Sustainable Business Magazine. Issue 05/20

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SUSTAINABLE ISSUE 05.20 06/19

B U S I N E S S

M A G A Z I N E

ABB - FORMULA-E

JAMAICA ENERGY PARTNERS DIAMOND DEVELOPERS

TALCOVE CONSTRUCTION JPK DEVELOPMENT

ENVOPAP EMIRATES NATIONAL OIL COMPANY (ENOC) GROUP

S U S TA I N I N G T O M O R R O W. T O D AY

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SUSTAINABLE

B U S I N E S S

M A G A Z I N E

SBM Media Ltd - 94B St Benedicts Street Adam & Eve Yard, Norwich NR2 4AB United Kingdom • T: +44 (0) 1603 299 124 Email: info@sustainablebusinessmagazine.net www.sustainablebusinessmagazine.net

Editor:

George Newell

Assistant Editor:

Daniel Baksi

Contributing Writers: Marcus Bonnano

Sustainable Business Magazine is committed to promoting sustainable printing.

This magazine is printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified material and manufactured using environmentally sustainable procedures.

All lithographic printer inks used are vegetable-based.

Liam Pritchett

Ciara Jack

Projects Manager:

Helen Stoneley

Sales Manager:

Jake Curtis

Editorial Executive:

Shaun Peacock

Sales Executive:

Oliver Clegg

Web Administrator: Ashley Hewitt

Welcome to the latest edition of Sustainable Business Magazine.

CONTENTS ISSUE 05/20

Welcome to the latest edition of Sustainable Business Magazine, our final magazine of 2020.

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Interview - ABB - Formula-E

This has been a challenging year for businesses and institutions across the world. Plenty has been written in this space and elsewhere about the challenges – and, in some cases, opportunities – for businesses of all sizes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the first vaccines are being rolled out in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, we have entered a time of transition. With a new year comes a newly reconstituted world.

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Q&A - Emirates National Oil Company Ltd (ENOC)

But before we leave 2020 behind, it’s worth recalling that, even before the spread of SARS-CoV-2, we inhabited a world in flux. Climate change, racial and economic inequality, technological upheaval: the great issues of our time remain as pressing now as they were in December 2019. This pandemic has demonstrated the capability of people, governments, and the private sector around the world to step up to a once-in-a-generation challenge and achieve results at a pace thought to be unimaginable.

Here at Sustainable Business Magazine, we have been following change-driving businesses and organizations since 2014. Over this time, we’ve seen a radical reimagining of how business understands itself. Many of the best-known corporations and brands in the world – along with countless small businesses and institutions – have reformulated their approaches to embrace hitherto contentious philosophies of environmental rejuvenation and racial justice, encoding visions of a healthier world in their business models. In this respect, we expect 2021 to be no different.

14 Interview - Diamond Developers 22 Interview - Jamaica

Energy Partners

30 Interview - Talcove Construction 34

Interview - JPK Development

38 Sponsored Feature - envoPAP 42 Advert index

In this final issue of 2020, we take a closer look at businesses and organizations across the world who are making a difference. From Swiss-Swedish technology firm ABB’s E-Mobility Infrastructure Solutions team, who are leading the way in the electrification of transportation, to Dubai-based real estate company Diamond Developers, who developed the innovative green community The Sustainable City; from Asia to North America; from energy to construction to retail, this issue showcases some of the companies, large and small, who are pioneering new approaches to the environment, to local communities, and to technology. We think the companies featured within these pages offer visions of a better future.

We hope you find this issue interesting and inspiring.

The Sustainable Business Magazine Team

ISSUE 05/20 FRONT COVER THIS IMAGE IS COURTESY OF ABB-FORMULA-E

© SBM Media Ltd 2020. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form for any purpose, other than short sections for the purpose of review, without prior consent of the publisher.

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INTERVIEW: ABB - FORMULA E

ELECTRIFYING Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Frank Muehlon, Head of Global E-Mobility Infrastructure Solutions at ABB, about the company’s charging expertise, partnering with Formula E, and delivering efficient transport solutions around the globe.

By Daniel Baksi

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Swiss-Swedish technology giant ABB is one of the world’s leading engineering companies. Headquartered in Zurich, ABB has a history of innovation dating back to 1883, and encompasses a number of mergers and acquisitions, primarily the 1988 coming together of ASEA and Brown, Boveri & Cie, two of the best-known names in European electrical engineering. Today, 110,000 ABB employees in over 100 countries work closely with utility, industry, transportation, and infrastructure customers, delivering

leading-edge products, services, and solutions across four business areas: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation.

“At ABB, we remain focused on delivering leading-edge products, services and solutions for our customers to support the fight against climate change” explains Frank Muehlon, Head of Global E-Mobility Infrastructure Solutions at ABB. “In ABB’s Electrification business, therefore, we have launched our Mission to Zero through which

we develop innovative solutions that help our customers to reduce consumption and to produce cleaner energy.”

DRIVING HIGHER STANDARDS ABB has long been a pioneer in the electrification of transportation. “As one of the first to be active in the e-mobility sector, we have a lot of experience and learning in an otherwise young industry”, says Mr. Muehlon.

“We’ve deployed 14,000 DC fast-chargers in more than eighty countries, placing us as

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INTERVIEW: ABB - FORMULA E

market leaders in the Western world when it comes to DC fast-charging. As a result, customers look to us as a natural partner, whether they are charge-point operators (CPOs), municipalities, or large fleet operators.”

Essential to these achievements has been the company’s holistic approach.

“It’s not just a couple of chargers here and there,” says Mr. Muehlon. “We focus on the complete infrastructure, whether that might be a substation, or software for energy management. We have also been founding members of a couple of charging standards, including the CHAdeMO standard, and the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard, which now accounts for the majority of chargers going forward. For buses, too, ABB has pioneered pantograph charging and opportunity charging. Although our foundations are in DC fast charging, we’ve also recently launched a new range in the AC space, because we know that the market for home-charging and workplace-charging solutions will continue to grow, and we want to play a role in that growth.”

PUSHING THE LIMITS Since early 2018, ABB’s ability to showcase new technologies and accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles worldwide has

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been enhanced by their partnership with the ABB FIA Formula E Championship – the world’s first fully electric international FIA motor sport series, soon to enter its seventh season. “In terms of bringing clean energy forward, working side-by-side with Formula E is a great showcase of what e-mobility can do, and what we as ABB can do,” says Mr. Muehlon. “These type of events and races offer a learning curve, a test-bed. You can try out new technology, new hardware, or new software, and see the impact immediately. In terms of software, for example, how fast is the handshake between car and charger? In terms of hardware, how much cooling do you need for charging and the electronics in each environment? You can push the limits. We also recently signed an agreement that, from Season 9, we will supply charging technology to all Gen3 cars racing in the championship. Naturally, things have been shaken-up somewhat by COVID-19, but we still believe Formula E is really fast-growing, and will soon outgrow other races that run on fossil fuels.”

The Formula E Championship also plays a key role in shaping the public perception of electric vehicles. “It takes place in metropolitan areas, so it’s really close to people,” says Mr. Muehlon. “That means you are bringing e-mobility closer to people. We can showcase our solutions throughout the whole event. It’s not only a race; it’s an exhibition. You can go, touch, feel, and become acquainted with the technology. Of course, when we have races in countries with a high e-mobility take rate, like in China, it’s very different to a race in Chile or Mexico. Precisely how you promote EVs depends on the visitors coming to the race. But in general, we make clear to the buyers of vehicles, and to everybody, just how far you can push the envelope for an EV. They can drive really fast,

“WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT WE LEAVE A CLEAN WORLD FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.”

at a distance. They can charge rapidly. The misperceptions that people often have are removed when they experience the technology for themselves.”

AFFECTING CHANGE ABB’s innovations are driven by practicality and are already helping to improve and expand e-mobility around the globe. “Our ambition is never to do something bespoke for a race, but to create technology that we can really use going forward,” says Mr. Muehlon.

“We work with the IONITY network, a large roll-out project in the UK and Europe, and the Electrify America project in the United States, as well as large CPOs, such as EVgo SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: ABB - FORMULA E

in North America, as well as younger, growing partners, like Europe’s Fastned. Together with these companies, we construct networks that span countries and make electric-vehicle transportation easier.”

The benefits of electrification are not confined to public highways. “In cities, the push for clean buses is tremendous,” says Mr. Muehlon. “There’s a lot of political movement towards phasing out diesel buses. They produce noise and air pollution. We work on contracts for large charging depots for electric buses, and for charging en-route. In Belgium, we have two cities connected, with one-hundred e-buses on the road that we charge in the depot. We also electrified the largest bus depot in Germany, in Hamburg.

Again, we consider the overall picture: The incoming energy to the main substation, the medium voltage breakers and switchgear, the transistors and the low-voltage switchgear. Only then do we get to the chargers and the power-conversion. We’re then able to package all that on the rooftop of a bus, all contained within small boxes with cables that run down from the ceiling to maximize

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space-optimization. The drivers plug in when they drive into the depot, and the rest is automatic.”

A BRIGHT FUTURE ABB is predicting big things for electric vehicles in the years ahead. “We expect e-mobility to grow exponentially moving forwards,” says Mr. Muehlon. “Today, take rates of EVs are still low, but in the years ahead we’ll see a lot of new models coming to market, and we’ll soon come to parity of cost between EV and combustion engine cars. With that, and with the lower cost of maintenance, higher comfort, and a denser network of charging opportunities for EVs, we estimate that in another ten years 25% of new cars coming to the global market will be electric. That’s a significant uptake compared to what we have now. This will be further supported by a lower cost of batteries, and by higher densities of battery, which will guarantee a longer range.”

It’s an exciting time for ABB, and one that requires developments of their own.

“We invest continually”, says Mr. Muehlon.

“We recently opened a new R&D center in the university campus of Delft in the Netherlands. That’s a $10 million investment, dedicated entirely to EV charging. We’re able to drive cars into the center for testing purposes. The building is even designed in a way that accommodates buses, so we can carry out charging inside the building, and test new models. With regards to manufacturing, we’ve also announced a significant $30 million investment in Italy, where we’ve already built a new plant close to our current base. We’ll be moving there soon, giving us far more space in which to grow.” c

“WE’VE ALSO ANNOUNCED A SIGNIFICANT $30 MILLION INVESTMENT IN ITALY, WHERE WE’VE ALREADY BUILT A NEW PLANT CLOSE TO OUR CURRENT BASE. WE’LL BE MOVING THERE SOON, GIVING US FAR MORE SPACE IN WHICH TO GROW.”

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Q&A: EMIRATES NATIONAL OIL COMPANY LTD (ENOC)

His Excellency

Saif Humaid Al Falasi Group CEO,

Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) Group Can you give us a brief overview of ENOC and your history of involvement in sustainability issues?

ENOC Group is a leading integrated energy player, operating across the energy sector value chain.

A wholly-owned entity of the Government of Dubai, ENOC owns and operates assets in the fields of exploration and production, supply and operations, terminals, fuel retail, non-fuel retail, aviation fuel, and petroleum products for commercial and industrial use – the Group is integral to the Emirate’s success.

At ENOC, we believe that energy and its sufficient availability to all people can boost economic development and human well-being. The environment has 10 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

always been a critical component not only for the O&G sector but also for industrial applications around the world. The energy and oil & gas industry is going through a global shift, owing to the development of technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, increased competition, and competitive pricing. Our aim at ENOC today is to support and contribute to efforts that take the industry forward.

We take pride in our ability to introduce innovative practices that not only will generate a return on investment but will also set a standard and reinvent how the industry maintains its operations. We launched the first solar powered service station in Dubai in the UAE in 2017. The project saves the equivalent CO2

emissions of 3,250 passenger vehicles every year.

The PV panels on this one station generate a total of 6.5 megawatts of power per hour – the equivalent of powering 1,700 homes in Dubai in one year.

The success of this service station propelled the Group to move ahead with its plans to include solar PV panels in all future service stations leading up to 2020.

It’s not the first time ENOC and Dubai have pioneered to explore low-carbon opportunities to support energy growth in the 21st century. Such renewable technologies also play an integral part in creating smart energy management, which underpin the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy (DIES). The strategy aims to achieve 7 per cent of Dubai’s energy needs from clean energy sources by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050.

ENOC has also made the decision to use solar PV panels to power its Dubai Lubricant Processing Plant in Jebel Ali. More than 300 photovoltaic solar PV panels spanning a 1,000 square meter roof over a warehouse will generate over 160,000 kwh/year of electricity. Excess electricity will be transmitted back to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA) grid, relieving the load at an opportune time.

Meeting rising power demand in an affordable and efficient manner is a challenge that faces the region; ENOC’s innovative progress heralds a valuable example for others to follow. Saudi Arabia-based Apicorp forecasts that power capacity will need to expand by an average of 6.4 percent each year between 2018 and 2022 across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to meet demand. This corresponds to additional capacity of 117GWh. Continually funneling resources – time, money, and expertise – into ingenious solar energy projects will be a cornerstone of Dubai’s energy security and ENOC’s growth in the 21st century. Every success in this chapter of innovation strengthens the narrative of sustainability in Dubai and beyond.

How is your ongoing Energy and Resource Management program helping ENOC save energy and water, reduce CO2 emissions, and contribute to the Dubai Government’s Integrated Energy and Clean Energy strategies?

ENOC has always recognized the importance of incorporating energy and resource management to drive the growth of our Group. Our efforts in ERM underpin our commitment to support Dubai Government’s mandate to promote sustainable business operations and to reduce the city’s carbon footprint.

The Group recently announced a record 97 million kWh in power savings since 2014, which is the equivalent of the energy needed to power 8600 houses per year, as a result of implementing a series of energy and resource management initiatives.

Since 2014, the Group has also recorded significant 230,000 tons of reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions; as well as 477,000m3 of water in cumulative savings, which is the equivalent of the water volume needed to fill 190 Olympic swimming pools.

In 2019, ENOC Group recycled 17% of its total water consumption, an equivalent to 390,000m3, helping to reduce freshwater consumption. This year, Horizon Jebel Ali Terminal, DUGAS, and Tasjeel – the Group’s vehicle testing registration facilities – have contributed up to 40% water savings.

The Group also saved 5.8 million kWh of electricity in 2019, thereby reducing its energy intensity by a massive 32% since 2014. The Group’s thermal energy savings amounted to 3.2 million GJ and equivalent to 77 million liters of gasoline.

Can you tell us a little about this year’s ENOC Energy Awards?

The ENOC Energy awards is an annual event that we’ve always organized at ENOC. Initially launched in 2012, the awards are a platform to recognize employees for their efforts towards energy and resource management.

The event also showcases winning ideas, innovations, and recognizes divisions and employees for their immense contributions to foster a culture of best practices in energy conservation.

This year however, and due to the current challenges faced due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we organized it as a virtual event.

How will your recent launch of biodiesel for commercial fleets through ENOC Link help customers reduce emissions and improve their effectiveness?

ENOC Link is a mobile fueling concept that is part of Next, ENOC Group’s accelerator program, which provides safe delivery of petrol and diesel to businesses.

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Q&A: EMIRATES NATIONAL OIL COMPANY LTD (ENOC)

Initially launched in October of 2019, ENOC Link offers an end-to-end digital fueling experience along with advanced fuel analytics, fleet management, and mileage reporting. Customers of commercial fleets will also have access to an online dashboard to track fuel consumption on an aggregated level, by site, and even by vehicle or equipment.

In October of this year, we announced the ENOC Link has started offering biodiesel to commercial fleets, offering them easy and convenient access to Biodiesel B5, B20, and B100 at their premises. The recent expansion in ENOC Link’s operations makes it the only the only digital mobile fueling operator in the UAE to offer customers biodiesel.

Biodiesel is an advanced alternative green fuel commonly used for diesel engines, and has proven to significantly reduce carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. The product, which has been tested and certified in the UAE, is used by many companies in the transport and logistics sector as well as in construction as it also helps improve engine performance.

ENOC Link has deployed multiple dedicated biodiesel delivery trucks with tank capacities varying from 800 to 5,000 liters to serve existing and prospect customers, ensuring that demand for biodiesel can be met. ENOC Link plans to expand the fleet to meet increasing customer demand in the near future.

The decision to roll out biodiesel through our mobile fuel delivery offering is due to the increased interest we’ve witnessed from business customers opting for cleaner fuel options that will not only reduce emission levels but enhance operational efficiencies trends that are in line with the UAE’s Vision 2021 to conserve the environment, driving infrastructure development.

By expanding our operations and through ENOC Link we are now able to provide our customers with a high-quality biodiesel. We remain committed to support our customers with their fueling needs while ensuring a diversified fuel mix, aligning with our nation’s goal towards a cleaner and greener environment.

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How is ENOC deploying the latest innovations and technologies?

Digitization has become a game changer, disrupting traditional ways of doing business in an industry that, even today, remains conservative in many respects.

The industry is already embracing new smart technologies which are making a real difference to efficiency and productivity.

To stay ahead of the changing industry landscape, the Group launched Masar - ENOC’s new business transformation program mandated to rethink business and operating models, to fundamentally transform ENOC’s position and direction and deliver strong and sustainable long-term value creation. The outputs encompass unified best practice, data governance, a transition towards computerized system, a single source of operational truth, and the consolidation of the wider business ecosystem. In short, it reaffirms the One ENOC ethos and ensures the Group is ‘future ready’. Having a common purpose along the supply chain is essential to leverage strengths and improve sustainability and affordability.

In addition, ENOC has also launched ‘NEXT’, an accelerator program designed to unlock growth opportunities through new digital business ventures. NEXT has three pillars: first, to come up with disruptive new models that could develop into future core businesses for the Group; second, to enhance operational efficiencies; and third, to use digital technology as a vehicle to build deeper associations with internal and external customers.

Beema, a NEXT initiative, is the region’s first online-based car insurance digital offering. Its unique proposition is in

determining premiums based on kilometers driven – the biggest risk factor in the car insurance business.

Another ‘NEXT’ venture, ENOC Link, uses Internet of Things (IoT) technology to deliver fuel to customer vehicles or mechanical equipment assets. Customers order through an app for delivery to their door or business premises. Each customer asset has a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag corresponding directly with a specific ENOC fuel nozzle. The fuel can only be dispensed if the nozzle matches the vehicle. Data analytics track the fuel consumed for each asset, at what price, and how frequently. This is invaluable to a construction company, for example, that may have several assets spread across 20 different work sites. Payments are also all digital, preventing any chance of cash fraud.

These initiatives have only been possible through ENOC leadership’s approach to separate these ventures from the core of the business and give them the room to develop.

NEXT is two-pronged. It supports the UAE government’s wider aims to be a knowledge economy, and at the same time we understand as an organization that developing new business models is crucial to sustaining our business and the wider energy value chain moving forward.

At ENOC, we believe in the importance of disruption to be able to answer new and unseen challenges and NEXT – our accelerator program - is designed to do just that. It underpins the Group’s commitment to contributing to the UAE’s future agenda, and Dubai’s vision to be a global platform for knowledge-based, sustainable, and innovation-focused businesses.

The Group has partnered with several global players to deliver the different components of NEXT including BCG Digital Ventures - a US-based corporate investment and incubation firm, Moro, the Dubai government owned digital data hub, and EY, a multinational professional services firm. c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: DIAMOND DEVELOPERS

BUILDING A GREEN COMMUNITY

By Liam Pritchett

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Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Karim Eljisr, Chief Sustainability Officer at Diamond Developers, about the first low-carbon community in Dubai.

Who in the first half of the 20th century could have imagined today’s Dubai? Originally a fishing village, Dubai acquired some regional importance as a trading port as a result of its proximity to Iran, but the small town was still best known for its pearl exports,

which were curtailed by the Great Depression.

By 1960, Dubai was a bustling community of 40,000, with a small, newly-opened airport and one hotel.

Then the oil find came. By 1975, the population of Dubai was 183,000. Unlike

other countries which struck oil, Dubai ploughed the resulting revenue into infrastructure, education, and healthcare. Today, with a population of 3.3 million and growing, Dubai has flourishing real estate and construction, trade, tourism, and financial services sectors, making it the most diversified economy in the United Arab Emirates – itself the most diversified economy in the

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INTERVIEW: DIAMOND DEVELOPERS

Gulf Cooperation Council. Less than 1% of Dubai’s GDP today is derived from oil.

What’s more, Dubai is quickly becoming a regional leader in sustainable infrastructure.

The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 aims to reduce Dubai’s overall carbon emissions by 16% by 2021 and increase the share of Dubai’s energy generated by clean and renewable sources to 75% by 2050, with the intention of Dubai in 2050 having the smallest carbon footprint in the world. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)-led Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, expected to reach its final size of 1GW by 2030, is already the largest solar power plant in the Middle East.

Then there’s The Sustainable City. A 46-hectare tree-lined residential development with 500 villas and 89 apartments,

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roughly 17 miles from the gleaming skyscrapers of downtown Dubai, The Sustainable City intends to be Dubai’s first net-zero energy community. Car parking areas are equipped with electric vehicle chargers, and the shades are solar panels. The Sustainable City itself is completely pedestrianized, with residents walking, cycling, or using the city’s fleet of electrically-powered buggies. Ten biodomes house a variety of herbs and vegetables, which residents use for cooking. Parks, basketballs courts, and running, cycle, and equestrian tracks run through the development for exercise, while the villas and apartment building also have solar panels on the roofs, and are constructed with north-facing windows to minimize air conditioning requirements. The Fairgreen International School provides a world-class education to students in the community while using solar power for energy, recycling water, and separating waste; and Sanad Autism Village offers education and behaviour therapy to people with Autism Spectrum Disorders, providing pathways into society.

SUSTAINABLE PILLARS Diamond Developers, the real estate company which developed the Sustainability City, identified six different key areas as critical to ensuring the overall sustainable development of the project: Food, water, energy, building materials, mobility, and waste.

“Food security has become an important strategic goal for the UAE and for many other countries,” explains Karim Eljisr, Chief Sustainability Officer at Diamond Developers.

“As a result of COVID, it’s going to become even more important. Food production and urban farming is part of that equation, and we knew we need to allocate space

“THE DUBAI CLEAN ENERGY STRATEGY 2050 AIMS TO REDUCE DUBAI’S OVERALL CARBON EMISSIONS BY 16% BY 2021”

for it in the master plan. Then there’s water, which in Dubai uses a lot of energy through desalination. We have to maximize the use of that water by minimizing consumption.

For energy, we do measurements and we do lifecycle analysis of the villas so we know the embodied carbon, and we also measure emissions downstream and during operations. Mobility is about how we can provide zero-emission mobility in the community and how we can support low-carbon mobility outside, too. And waste is the final part of that green DNA – reducing waste, sorting it, and recycling it. We want to revolutionise the real estate industry, by raising the bar significantly, doing measurements, and then disclosing what we have achieved, good or bad, allowing us to improve.”

URBAN FARMING Herb farming takes places in the 11 biodome greenhouses totalling three hectares which run through The Sustainable City.

These greenhouses are cooled using low-energy fan-and-pad air conditioning systems. Vouchers entitle residents to ten plants a month for free, while the remainder are sold to local retailers. Residents are also provided with allotments built with reclaimed materials from the construction process, as well as classes on how to best tend their ‘urban farm’ developed by the University of California, Davis. Trees around The Sustainable City not only create shade and clean the air but also produce fruit, including dates, pomegranates, mulberries, and moringa.

“For three years we have been working with local and international partners including the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands and the University of California, Davis,” says Mr. Eljisr. “We also work with startups including Agricool, a French company who are in the business of what we call ‘container farming’, and Alesca, which is a U.S.-Chinese company with which we produce micro-greens. So there’s a lot of innovation coming to both farming and urban farming.”

ENERGY REDUCTIONS Water is another pillar for The Sustainable City. In Dubai, potable water production involves energy-intensive desalination. The Sustainable City aims to use significantly SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: DIAMOND DEVELOPERS

“MONITORING FOUND THAT VILLAS IN THE SUSTINABLE CITY USED 42% LESS ENERGY FROM THE GRID PER CAPITA THAN THE DUBAI AVERAGE”

less water than other residential developments, through efficiency and water recycling. Water-saving faucets minimize domestic consumption, resulting in an average consumption per villa of 30% less than the Dubai average. Then, greywater is recycled, for use in farming and in the two artificial lakes which provide natural cooling to The Sustainable City.

Overall, reduced energy consumption is at the heart of The Sustainable City concept. “From day one we said we want to be zero energy,” says Mr. Eljisr. “If we 18 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

believe in the Paris Agreements, we have to de-carbonize and move towards zero energy communities. On the one side we have to be very energy efficient. This has to do with the washing machine, dishwasher, and air conditioning, but it also has to do with renewable energy production.

So whatever consumption we need, we want to produce on site, either within the villa or within the community. We deploy solar PV modules throughout, but we also continue to look at updated PV modules to improve further.” Monitoring found

that villas in The Sustainable City used 42% less energy from the grid per capita than the Dubai average, with further improvements expected as more solar PV is deployed in the city and as further sustainable initiatives are implemented.

CARBON-FREE MOVEMENT The Sustainable City was designed to support low-carbon mobility. The development’s streets are pedestrian only, with cycle paths and electric buggies available to all residents.

“We encourage cycling within the communi-

ty, and we have a fleet of electric buggies on a sharing basis,” says Mr. Eljisr. “This means people can commute from a cluster to the mosque or from the mosque to a shopping area or to the school in the morning, all without creating any emissions. We also have to think about what people are doing when they leave the City. So can people car share, can people switch to electric vehicles, can people use public transportation? For this, there were design considerations during the planning phase of the city.”

One of the most discussed aspects of The Sustainable City is the limitation on cars.

Vehicles are stored in public car parks, with electric buggies, cycling, and walking emphasized within the city. “Mobility is going through a revolution,” explains Mr. Eljisr. “It’s about car-sharing, it’s about electrification, and it’s about autonomous vehicles. The next step for us is to deploy electric vehicles on a sharing basis. Now we’re moving from con-

ventional EV charging to smart EV charging, which is all about effective load management. In terms of autonomous vehicles, it’s about how we embrace driverless technology. Whether it is for deliveries or a commute, we do trials and testing, and we have a collaboration with the Roads and Transport Authority to deploy and test cutting-edge driverless technology within the community.”

When it was completed, The Sustainable City created a new benchmark for sustainable residential developments.

Three thousand people currently live in the award-winning community, which provides a blueprint for future sustainable developments. “From day one we approached social, environmental, and economic sustainability together,” says Mr. Eljisr. “Many of the existing standards for sustainability focus on energy, or carbon, or water, but in our case we address all these components and also pay attention to social sustainability and people themselves. At the end of the day it’s about providing housing and developing a community, so we need to stress that community. We need people to get along, we need people to be healthy, we need people to be happy, and these were equal considerations during the planning phase of The Sustainable City.”

SUPPORTING INNOVATION The SEE Institute is the research and development arm of Diamond Developers, promoting low-carbon living and climate action by sharing information, training, and special SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: DIAMOND DEVELOPERS

“WE WANT TO BUILD AND PROVIDE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES AND A SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE WHICH WILL PUT US ON THE RIGHT PATH FOR THE PARIS AGREEMENT.”

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projects. “As an Institute, our purpose is to increase and share knowledge in sustainability in the built environment. We want to collect the knowledge that’s out there and share it.”

“We have four pillars,” explains Mr. Eljisr.

“One is to facilitate research. This could be academic research, or it could be industry-related research. We have collaborations with universities all around the world. We also have collaborations with industry, and those are manufacturers, for example, who have products that they wish to scale up, refine, or test through our Bedayat Business Incubator. The second pillar is startups. We have a mechanism in place to attract startups who operate in the realm of sustainability facilitating trials and demos, providing a co-working space, and also expanding their network.

Number three is training, providing professional training in all the disciplines that I have mentioned, including food, energy, and water, both face-to-face and remotely. Then the fourth pillar is conferences and events. We have a facility that we are currently designing and finalizing that is going to be zero carbon.

That’s the home of the Institute, and it will be able to accommodate up to 500 people. All events are those related to sustainability that we wish to either design or co-design, with a long list of partners around the world.”

in the pipeline,” says Mr. Eljisr. “One is currently under construction, which is called Sharjah Sustainable City. But other cities will be announced in due course, both locally and globally. Also, we are not limited to the UAE market, and are looking at the Gulf region, Australia, Africa, Central Asia, Europe, and the North American continent. Different shapes, different sizes, but the same philosophy and the same ethos in all of them.”

“Ultimately, we want to provide a way to design a low-carbon future,” says Mr. Eljisr.

“We want to build and provide sustainable communities and a sustainable lifestyle which will put us on the right path for the Paris Agreement. Of course, there’s only so much we can do as one company, so our success very much hinges on how much replication and inspiration we’re going to see. We might build another ten communities – around fifty to a hundred thousand people – but ideally we want to see millions of people benefit from this development model.” c

LOW-CARBON FUTURE Using The Sustainable City as a blueprint, Diamond Developers are working on new low-carbon communities. “We have several SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: JAMAICA ENERGY PARTNERS

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ENERGY BACKBONE OF JAMAICA

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Cecil Gordon, Senior Manager at Jamaica Energy Partners, about renewable power generation, community initiatives, and the future of energy in Jamaica.

By Daniel Baksi Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP) is the largest independent power producer (IPP) in Jamaica. Founded in September 1995 to operate the 74.2MW Doctor Bird Power Plant in Old Harbour, over the years, the company has made a series of acquisitions to expand generating capacity, adding the 50.2MW Doctor Bird II power plant in 2006, followed in 2012 by another 65.5MW plant in the Western Kingston area. In the same year, JEP also assumed management of the Jamaica Private Power Company (JPPC), a 60MW diesel plant in Kingston’s Rockfort. In 2019 the JEP group of independent power plants generated over 1.3 billion kilowatt hours of energy. Today, JEP manages roughly 250MWs of generating capacity. JEP also benefits from the support of its parent company InterEnergy, based in Miami, Florida. InterEnergy boasts over 1000MWs under its management across the Dominican Republic, Chile, and Panama. The company is also a gas producer and operator of electric charging stations, with over 1,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in circulation within the Dominican Republic.

A SHIFTING SECTOR At the time of its founding, JEP was a unique prospect for Jamaica’s power-generation. “It was a new thing for Jamaica, for a business

outside of the grid-operator to producing generating capacity,” explains Cecil Gordon, Chief Technical Officer at Jamaica Energy Partners Group. “The energy it produced was sold to the grid operator, who then distributed that energy to its customers. Previously, supply was monopolized under the government-owned Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), who had responsibility for generation, transmission, and distribution.”

Today, the Jamaican energy sector is undergoing a rapid change. “At our peak, we supplied roughly 35% of Jamaica’s energy requirements,” says Mr. Gordon. “That has since dropped. We’ve seen a few changes in

MR CECIL GORDON, CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER, JAMAICA ENERGY PARTNERS GROUP

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INTERVIEW: JAMAICA ENERGY PARTNERS

“EVERYTHING WE’RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS TOWARDS THAT FINAL OBJECTIVE TO GET GREENER AND CLEANER.”

MECHANICAL TECHNICIAN, ADRIAN SALMON

the grid, with the arrival of gas and renewable energy plants and the effects of the pandemic. As a result, our contribution has been halved. But we’re still here. We have a good culture of staff, both in terms of those with technical backgrounds and our support staff. We’re making the most of that, positioning ourselves to take up any opportunities that will be available on the grid – not only in Jamaica, but also exploring opportunities across the wider Caribbean.”

RENEWED TECHNOLOGY In preparation for this, Jamaica Energy Partners is embarking on a process of improving 24 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

the environmental efficiency of its portfolio.

“Everything we’re doing right now is towards that final objective to get greener and cleaner,” says Mr. Gordon. “We already have one of the most efficient set of non-renewable power plants among energy suppliers. We’re now preparing to convert some of our newer plants to burn natural gas, and to replace our older plants altogether. Doing so would allow us to extend our 250MW capacity by another 20 years and would make a significant contribution towards reducing our carbon emissions. It would also mean we’d be able to reduce our cost of production, and by extension the costs for the grid operator

CRO, KATHY GOODEN; SHIFT SUPERVISOR, MYRON CAMPBELL AND PLANT TECHNICIAN, DAYNE SCOTT

JUDY WALTERS, JEP’S WELDER AND RECONDITIONING MECHANIC (RIGHT)

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INTERVIEW: JAMAICA ENERGY PARTNERS WEST KINGSTON POWER PARTNERS (WKPP)

“WE ALREADY HAVE ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT SET OF NON-RENEWABLE POWER PLANTS AMONG ENERGY SUPPLIERS.”

MR WAYNE MCKENZIE, OD, PRESIDENT & CEO, JAMAICA ENERGY PARTNERS GROUP

and the customer. We spent most of last year fine-tuning the proposal we put to the government. But, with the current pandemic and all this happening, everything has been put on hold. It’s just a matter of getting the green light.”

The company is also looking to intensify its investments in renewable energy.

“The government has just announced its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP),” explains Mr. Gordon. “That outlines their desired mix of generating capacity for the future – how much solar, how much wind, and so on. Those tenders will come to market in the next six to twelve months. Our aim is to pursue as much of renewable energy as possible. We have a specific business unit

MR CECIL GORDON RECOGNIZES DOMINIC MCINTYRE OF ST GEORGE’S COLLEGE FOR HIS EFFORTS IN WEST KINGSTON POWER PARTNERS’ INAUGURAL ENERGY DEBATING COMPETITION.

looking solely at those opportunities and doing the necessary research in terms of securing land – because renewable energy often requires significant amounts of landspace. We’re talking to our contractors, our original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), to see who we can work best with. In this respect, our parent company has already taken the lead with investments in renewable energy, and we’re following. In another two or three years, we should be very high on the clean, green energy scale.”

COMMUNITY SUPPORT For JEP, a key component of their value proposition is their investments in community support. “A big feature of our agenda

KEVIN MARRIOTT, I/E TECHNICIAN

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INTERVIEW: JAMAICA ENERGY PARTNERS

“THE FUTURE OF GENERATION IS HERE, AND WE’RE POSITIONING OURSELVES TO BE A PART OF IT. OF COURSE, WE’LL ALSO DO MORE OF WHAT WE’VE ALREADY BEEN DOING, IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH NGOS.”

DOCTOR BIRD POWER STATION (DBPS)

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is, how can we help the country to improve the lives of our fellow citizens?” says Mr. Gordon. “We try to support the communities around the plant as much as possible, ensuring we’re good corporate citizens. We contribute to education, offering scholarships to students attending secondary and tertiary institutions. We’ve also worked with hospitals and sporting associations, because we think health and wellness are two important criteria to measure welfare for people.”

In particular, environmental support is one issue upon which the company places a heavy emphasis. “Since the advent of JEP, we’ve always been working closely with the Jamaica Environmental Trust (JET),” says Mr. Gordon. “As an NGO, their work involves lobbying and educating people about the environment and about the need to protect it. A member of JEP is always on their board giving support and direction. We’ve been supporting their Schools’ Environment Program (SEP), in which they go into schools and teach youngsters the responsibility of taking care of the environment. Aside from that, we also assist other companies that want to practice energy conservation, giving them conservation tips, donating to their lighting efficiencies, and reducing the demand for mains-led emissions. Anywhere we can give a hand, we will always do so.”

GREATER HEIGHTS “We’ve done a lot, but we’re not satisfied with where we are now,” says Mr. Gordon.

“We want to do more, and we believe we have the capacity to do so. Our main aim is to get ourselves back to a position where we’re the backbone of supplying power in

Jamaica. That requires us to expand. We’re always in growth-mode, and we’re now aiming to push above 300MWs in terms of our capacity, whether that’s through acquisitions, or by developing new capacity. In terms of acquisitions, we’re targeting solar plants, because they’re the most recent additions to the grid. But we’re dependent for the most part on people being willing to sell. We have a very long list of companies that we’re targeting across the region. That’ll help us to compete, and hopefully win tenders from the government, who are being very aggressive in pushing for renewables, with the aim of meeting up to 50% of Jamaica’s energy demand with renewable energy. The future of generation is here, and we’re positioning ourselves to be a part of it. Of course, we’ll also do more of what we’ve already been doing, in terms of supporting our communities through NGOs and other community-based organizations. If we’re operating well, we also hope our employees and staff will be happy, so that together we can reach even greater heights.” c

DR CAMILLE DAVIDSON CONDUCTS A MEDICAL CONSULTATION WITH A RESIDENT OF OLD HARBOUR BAY AT JAMAICA ENERGY PARTNERS FREE HEALTH & WELLNESS FAIR HELD IN OLD HARBOUR BAY THIS PAST JUNE.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: TALCOVE CONSTRUCTION

REBUILDING

STRONGER Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Trevor Wallace, Managing Director at Talcove Construction about post-hurricane restoration, new construction techniques, and embracing technology.

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By Daniel Baksi Talcove Construction is a full-service general contractor operating out of Great Abaco, Bahamas. Since 2013, the company has offered a full range of construction services throughout the Bahamas, including project estimating and budgeting, value engineering, scheduling, logistics, and overall project management. Originally founded to develop a 220-acre luxury real estate community at Schooner Bay, Talcove has built its reputation on delivering quality services, and benefits from a team equipped to successfully execute any project, from custom residential and second home properties, to multi-million-dollar commercial facilities.

BACK FROM THE BRINK Since Sustainable Business Magazine last spoke to Talcove Construction in early 2019, the Bahamas suffered a calamity. On 1 September 2019, the Abaco Islands became the first islands in the Bahamas to make contact with Hurricane Dorian, a devastating Category 5 Atlantic hurricane, and the most intense tropical cyclone on record to strike the Bahamas, with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h). Severe damage followed, with power, water, telecommunications, and sewage services on the Abacos disrupted, and the Marsh Habour Airport on Great Abaco submerged. Thousands

of homes were destroyed in in central and northern Abaco alone, with most structures flattened or swept out to sea, and more than 70,000 people left homeless. The cost of damage for the Bahamas as a whole totaled US$3.4 billion.

Devastation of such immense scale has transformed the construction industry across the Bahamas, with emphasis falling heavily on the need to rebuild homes lost during the hurricane. “The dynamics have changed,” explains Trevor Wallace, Managing Director at Talcove Construction. “In Abaco, 99% of the work that’s being done right now is reconstruction or restoration.

That’s all related to Hurricane Dorian. Over the last few months, all the contracts we’ve signed have been restoration works on private residencies, often high-end personal homes. It’s our main focus, and the main focus of all construction companies at the moment. There is a small amount of new construction, and prior to the hurricane we were looking at a few other projects. But that’s been put on hold. Mainly, everyone is just trying to rebuild what they had in the past, and what’s been lost. That’s the larger need right now.”

HIGHER STANDARDS The havoc wreaked by Hurricane Dorian has also necessitated a new approach towards construction among contractors and clients. “There’s a desire to have what we would call a ‘fortified home’,” says Mr. Wallace. “Dorian changed the mindset of a lot of people living in the Bahamas, whether its locals or second-home owners looking to buy and live in the Bahamas. Having a building that is structurally sound is really of the upmost importance to everybody SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: TALCOVE CONSTRUCTION now. There’s also been several discussions about potential changes to industry standards – for example, whether the building codes need to be upgraded”.

The effects of this change are already been borne out in the construction of new homes. “From a structural standpoint, people are taking extra measures,” says Mr. Wallace. “It’s a fact that you can see clearly, just by looking at the construction that has happened across the islands in the months since Dorian. Where in the past people might have used number five rebar to core-fill and pour block walls at 32 inches or 48 inches on center, they’re now bringing them in closer: to 16 inches or 24 inches on center. Everyone is saying to themselves, ‘How do we prepare ourselves for the next Dorian?’ That’s been one of the key conversations with any client who’s rebuilding at the moment.”

PURSUING INNOVATION With the construction industry undergoing a change, Talcove has had to adapt its ways of working. “In general, a lot of our work is done within the office,” says Mr. Wallace. “We rely on software to manage a project and to track products, whether it’s an Excel spreadsheet or specific software for takeoff or to produce a project schedule – those are all things done with in-house software by myself and the other project manager. Especially now, with the high volume of restoration, there’s a lot more detail that needs to be done. For a lot of people who are reconstructing their homes, there’s a sentimental value: they want it to be built back the way it was before. As a result, we have to be very thorough with regards to documentation, photographing everything, and uploading those documents to ensure that we capture everything we might need.”

In light of the company’s dynamic workload, Talcove is also equipping itself with the latest hardware developments. “We try to stay up to date with what’s current in the industry,” explains Mr. Wallace. “Whether it’s a tool or material that can help us be more efficient, we do our research. We need to

“WE’VE ABOUT DOUBLED OUR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS SINCE JULY OF THIS YEAR TO NOW, IN SPITE OF COVID-19”.

make sure that if there is a new means and methods of getting things done in the field, and that will increase our productivity, we give it a try. Although the technology has been on the market for a while, one of the biggest things to come in recently has been in the field of drywall installation. Instead of using individual screws in a dry wall, you can now purchase a cartridge, which you insert into a screw gun, press against the drywall, and which then screws in automatically.

There’s no going into your pocket, getting a screw out, and screwing it one-by-one. This has increased our productivity on drywall installation by roughly 30%. It’s a change that everyone is excited about, because there’s now so much drywall work, with all the resto-

ration. It’s something that we saw would be a significant benefit to us overall, and help to keep our projects on or ahead of schedule.”

STRATEGIC REINVESTMENT Looking ahead, Talcove is seeking to play an even larger role in the reconstruction of Great Abaco. “We’ve seen an increase in work and an increase in the construction value that we’ve completed compared to last year and the year before,” says Mr. Wallace. “We’ve about doubled our construction contracts since July of this year to now, in spite of COVID-19. A lot of that has to do with the restoration as a result of Hurricane Dorian. In order to meet the demands of the work we have in the pipeline, we’ve already hired additional staff, both the management side, and in terms of skilled workers in the field. Our task now is to take on bigger projects, and we’re gearing up to that. We have several projects already being negotiated for 2021, and we’ve invested in some equipment, including a new crane, a forklift, and a few additional trucks.

We’re preparing ourselves, so that once the start-dates have been finalized, we’ll be ready to begin those projects on-schedule.” c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: JPK DEVELOPMENT

SUSTAINABLE

LUXURY

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Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Jay Knoepfel, Founder and Managing Director at JPK Development, about developing high-end homes, the advantages of solar power, and staying in business at a challenging time for the global economy.

By Marcus Bonnano JPK Development is a general contractor and real estate developer in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Based on the island of Saint Thomas, JPK has been operating since 2002, and has developed more than 20 high-end villas to date, as well as working on several high-profile commercial projects.

JPK Development began modeling and developing high-end villas in 2006. “That year, the booming economy meant a lot of companies and corporations were coming to the Virgin Islands looking to receive special tax benefits,” says Jay Knoepfel, Founder and Managing Director at JPK Developments. “It just so happened that we were really good at building the type of high-end real estate that they needed. At the time we had a group of partners that would buy up properties so that we could build them out before selling the buildings on. JPK Development was a small company then, very handson, and it was a creative process to develop the villas.”

GREEN ISLAND Over time, JPK Development evolved into a general construction company. “A lot of people in the Virgin Islands build their own homes by hiring a contractor and separate architect,” explains Mr. Knoepfel.

“So people would hire us as the contractor,

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INTERVIEW: JPK DEVELOPMENT

to do their projects for them. We did that for some time before branching out even further, into commercial work.”

One such commercial project was on the private island of Lovango Cay. “We built two homes there on the island in addition to an array of general infrastructural work on other properties,” says Mr. Knoepfel. “Lovango is a 100% green island which creates all of its own electricity using solar panels and wind turbines. This was a vision of the previous owners. We built two of the largest and most beautiful villas out there. The island itself is gorgeous and home to some of the largest docks in the Virgin Islands. JPK Development is proud to have helped the owners realize this initial vision.”

SELF-SUSTAINING EDUCATION JPK also worked with the Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy to develop a large, self-sustaining complex. “The original school had a fire in 2009 and needed buildings restored quickly so they approached us,” says Mr. Knoepfel.

“The most important thing was the school library, which they wanted reopened quickly so that student could access education mate36 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

rials. We were able to deliver this, so they discussed further work with us. The school wanted 6000 square feet of new classrooms built with concrete and powered by a large solar awning that would provide enough electricity to take the entire school off-grid.

That was one of our first commercial projects, and it was a very rewarding experience.”

Solar panels for the project were provided by local solar company VI Solar Technologies. “The Montessori School actually generates so much solar energy that it bought its own fleet of electric cars and rents them out to the public,” says Mr. Knoepfel.

“The school decided it needed to create a use for all of its excess energy so they’re charging these eco-friendly cars. We think this is amazing, and we’re very proud to have been involved in this project.”

RESILIENT DEVELOPMENTS “We’re about to develop some properties at a place called Cabrita Point, located near the island’s Ritz-Carlton hotel,” says Mr. Knoepfel. “They are going to be homes that we build then sell, and we’re crafting them to suit people’s future needs. They will be 100% solar-powered and include battery banks to

“IF WE CAN SELL SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS AT GOOD PRICE POINTS WITH GOOD VALUE FOR CUSTOMERS, WE’RE HAPPY, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS DURING COVID IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO EMPLOY OUR WORKFORCE RIGHT NOW.”

store generated electricity. Right now, we’re just starting the planning process with the local building permit office. We hope to have this project finished by 2021.” has embraced renewable energy as a way to provide reliable, inexpensive electricity for clients. “We would absolutely recommend solar panels for a better build,” says Mr. Knoepfel. “Although you have to come

up with the money up front, the savings on electricity mean you’ll recover all of that in the short-term. There is a lot of sunshine here in the Virgin Islands so why not make use of it? Solar panels aren’t the only way we’re offering sustainable buildings. What we’re trying to do is join modern tech with solid, traditional techniques that make buildings resilient against the climate, both short-term

such as in hurricanes and long-term with the shifting climate. With this in mind, it’s also important to note that we work with more than just high-end clients. For example, following hurricanes Irma and Maria we started working with FEMA to help restore homes on the island.”

“If we can sell sustainable buildings at good price points with good value for customers, we’re happy,” says Mr. Knoepfel.

“One of the important things during COVID is that we continue to employ our workforce right now. There are 30 to 50 people working for JPK, and we’re committed to keeping them working, making sure there is bread on their table as much as there is bread on mine. We’re fortunate that there is work on the Virgin Islands right now. We work as a team to create good products so we can continue long into the future.” c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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SPONSORED FEATURE: ENVOPAP ENVOCOPY - ENVOPAP’S FLAGSHIP PRODUCT - ENVOCOPY

38 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

FLOWERENVOPAP’ - FLOWER WRAPS, PART OF THEIR ENVOBARRIER RANGE

A MATERIAL REVOLUTION

By Kaushal Shah, Founder and CEO of envoPAP

In the pre-Covid-19 world, sustainability was on the rise. Public concern about single-use packaging waste was growing, regulators globally were imposing progressive policies, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies were increasingly committed to reforming their packaging systems to be more sustainable.

However, the pandemic has led to a rapid increase in e-commerce and online spending in a world of social distancing. As many countries face ‘second waves’ and renewed lockdown restrictions, research suggests consumers will maintain their online shopping habits due to convenience. This is evident across Asia – and China in particular – where e-commerce has rsemained high following COVID-19.

The environmental impact of single-use packaging waste seems to have fallen from its elevated position on the public’s agenda. Mainstream media scrutiny has also temporarily eased as concerns over hygiene and transmission risk take precedence. The combination has meant increased use of disposables and packaged items.

KAUSHAL SHAH, FOUNDER AND CEO OF ENVOPAP

The dramatic increase in e-commerce shipments and home-delivery services not only poses a threat to the environment but is a real challenge for packaging companies.

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SPONSORED FEATURE: ENVOPAP

There is an abundance of scalable alternatives to the traditional, environmentally damaging single-use plastic and woodbased packaging products. Using agricultural waste - which otherwise would be burned and pollute land, air, and water – is an exciting way of producing sustainable paper and packaging solutions.

In countries such as India, huge quantities of agricultural waste are traditionally burnt by farmers. In November 2019, Delhi’s air pollution was fourteen times higher than the World Health Organization’s limit, making it among the most polluted cities globally.

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, a United Nations body, attributes Delhi’s issues to the burning of agricultural waste in the north of the country.

IT IS CRUCIAL TO REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE LARGER GOAL OF SOLVING THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS, AND NOT LET THE PANDEMIC COMPROMISE DECADES OF EFFORT TO MAKE PACKAGING SUSTAINABLE. It is crucial to remain focused on the larger goal of solving the global climate crisis, and not let the pandemic compromise decades of effort to make packaging sustainable.

The Prince of Wales echoed these sentiments in his recent speech at Climate Week NYC. The Prince noted the climate crisis is “rapidly becoming a comprehensive catastrophe that will dwarf the impact of the coronavirus pandemic” and without swift action “we will miss the window of opportunity to reset for a more sustainable and inclusive future.”

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Rather than burning it, agricultural waste from a number of different crops can be used effectively to create sustainable packaging products. Waste fibers and residues can be cooked, pressed, and dried to produce the materials. Therefore, using agricultural waste is beneficial by creating a sustainable packaging and paper solution, but it reduces pollution and harmful emissions being released into the atmosphere too.

Similarly, in Europe, paper factories generally use timber as their raw material for producing paper and packaging products. This is hugely damaging to the environment as it involves cutting down trees and increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. With its carbon neutral production cycle, the use of agricultural waste for packaging and paper products is a much more sustainable option.

It provides a solution to rapid deforestation whilst having the same functionality as traditional packaging production for a fraction of the environmental cost.

KAUSHAL AND TEAM

In the future, retailers and companies will have to balance sustainability with cost, performance, and convenience. Using agricultural waste can generate the same yield as traditional plastic and wood-based packaging. It also has a wide application base and provides additional income for agricultural workers and farmers.

Whilst sustainability’s momentum has been temporarily stifled by the pandemic, and consumer behavior has shifted due to the acceleration of e-commerce, the UK government has also delayed its ban on single-use plastic to October 2020, instead of April 2020 as originally planned.

This means now is the time for companies and retailers to be bold and proactive and not unduly cautious.

Innovative new material compositions, designs and technologies are available and

must be utilized. In the post-COVID environment, retailers and brands should be looking to identify companies who can rapidly scale their production and integrate their services directly within their supply chain.

Countries such as Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya have paved the way, successfully integrating sustainable measures and banning single-use plastics. This reaffirms sustainability as the driving force of the new, environmentally focused and e-commerce driven retail sector.

Whilst COVID-19 has fundamentally changed consumer behavior, it is unlikely to eradicate long-term sentiment towards environmentally friendly products – but the speed of change has undoubtedly been affected.

the packaging value chain. If appropriate steps are taken, the packaging industry can navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

Innovative and sustainable packaging solutions exist in the form of using agricultural waste to produce packaging and paper. It is essential they are adopted for the benefit of consumers and the planet. c To learn more about envoPAP and their sustainable materials, visit https://envopap.com/ KAUSHAL VISITING A PULP PROCESSING PLANT IN NORTHERN INDIA

We must act now to halt the trend of single-use packaging in e-commerce purchases, so sustainability can return to the top of SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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ADVERTISERS INDEX B Bahamas Foam Insulation Bearings & Accessories

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D D.M. Equipment Co. Ltd.

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G Goodwe

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Inside covers

H Hassel Free Building Supplies

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I IMCA Jamaica Island Car Rental

24 24

K Klessing Industrial Supplies

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P PK OEM PARTS Premier Importers

23 30

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SUSTAINABLE

B U S I N E S S

M A G A Z I N E

SUSTAINING TOMORROW. TODAY

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