Looking ahead to 2025 – The Challenges, The Opportunities
We help industrial operations manage their emissions. Everything we do and offer and facilitate works towards this singular goal – from supplying sorbents and chemicals, installing conveyors and renting dry sorbent injection systems, and even helping manage your suite of chemical injection systems. On top of it all, the emission standard is a moving target depending on where you are in the world, the seasons, and even the whims of global governments. It can be quite a challenge staying on top of it, and this challenge may be limiting us in ways we don’t commonly consider.
Staying compliant and remaining profitable aren’t necessarily exclusive to one another.
The Compliance Challenge
There isn’t a lot of harmony between governing agencies when it comes to what “emission standards” mean. The result? A patchwork of solutions and systems to meet these standards, each with its own set of limits, monitoring requirements, and enforcement mechanisms. The added administrative and mechanical burden can sometimes result in unintentional non-compliance and result in damages to your company.
For instance, a multinational steel manufacturer might face different limits for sulfur dioxide emissions in Europe compared to those in North America or Asia. This requires the company to tailor its production processes and pollution control technologies to meet specific regional requirements, increasing complexity and potentially hindering operational efficiency. In short: more headache.
The Case for Harmonization
Harmonizing emissions standards across borders creates a level playing field for companies and encourages competition. More resources are spent on innovation and efficiency rather than managing regulatory arbitrage. With this, we can drive the development of cleaner technologies and accelerate global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change.
Harmonization can streamline compliance efforts, reduce administrative costs and allow companies to focus on their core business. It can also facilitate regional and national trade by removing technical barriers and promoting a more predictable regulatory environment for international commerce.
Trade Implications and the Need for Cooperation
Stricter standards in one region can put companies at a competitive disadvantage compared to those operating in areas with more forgiving regulations. This can, and already does, lead to a mess of trade disputes, tariffs, embargoes and other protectionist measures that only serve to hinder economic growth – purely because of environmental issues. This can lead to trade disputes and protectionist measures, hindering economic growth, and global cooperation on environmental issues.
Every country wants economic growth – but at what cost? By creating a universal standard to emission policies, both economic and environmental sustainability is possible. With fewer variables in emissions standards companies can start to share best practices and increase profitability, ultimately creating resources that can go towards technical assistance for those in developing areas.
Proactivating Your Approach
All players in our industry need to keep a proactive stance as we figure out the complex network of emissions standards and how they change. A few ways Motus Group goes about it:
- Staying informed: Not just with what’s happening with the standards you have to adhere to, but also to the ones being implemented across the globe.
- Subscribe to regulatory updates: Sign up for email alerts from agencies like the US EPA (www.epa.gov), the European Environment Agency (www.eea.europa.eu), and the equivalent in your region.
- Utilize online resources: Consult databases like the IEA’s Clean Air Policy Database (www.iea.org/policies) for comprehensive information on air pollution regulations worldwide.
- Attend industry events: Participate in conferences and workshops organized by groups like the World Steel Association (www.worldsteel.org) or the Global Cement and Concrete Association (www.gccassociation.org) to stay informed about the latest trends and best practices.
- Engaging with stakeholders:
- Join industry associations: This is where policy discussions happen – you may as well join up, show up, and see what you can advocate for.
- Engage with local communities: Establish open communication channels with communities near your facilities to address concerns and build trust. They may not necessarily be financial stakeholders, but when it comes to an audience you will want the crowd in your favor.
- Investing in technology:
- Explore advanced emissions control technologies: Implement solutions like high-efficiency scrubbers, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, and continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS) to minimize your environmental impact. We think every operation should have the best tools available. Then again, we may be biased.
- Adopt digital tools: Going beyond the typical valves and gauges, Motus Group can set you up with the leading software to help manage compliance, track emissions data, and streamline reporting.
We know it can be tough to think about the grander scale of our industry when there is so much to handle in the day-to-day operation. Things like this never happen suddenly or all at once. It takes the work of many people doing a little bit each day to get where we want to be. Standardizing emissions across the board will only improve what we can deliver to our industry.
And, as always, we’re here to be a resource for everyone in our industry. Get in touch with us today and find out how we can help you meet and stay within your local and regional regulatory guidelines.