Paul Andrews, Smith+Nephew’s Director of Global Energy, reports on the company’s net-zero activities in Hull and how we’re helping the city’s wider community.
When it comes to climate change, Hull is more familiar than most with the looming potential for devastating impact. In 2007, nearly all the city’s 98 schools were damaged in a flood, with total repair costs across Hull reaching over £40m (1). What’s more, given its vulnerable coastal position, the current 1˚C of warming could result in 2m of sea level rise by 2100, enough to submerge Hull within the lifetime of today's children (2).
Enter Oh Yes! Net Zero, a multi-organisation, city-wide initiative launched by Reckitt, who also started life in Hull. In partnership with Hull City Council, the University of Hull and Future Humber, the movement aims to decarbonize the Humber region and achieve Net Zero by 2050.
Oh Yes! Net Zero aligns with Smith+Nephew’s own sustainability goals, we jumped at the chance to get involved. Through the programme, we’ve taken part in some fascinating seminars and thought-provoking events. One of the most rewarding parts of Oh Yes! has been the Carbon Clinic, which links a large corporate with a local SME for two-way guidance and support on building a greener supply chain.
We were pleased to be partnered with long-term supplier Vic Coupland, a Hull-based electrical and mechanical contractor we’ve been working with for around 40 years. We showed Vic Coupland how to calculate their total carbon emissions and in return, they installed LED lighting with motion sensors and inverters. Vic Coupland even devised a solution for the lighting in our clean rooms that we'd not thought of.
More and more large organizations are following the NHS in setting ambitious carbon targets for themselves and suppliers. Initiatives like Carbon Clinics that offer a ‘helping hand’ to other companies on their green journeys are an important forward step, ensuring that businesses can meet these goals and monitor their sustainability effectively.
We’re looking forward to continuing our involvement in Oh Yes! Net Zero and working towards protecting a city that’s so important to Smith+Nephew’s heritage.
Find out more about the Oh Yes! Net Zero initiative.
(1) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-59208096
(2) https://www.hull.gov.uk/downloads/file/3788/ClimateEmergencyDeclaration21March2019.pdf