Protect the environment and the planet
Climate change is emerging as one of the greatest challenges of this and future generations. Other environmental problems, such as air and water pollution and the depletion of natural resources, are also putting pressure on the planet. By reducing our own emissions and using fewer primary raw materials, we want to further reduce the impact of the technology industry on the environment. The innovative technologies developed by our sector help other companies and the rest of society to protect our planet and accelerate the climate transition.
Why is this important?
The technology industry is responsible for 3.1% of Belgium's greenhouse gas emissions. The share of the technology industry in the total emissions of Belgian industry is 4%. As a technology industry, we want to take our responsibility by not only reducing our direct greenhouse gas emissions, but also by tackling the indirect emissions in the entire value chain of our products and services.
Europe wants to be the first climate-neutral continent in the world by 2050 and has launched the Green Deal to this end. With the 'Fit for 55' package of measures, Europe aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. The technology industry supports the Green Deal and Fit for 55. In order to achieve the European climate targets, the current reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in our sector must be accelerated. This concerns industrial emissions, emissions from our buildings and transport emissions.
The green transition is closely linked to the digital transition (twin-transition). Digital technology is helping us to reduce our footprint, for example by replacing business trips with video meetings, by monitoring how much energy our buildings use or by using drones for smart farming. At the same time, we must ensure that digital technology does not consume more energy than it saves. According to European Commission figures, digital technology accounts for 8-10% of energy production and 2-4% of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. Innovations can help reduce that footprint, for example by extending the life of smartphones or by switching from 4G to 5G. The EU wants to introduce new legislation and measures to achieve its green and digital ambitions over the next decade. For example, Europe wants data centres to be climate neutral, energy efficient and sustainable by 2030 at the latest.
With the Taxonomy Regulation, Europe wants to ensure that the resources of governments and investors flow as much as possible to sustainable technologies. From Agoria we guide our members actively to implement this new policy and also to benefit from new green subsidy possibilities and investment programmes that focus on sustainable innovation.
- The manufacturing industry develops and manufactures numerous components for generating renewable energy. Just think of hydrogen generators, biogas plants, solar panels and components for mega wind farms at sea.
- Climate-neutral construction is only possible thanks to innovative building technologies, LED lighting, solar panels, heat pumps, cogeneration, heat networks, green heat, the digital meter, and so on.
- Our sector is at the heart of the transport transition: manufacture of electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, battery technology …
Commitments
- We subscribe to the European reduction target of Fit for 55.
- Through our products and services we reduce the climate impact of other sectors. For example, we help ensure that 30% of the buildings are climate neutral by 2030.
- By 2025, every new commercial vehicle in the technology industry (excluding heavy transport) will be powered by zero-emission technology.
Indicators
- Total energy consumption and energy intensity
- Share of renewable energy in the total energy supply of the technology industry
- CO2-eq emissions of the technological industry (scope 1 and 2)
- Percentage of climate-neutral buildings in Belgium
- Percentage of company fleet powered by zero-emission technology (excluding heavy transport)
Why is this important?
The linear economy - extract, produce, consume and dispose - is not sustainable for the planet. It contributes to climate change and exerts high pressure on the environment and biodiversity. The circular economy promotes a more sustainable model of production and consumption in which raw materials are kept longer in production cycles and are used repeatedly, thus creating less waste. According to OECD figures, more than half of greenhouse gas emissions are due to the use of raw materials and materials, so the circular economy also helps to achieve climate ambitions.
The circular economy is about extending the life span of products: by reusing them, by recycling the materials from end-of-life products to the highest possible quality and reusing them in production processes and by designing products in such a way that they can be upgraded, repaired and recycled. New business models mean that products are no longer sold directly to the customer, but are leased and taken back after use. The circular economy is one of the biggest game-changers for the industry today.
New circular business models generate innovation and create numerous jobs throughout the value chain. The switch to a circular model also helps companies to work more cost-efficiently and to increase their competitiveness. In view of rising prices for raw materials, the thrifty use of raw materials is becoming even more important for companies. And the circular economy also offers strategic advantages. For example, Europe and Belgium are highly dependent on other regions for their supplies of critical materials. Moreover, the coronavirus pandemic has painfully exposed the vulnerability of international supply chains. With the Circular Economy Action Plan, part of the Green Deal, Europe wants to scale up the circular economy and thus create new jobs and guarantee competitiveness in the long term. By focusing on circularity, Europe wants to enable the economy to grow further without increasing the consumption of raw materials.
The transition to a more circular economy requires cooperation between all the links in the production chain: from the design phase to the moment a product is discarded. This transition to a sustainable ecosystem of smart chains can only be a success if our manufacturing companies extensively digitize, implement new technologies and redesign and adapt industrial processes.
- Household waste, industrial residues, construction waste ...: waste recycling companies upgrade waste to new raw materials or extract energy from it. With innovative recycling techniques, for example, they help to recycle plastics and prevent plastic waste.
- Belgian material technology companies extract valuable materials from mobile phones and laptops through recycling. They recycle them into materials for high-quality components, such as solar cells, rechargeable batteries, LED applications and catalysts.
- Digital technology is needed to map the location, use, loss, availability and status of materials in the production chain. Data analysis supports circular design, the remanufacturing of products or components, or the creation of product-service combinations.
- Technologies such as blockchain help to attain interoperability between companies in the chain, so that information can be transferred securely and transactions with partners up and down the business ecosystem are possible.
- Sensors help to determine when industrial components or utensils need to be replaced. Intelligent and connected products can indicate themselves whether and when maintenance and repair are required. For example, the car of the future is full of sensors that provide the manufacturer with real-time information on the condition of each component. Parts can be replaced on demand, which extends the life of the product.
- With 3D printing, parts can be printed on-demand, so the whole device is not discarded.
Commitments
- At least half of our member companies in the manufacturing industry will be working on a circular project by 2030, with a focus on advanced waste management, reduced raw material loss, recycling, product life extension or circular business models.
Indicators
- Total waste production
- Number of member companies in the manufacturing industry that have started a circular project
- Number of circular projects supported by Agoria and Sirris*
* Sirris is the collective research centre of and for the technological industry.
Why is this important?
With the Zero Pollution Action Plan, part of the Green Deal, the European Commission wants to reduce the pollution of air, water and soil by 2050 to a level that no longer harms the health of people and the environment. For years, our companies have been taking action to significantly reduce their emissions into the environment. We are committed to further reducing our direct environmental emissions and also to identifying and addressing our indirect environmental impacts in the chain (both upstream and downstream).
Water
Belgium ranks sixth among OECD countries with the highest water stress. We therefore have to use water efficiently in our country. At the same time, water is an essential raw material for many industrial processes. About a quarter of the total water consumption in Belgium is accounted for by industry; a little over half is used for industrial cooling. If we leave cooling water out of consideration, the technological industry only contributes 5.6% of the total water consumption. Nevertheless, we want to further reduce our water consumption.
Our companies have also made considerable efforts in recent years to reduce their emissions to surface water. For example, the waste load of metals has been greatly reduced. We take our responsibility to reduce our water emissions even further.
Air
In the EU, more than 400,000 premature deaths are caused by air pollution every year (source: European Environment Agency). Europe wants to reduce this number by 52% by 2030 compared to 2005, by bringing air quality standards closer to those recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It also wants to reduce the area of ecosystems where eutrophication limits are exceeded by 35% compared to 2005. Our members have already made strong commitments to reducing their air emissions in recent years. We are committed to further reducing our air emissions.
Soil
Soil is a key provider of ecosystem services such as food production, groundwater purification, water retention to reduce flooding, carbon sequestration and so on. Yet some 60-70% of soils in the EU are not healthy (source: European Commission). Industrial pollution is one of the causes; in Belgium it is mainly historical pollution. Preventive measures ensure that new soil pollution, as a result of calamities, remains minimal. Our members meet their obligations to carry out soil surveys and soil decontamination where necessary.
Digital and other technologies is helping to reduce the environmental impact of our own sector and that of other sectors and companies. For example, the Internet of Things makes it possible to use sensors, data and network technology to monitor water and air quality in real-time. Technology also creates many opportunities to monitor and reduce the risk of floods and droughts, e.g. AI used to predict the flooding of watercourses quickly and accurately. Data management and data analytics are used to capture, analyze and connect large amounts of measurements to make environment-related decisions.
Commitments
- We protect the environment by reducing further our emissions to air, water and soil.
Indicators
- Total water consumption
- Consumption of groundwater, surface water and tap water versus water reuse
- Total discharge of metal, nutrients and oxygen binding substances to surface water
- Total emission of particulate matter and NMVOCs (non-methane volatile organic compounds) to air
- Acidifying depositions
- Number of exploratory soil investigations still to be carried out
(In this section only figures about the Flemish Region are given. In our next report we will aim to include figures for the Brussels and Walloon Regions as well.)
