FINAL GPSJ Summer edition 2024 ONLINE VERSION.2pdf - Flipbook - Page 10
GPSJ
ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY
Collaboration is Key to
Decarbonisation
Adapting how you work and the resources you use to make a difference to your organisation’s
carbon-neutral and net zero goals can feel insurmountable. However, Peter Wells, Datagraphic’s
Responsible Business Manager, explains that even everyday tasks like processing outbound and
inbound mail can become carbon-neutral with the right partners.
Peter Wells, Datagraphic
Responsible Business Manager
processing millions of paper and
digital documents annually, which
must meet clients’ sustainability
goals and deliver cost and process
efficiencies. So we have worked
tirelessly to make our internal
processes carbon-neutral and to
engage with our supply chain to
deliver environmental gains.”
Assessing and Measuring the
Carbon Footprint
“Achieving carbon-neutral
operations and net zero
across your supply chain
requires a collective effort. You
must collaborate with other
organisations, learn from best
practices, and work towards
shared goals.” Peter comments.
When it comes to collaboration,
Peter speaks from experience.
Over the last five years, he has led
Datagraphic’s team to involvement
with several global initiatives,
namely as a participant of the UN
Global Compact and UN Race to
Zero, as a signatory to the Terra
Carta and Climate Pledge, and this
year becoming a B Corp Certified
company.
Peter continues, “I’ve found
adopting a science-based
approach to decarbonisation is
the only way. It forces you to be
methodical, monitoring, measuring
and transparently reporting carbon
consumption. We then publish
an annual Carbon Reduction Plan
and have near-term, long-term
and net zero targets approved
and validated by the Science
Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This
means Datagraphic is accountable,
which clients value as they can
trust our figures to support their
decarbonisation reporting.
Datagraphic’s business involves
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Speaking of gains, the first step to
carbon neutrality is understanding an
organisation’s carbon footprint. In the
case of mail processes, Datagraphic
helps clients gain evidence of how
their footprint can be measurably
reduced by using Datagraphic as a
carbon-neutral mail provider.
Work done by Datagraphic
to support clients includes the
development of Environmental
Product Declarations (EPDs) mapping
the environmental impact of products
and services across their lifecycle
from cradle to grave. Life Cycle
Assessments (LCAs) are often used
by organisations seeking to make
environmentally informed decisions
and are essential for creating EPDs to
ISO 14025 standards.
Reducing Carbon Emissions in
Mail Processes
To further help clients achieve
their carbon reduction targets,
Datagraphic has significantly invested
in facilities equipped with the latest
energy-efficient technology. A
multi-million-pound investment this
year alone with Canon ensures that
mail production uses state-of-theart energy-efficient printers, which
produce letterhead, content and
attachments on-demand – cutting
waste and avoiding emissions in
shipping stationery and collateral.
Datagraphic also draws a substantial
portion of production power from
self-generated renewable electricity:
some 557 on-site solar panels help
remove carbon emissions associated
with mail processes.
Supporting Digital
Transformation
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR JOURNAL SUMMER 2024
Solar at Datagraphic, the solar panels powering production
at Datagraphic’s Midlands outbound mail facility.
For clients transitioning from
paper-based processes, to reduce
paper usage and transportation
emissions. Datagraphic provides
hybrid mail solutions that enable
documents to be distributed digitally.
They also centralise and digitally
process inbound mail, reducing
carbon emissions previously
created from physical deliveries
to numerous client offices. These
flexible approaches support clients
in reducing their carbon emissions
and improve the effectiveness of their
communications.
However, digital transformation is
not just about shifting from paper to
pixels; it’s about ensuring the entire
process is sustainable. Datagraphic
ensures its digital solutions are
powered by renewable energy and
its data centres are optimised for
energy efficiency.
Offsetting Remaining Emissions
Despite every effort to minimise its
carbon footprint, Peter acknowledges
that Datagraphic currently invests in a
small amount of offsetting to achieve
carbon neutrality.
Peter comments: “In my view,
carbon offsetting should be a last
resort. We use it now, for example,
as there isn’t a viable alternative
to natural gas for heating our
operations. We will change that as
soon as practicable. In the interim,
we partner with Climate Impact
Partners, purchasing carbon credits
that align with the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and
support projects that reduce or
remove greenhouse gases (GHGs),
such as reforestation and renewable
energy projects.”
Engaging with Stakeholders
Decarbonisation for Datagraphic
doesn’t stop at its front door. It works
closely with other stakeholders to
enhance efforts to decarbonise mail
processes across the supply chain.
One area is the distribution of
mail. Traditionally, public sector
organisations would post small daily
quantities of mail from numerous
departments and locations. Now,
as Datagraphic clients, they send
files digitally via Aceni, its hybrid
mail solution, to its central facility.
Here, the mail is produced and
consolidated ahead of daily collection
by the mail carriers. The carriers use
technology to optimise delivery routes
and low-emission transport to reduce
fuel consumption and emissions.
Leading by Example
As the public sector continues
to navigate carbon neutrality,
collaborating with partners like
Datagraphic, which supports
clients’ environmental objectives
and demonstrates a commitment
to responsible and forward-thinking
governance, is the key to success
and a more sustainable future.