25 Years of E4 environment- I still haven’t saved the Planet
…although having said that, since I started E4 environment Ltd in December 1999, there have been some significant improvements in our attitudes with regards to climate change.
In 1999 the focus was very much on waste management and renewable energy, particularly wind farms.
Wind Farms
E4 environment worked on over 100 wind farm planning applications. On average it could take around 5 years to go through planning. Protesters were organised. Myths and untruths were commonplace. I once went to a “Meet your MP” for businesses. This was where the MP claimed that developers were placing turbines where there was no wind. Also “it took more energy to make a turbine than you generated from it”.
Today there are:
- Total installed capacity of over 30 GW, contributing to 20% of the UK’s total electricity generation.
- Onshore wind farms: 2,604 farms with 8,827 turbines
- Offshore wind farms: 43 farms with 2,652 turbines
Waste Management
Planning applications for new waste transfer sites attracted similar protestors. Part of the job was attending Parish Council meetings to respond to questions. There are members of the public that would happily resort to personal attacks on how you dressed or your social status in order to get their point across. One planning officer had been threaten with a shot gun. One site that caused a great deal of angst for all concerned was permitted. This has subsequently been operating successfully for some time. One of the main protesters did visit the owner after the event. They actually admitted that they were wrong and that the site was in fact, well run.
Today’s waste sites are highly regulated and increasingly sophisticated. Many items such as PC’s, TV’s, printers, clothes etc are reused. Many materials such as card, paper, aluminium, glass, steel, and plastic are recycled. Any remaining waste is used in an Energy from Waste (EfW) site. EfW’s take the remaining waste and turn it into heat and power.
Waste to landfill has been vastly reduced.
- Year 2000 50 million tonnes from the UK.
- Year 2023, 1.76 million tonnes from England.
Waste recycling rate:
- Year 2000 about 12%
- Year 2022 about 44.1% household waste
- Year 2023 64.8% packaging waste
The world of waste management and renewable energy collided after all waste is potential energy. How it is managed determines how that energy is used. The ban of biodegradable waste, such as food and garden waste to landfill, meant the need for new ways for this to be treated.
Anaerobic Digestion
We were very lucky to have been involved with the development of large-scale composting sites. These were for green waste, and Anaerobic Digestion (AD) for pretty much any organic wastes. In 2005, we supported the Ludlow AD demonstrator site. This was funded by Defra, and subsequently some 50 + AD sites in the UK with planning and permitting. AD is a simple and natural process which allows waste to biologically degrade without oxygen. The biproducts include methane which can be converted to electricity or put directly into the gas grid, and digestate.
Digestate, the organic matter, is used on land as a replacement fertiliser. It has been a joy to work with many developers and farmers, to make this technology an important part of the wider waste management solutions. This work led us (E4 environment) to think about our soils, soil erosion and degradation. Additionally, its role as a carbon sink (taking carbon from the atmosphere and storing). It was this that influenced me to complete a PhD in soil biology. But that’s another story.
Environmental Landscape
Much of the support and advise we give has been driven by regulations controlling pollution, impact of climate change and the loss of species. Sadly, many businesses will continue “business as usual”. Until they are forced to change their habits by law or fiscal incentives. Today businesses are beginning to realise that the only way to grow a business is to be mindful of their customers, and to consider their environmental concerns. Millennials are more discerning about who and what they are purchasing, and sustainability is of greater importance to them compared to baby boomers. They do not want to feel guilty about damaging the environment because of their spending.
The Net-Zero Carbon (by 2050) target adopted at COP21 in Paris has created a new way to measure energy use in the system. We calculate an organisation’s carbon emissions or the carbon emissions of a product from “cradle to grave”. Which has allowed businesses to bench mark their progress towards achieving Net-Zero Carbon. Environmentally sustainable business practices are key to achieving this target.
“Sustainability” was first coined at Rio Earth Summit in 1990 – and we’re still grappling with what it means. For businesses, understanding what “sustainability” means for them, and how to find their way through the maze of legislation is often a huge burden. Whilst big businesses can afford to get consultants to help out, small business can neither afford the time or cost to work out what is needed and how to capitalise on opportunities. E4 environment is mindful of this and strives to find ways to help those businesses.
Our Green Schemes
We’ve always been at the forefront of providing digital solutions to support legal requirements in a cost-effective way. To guide small companies to reduce their environmental impacts and celebrate their achievements, we built a green award scheme in 2008. It served over a thousand companies before we decided it needed to be updated to embrace todays growing needs. That scheme has been copied by many.
Environmental sustainability is still a problem for small companies. Not knowing where to start and how to prove to customers that they are doing their bit. But there has also been a step change and a confidence amongst many who don’t just want to achieve a green status they want to be leaders in sustainability.
Our Pervious Schemes
- Green Achiever
- Cool Shropshire & Telford
Current Schemes
- Sustainable Leaders in Business
- Sustainable Leaders in Sport
In development
- Sustainable Agriculture
It’s been our pleasure to help businesses. Such as retailers, wholesalers, tourism, professional services, care sector, food and manufacturing to name a few.
Looking Forward
Whilst we have done so much to help reduce our environmental impact on the world during our 25 years, there is still so much to do and so little time.
It is reported that disappointingly “Global energy-related CO2 emissions grew by 1.1% in 2023, increasing 410 million tonnes (Mt) to reach a new record high of 37.4 billion tonnes (Gt). This compares with an increase of 490 Mt in 2022 (1.3%). Emissions from coal accounted for more than 65% of the increase in 2023.”
The general abundance of wildlife in the UK has declined by 13% since the 1970’s. There has been significant decline in pollinators (18%) and farmland birds (58%) mainly as a result of habitat loss.
There is still much to do in our fight to save humanity against the effects of climate change. The staff at E4 environment are currently setting goals for the next few years to reduce our emissions and increase our services to help others do the same. This enabling us to leave the world a better place for generations to come.
Dr Mandy Stoker
Founder and Director of E4 environment
Useful Links:
