RVRC seeks to shift net zero focus to industry emissions
13 Nov 2024
A new initiative sited at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) plans to focus industry’s attention more upon the contribution of emission control in the move to net zero.
The £5.5 million ReMake Value Retention Centre (RVRC) will promote circular economy practices to cut back on manufacturing waste and emissions and use this to create new growth opportunities.
Currently, much net zero focus has been on the transition to renewable energy sources, said Stephen Fitzpatrick, director of the NMIS Digital Factory (pictured right).
“Focusing solely on the energy transition won’t achieve net-zero since a large portion of global emissions comes from extracting and processing manufacturing materials,” he cautioned.
At present it is estimated that nearly 45% of global CO2 emissions come from manufacturing and associated processes, with some 70% of emissions in sectors including energy and transport locked in during raw materials extraction and initial processing.
RVRC management says the centre will concentrate on ‘high integrity’ sectors critical to national infrastructure with components being reused or remade, aiming to keep products rather than sending them to landfill.
NMIS is operated by the University of Strathclyde in partnership with the universities of Exeter and Sheffield with funding from UKRI’s Accelerating the Green Economy programme.
Said Fitzpatrick: “We’re decoupling economic growth from negative environmental impact and expect this work will grow local businesses, reshore supply chains and launch new manufacturing companies.”
