ØRSTED
“ The majority of our supply chain emissions come from offshore wind and 50 % of the emissions related to offshore wind are related to steel . Those emissions take place further down the supply chain ,” said Krabek , who pointed out they are collaborating with suppliers and are focused on increasing the demand for green steel through the SteelZero initiative .
Protecting the environment Wind farms are major infrastructure projects , but Krabek stresses that “ green industry has to go hand-in-hand with the protection of natural habitats both on land and sea .”
“ This is because climate change and global warming is not the only crisis we as a world have to deal with . We see a biodiversity crisis unfolding , with more than two-thirds of species being lost over the past 50 years , so we have to make sure the green transformation takes place in balance with nature .
“ We have set a target that by 2030 at the latest , all of the energy projects we commission must have a net positive impact on biodiversity . You may ask how we are going to do that ? We set this ambition even though we don ' t have all the answers . We are among other things starting to look into what type of projects can deliver in the short-term , so that we get the experience to learn how we can systematically build this into our pipeline of projects . That ’ s what sustainability leadership is also about . You have to set the targets and ambitions even if you don ’ t have all the answers .”
As part of its climate change advocacy , Ørsted is sponsoring the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in partnership with the Natural History Museum in London . Krabek commented that the longest running photographic event in the world , which showcases animals in their natural habitat , is “ an obvious fit for us because it is an institution that helps to educate people in sustainability and the importance of nature ”.
Power to make systemic changes Ørsted may be driving the vision of a green future , but Krabek highlighted the fact that ultimately change is “ driven by humans ”.
“ We all have a role to play in delivering that change through personal choices on transportation and food . But I think the more interesting question is really what can you do to create systemic changes that need to take place ? If you work in an organisation , what can you do to push that company to be part of that change ? This is all needed to progress the sustainability agenda and limit global warming over the next decade .”
Commenting on the future Krabek said : “ Renewable energy will have to accelerate drastically over the coming decade . At COP26 there were a number of positive outcomes , but it is not enough as the national commitments do not add up to what we need to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees . We have to meet that golden limit because going beyond will mean catastrophic and uncontrollable global warming .”
If the world can achieve what Ørsted has done in the past 10 years we will all be in a better place . sustainabilitymag . com 175