the charge for zero landfill facilities. The auto industry has already easily achieved its 2016 CAFE standards and is on track to reach the 54.5 mpg by 2025 target.

Then in May and June, Sprint and Dell announced that they will make products and packaging from material that is actually carbon-negative–(TM) plastic actually made from CO2.

It seems that every day, the bio-based industry is coming out with new and better biobased products that just might take us to the new age of what Novozymes’ CEO Peder Holk Nielsen calls “the biobased economy.”

In terms of renewable energy, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) just announced more than $59 million in funding to support solar energy innovation, including $45 million for innovative solar manufacturing technologies. Solar PV installations reach 6.5 GW in 2014, up 36 percent over 2013 and more than three times the market size of just three years ago, the SEIA reported. In 2014, 4,854 megawatts (MW) of wind energy were installed in the U.S. – over four times more new wind energy than in 2013, according to American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

Energy-saving technologies and practices will continue to advance, the ACEEE maintains. It predicts that 2015 will be a pivotal one for zero-net-energy buildings.

So, how does all of this impact your operations? Competitiveness? How can you keep apprised?

Here is one way! Please consider attending our Sustainable Manufacturer Conference & Exhibits, set for May 18 to 19. Registration is open. A discount is available for early registration, and members realize even more discounts.

Last year’s first annual event was very dynamic! Manufacturers came together from all corners of the country and all walks of industry to learn from experts, exchange ideas, and engage in meaningful dialogue with other eco-minded manufacturers.

There is a lot to talk about at our conference. Why not be part of the conversation?!

Got thoughts? I’d love to hear from you. [email protected] or comment below.