The manufacturing industry will be heavily impacted by climate change in the near term. Risks include physical risk to supply chains and resource scarcity (including water) as a result of extreme weather events, carbon legislation risks associated with being a high emissions manufacturing business, profitability risks due to rising energy and raw material costs as well as intermittent energy supplies, reputation and litigation risk associated with being a heavy carbon emitter and waste producer as well as user of toxic non renewable materials in the manufacture process and finally competitive risks as a result of the energy efficiencies that others are achieving in their supply chain and manufacturing processes and using to market their products favorably to consumers. 

Opportunities: 

Leading manufacturers globally are looking to consultancies like GCX to help them turn these challenges and risks into opportunities. Early adopters are developing climate friendly products and in so doing opening new markets for their products. Others are conducting full Life Cycle Assessments on their products to determine energy efficiency opportunities and potential impacts from climate change on component and resource availability. GCX is helping manufacturers assess the impact that emissions legislation will have on their profitability and the need for toxic product substitutes. Waste streams are being converged to provide renewable energy aimed at maximizing profitability and differentiation. Comprehensive energy efficiencies are being implemented across the entire manufacturing supply chain to create increased profitability and differentiation. GCX will help manufacturing companies to integrate climate change awareness into their brand through staff education, marketing and regular PR releases. Smart companies are also attracting new investors through transparency into their emissions reduction initiatives. 

GCX Services: What we can do 

Efficiencies – GCX will assess your companies’ carbon emissions through a carbon footprint and a business case energy efficiency audit The next step is to reduce your carbon emissions by working with you to set targets and budgets and then implement reductions and achieve cost cutting goals. Reductions include Education campaigns to ensure that your employees support internal initiatives. GCX will also monitor your emissions on an ongoing basis. As you embark on the journey to become a low carbon emission business you can gain significant marketing and PR traction and differentiate your brand as a climate change leader. 

Carbon Project Identification – GCX will investigate your business to determine whether there are carbon assets that can be commercialized into a carbon credit project. Types of projects include fuel switch (boilers), waste streams (waste water) and waste heat recovery (smelters). GCX will then conduct a feasibility study to determine the size of the opportunity and if viable will assist your company with full commercialization and registration through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). 

Legislation and Reputation – GCX will determine the impact of legislation on your business and how best to respond to ensure that your profitability is not impacted. This includes determining the reputation risks exposed by being associated with high carbon emissions businesses. 

Waste to Energy – GCX will analyze your business to determine if there is carbon credit generating and hence revenue opportunities through fuel switch, waste to energy and waste heat recovery processes. Examples include the large coal fired boilers that an be changed to biomass. 

LCA – full lifecycle assessment services aimed at understanding carbon emissions in your products from cradle to grave. This information is very important when looking to deliver a green alternative to your current products. Surveys show that consumers trust a company more if they have a clearly defined climate change strategy and are more willing to buy their products. 

Adaptation - Adaptation is the adjustment in systems in response to actual or expected climatic events or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. GCX will look carefully at the impact that climate change will have on your business including your supply chain. Our specialists will show you the risks inherent in your business model and help to implement ways to reduce this risk.