New online resource to cut carbon and save money

Aggregates Carbon Reduction Portal to help industry reduce energy use and carbon emissions

A NEW Aggregates Carbon Reduction Portal has been launched to provide the minerals industry and stakeholders with the benefits of several years of work between industry operators, the Mineral Products Association (MPA) and the Carbon Trust to reduce sector energy use and carbon emissions.

The Aggregates Carbon Reduction Portal can be found at www.mineralproducts.org and www.aggregatescarbonreduction.com. The website’s tried and tested resources explain how mineral products businesses can maximize energy and carbon reduction and save money.

Jerry McLaughlin, director of public affairs and economics at the MPA, said: ‘Energy costs are high and are set to increase in the long term, and new regulatory measures will only make energy use and carbon emissions more expensive. The resources and tools on the Carbon Reduction Portal are designed to be used by businesses of any size, in a way which suits their specific needs to save money and emissions.

‘The website shows how all staff can take responsibility for making businesses more carbon and energy efficient, enabling a more comprehensive and sustained approach by the company as a whole on this issue. In addition to direct cost benefits, demonstrable company action on carbon reduction is likely to be required increasingly by customers and clients, and the new resources provide practical and proven means of taking action.’

The Carbon Portal uses an innovative ‘journey navigator’ to replicate the process of achieving carbon and energy reduction. The navigator takes users through the five steps of: Energy Awareness; Find and Evaluate Opportunities; Implement Opportunities; Track and Measure; and Energy Management.

At each stage of the journey valuable tools and resources can be found. These include:

Toolbox Talks on specific energy saving ideas.

How-To Guides – designed to be used after Toolbox Talks, enabling staff to identify and evaluate carbon- and energy-reduction opportunities.

Posters, case studies and videos.

Energy Saving Assessment Tool – designed to provide a quick assessment of the energy-saving potential based on the information provided by the user.

Opportunities Database – a spreadsheet tool where users can log and track carbon- and energy-cutting opportunities from identification through to implementation.