Energy
Data and analytics is therefore key to meeting the plastics circularity challenge , from pricing to trends data and beyond .
The Russia-Ukraine conflict should help to accelerate this trend . As most plastics in use today are ‘ virgin ’ plastics made from crude oil or natural gas derivatives rather than recycled plastics , companies are currently left vulnerable to significant market volatility . Driving circularity efforts will therefore boost resilience , as well as sustainability .
The shift to electrification
Many EU countries are also increasingly investing in vehicle electrification as a major part of their energy transition efforts , with transport currently accounting for almost 25 per cent of GHG emissions .
The IEA predicts that the number of public chargers will need to grow to over 15 million units in 2030 to meet Electric Vehicle ( EV ) usage targets - a nine-fold increase over the current announced pledges . But environment stakeholders and charge point operators will need greater visibility on charge point networks and data to drive effective deployment , with companies such as Dutch start-up EcoMovement driving efforts in this field .
Battery recycling is also a key issue as EV batteries are considered ‘ endof-life ’ at just 70 per cent efficiency . As EV batteries contain numerous raw materials such as lithium , copper , nickel , cobalt and graphite - not to mention the raw materials used to manufacture the cars themselves - repurposing these batteries for use in both environment and industrial contexts will be critical .
There are already initiatives in play to give batteries a new life in home and industrial energy storage systems - a good example is Renault ’ s ‘ Advanced Battery Storage ’ programme . Retired batteries can also be used in industry to store excess power generated by solar or wind farms , which helps to increase circularity throughout energy systems . This space offers a huge opportunity to drive efficiency and growth for companies that are able to develop scalable solutions .
Driving tangible change
Building a path to a net zero future will take a coordinated effort globally - but the construction industry has a critical role to play in actualising these ambitions . From creating more sustainable building solutions , to tracking carbon emissions and identifying opportunities for circularity , industry leaders need to operate more sustainability across the built environment value chain in order to drive meaningful change .
Decisions without data are little more than a stab in the dark - and guesswork is simply not an option if we are to meet our Paris Agreement commitments . In this fastmoving , ever-changing environment , trusted information and business intelligence have never been more important to inform decision making , and ultimately accelerate the shift to a more sustainable future . ■
For a list of the sources used in this article , please contact the editor .
Brian Crotty www . opisnet . com
Brian Crotty is General Manager at OPIS , a Dow Jones Company , which provides accurate pricing , real-time news and expert analysis across the global fuel supply chain , including the Spot , Wholesale Rack and Retail markets . OPIS and its brands , McCloskey , PetroChem Wire , Axxis and Chemical Market Analytics , enable customers to buy and sell energy commodities with confidence across the globe via easy access to transparent data , expert-level customer support , educational events and energy data solutions .
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