3 minute read
Environment
NFU Energy and District Eating have announced an Innovate UK partfunded project which aims to reduce CO2 emissions by enabling growers to access stable and lower-cost heat.
The project will run for 14 months and assess the economic, environmental and social opportunities associated with using sources of waste heat and carbon dioxide for protected horticulture in England.
Of 60 UK energy-from-waste plants, only ten reportedly use heat successfully. Recoverable waste heat from UK industry could supply an estimated 14% of UK domestic heating (estimated to be 10-50 TWh/yr). Using this waste heat in protected horticulture for UK food production could reduce CO2 emissions associated with its production by at least 70%, without including CO2 savings from reduced imports and transport supply chain emissions.
The project aims to improve productivity and reduce carbon emissions associated with industrial production whilst showcasing the opportunities that can be made from waste resources. Using these waste resources to grow food could also have sustainability benefits, increasing food security in the UK and taking pressures off countries already seeing the effects of climate change. By providing longevity in a heat source, away from direct energy markets, this project also aims to improve resilience for growers and sites with industrial waste heat.
District Eating develops low-carbon horticulture projects using waste heat and CO2, while NFU Energy helps customers find the best renewable energy solutions.
Jon Swain, technical director of NFU Energy, said: “With extraordinary gas prices rises affecting the cost of heat and having an effect on electricity prices and CO2 production, growers are facing unprecedented costs of energy and CO2, which is used to enrich the growing environment for produce in the greenhouse.
“This service could provide growers with ideal opportunities to source local, sustainable and reliable alternatives to gas at a time when farmers are really feeling the effects of supply chain issues and the pressure of decarbonising.”
NFU Energy and District Eating team up on green project
Warwick Conferences awarded gold sustainability status two years running
Warwick Conferences has been awarded the prestigious ECOsmart Gold Status by Greengage Solutions for the second successive year.
ECOSmart Gold Status, which is an industry standard accreditation, is awarded to meeting venues that are able to demonstrate their eco-friendly approaches in five areas. These areas include rooms and facilities, conservation of water and energy, waste management and recycling, food and beverage, and pledges made on corporate and social responsibility.
Over the last three years, Warwick Conferences has worked with several accredited bodies to limit the negative impact that the business has on the surrounding environment. All meat used in its restaurant is procured from farms satisfying UK Animal Welfare standards, while Warwick Conferences has planted more than 550 sapling trees to create a biodiverse woodland in Scarman grounds.
Not only has the business itself made sustainable changes, but visitors and customers are encouraged to do so through a variety of means. Companies hosting meetings and conferences can request meeting rooms with no paper, housekeeping service or individual coffee trays to limit waste. Their delegates can also take advantage of free charging points for energy-efficient electric vehicles.
Warwick Conferences’ director Paul Bartlett said: “Achieving EcoSmart Gold Status once again is testament to our dedication to achieving topof-the-class sustainable practices. Sustainability remains one of our primary objectives, pushing to make the necessary green changes to support the planet. We’re absolutely thrilled to be awarded gold status for our sustainability work and look forward to continuing it into 2022.”
For more information about Warwick Conferences’ sustainability efforts, visit https://warwick.ac.uk/services/conferences/aboutus/sustainability
