Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 31ST JANUARY - 6TH FEBRUARY 2020 | 25 Operations & Assets Operations & Assets power demand of the site's electric sand pump and associated sorting and processing equipment, which consume around 2.5 million kilowatt- hours per year. An additional benefit of a floating solar farm is that the water cools the panels naturally, which increases their efficiency compared with solar panels based on land. The solar island is expected to be operational by May this year. If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, please send pictures and details to: paulnewton@fav-house.com Market view Steps to speed sustainability Organisations that do not embed a sustainable strategy will lose out, says Gillian Huart. A s many organisations continue to push ahead with digital transformation, they must also tackle the next wave of change – sustainability transforma- tion. Organisations not embedding a sustainable strategy at the heart of their business will lose out in the long run. Society is making strides towards a zero carbon future, but organisations must accelerate sustainability transformation as pressure from stakeholders mounts. There are complexities in identifying and acting on cost- effective sustainability initiatives, but taking the steps below will set organisations on the right path. • Weave sustainability into the organisation's core Sustainability is not o„en part of people's day-to-day roles, not written in job descriptions or tracked in perfor- mance conversations. Good governance and changes in processes are required to consider sustainability in every aspect of the organisation. By creating a culture in which all employees are emotionally connected, sustainability transformation will filter through the workforce. To keep momentum and inspire, every sustainability accomplish- ment must be celebrated and made visible. • Have the courage to drive transformation It can be hard, even daunting, to engage senior manage- ment, but people underestimate how much influence they have. In fact, 80 per cent of projects fail without executive support. Leaders can be brought on board with a clear and compelling vision on the business case for sustainability transformation. Leaders setting the exam- ple inspires the rest of the workforce to follow and cre- ates an open space for people to speak up, be heard and bounce ideas off each other. It creates the energy and enthusiasm needed to ensure the success of the project. • Get finance departments on board Rules about the deployment of capital must be addressed. Payback periods are sometimes very short and the mini- mum threshold is high; this doesn't always align well with sustainability initiatives. The mindset in finance depart- ments must shi„. There is a tendency to invest in inno- vative projects that are o„en customer-facing, rather than financing changes to the infrastructure of the business. But there is enormous brand value around sustainability. Organisational transformation is tough, but by empowering and equipping all individuals, organisa- tions can power through this next transformational wave. Reinventing an organisation to be more carbon lean or sustainability friendly is exciting – take advantage of this. Gillian Huart, managing director – sustainability solutions, ENGIE Impact

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