Paul Fanning

40% of UK manufacturers lack sustainability policy

News

​40% of UK manufacturers polled by Subcon – the UK’s leading subcontract manufacturing supply chain show – are operating without a sustainability policy despite the UK hosting Cop 26 this year. 95 per cent of those respondents, however, do claim they plan to introduce one by summer 2022.

  • 67% of the 81 respondents confirmed they reuse and/or recycle materials
  • 58% have reduced their energy consumption
  • 31% source locally to reduce freight miles

When asked what support they need from Government if the UK is to meet its Net Zero targets, the top responses were:

  • Lower taxes
  • Grants to pay for clean energy
  • Better access to affordable EV charging points
  • R&D incentives

Sustainability is a key theme at this year’s Subcon with a number of speakers and sessions touching on this crucial topic, including:

  • Tuesday 14 September: Managing the cost of supply chain disruption – globalisation, decarbonisation and innovation, presented by Dominic Tribe, director, Vendigital

  • Wednesday 15 September: SME manufacturing is growing: better and greener in post Brexit, post pandemic economy, presented by John Pearce, CEO, Made in Britain

  • Wednesday 15 September: Panel discussion - Shining a Light on a Brighter Manufacturing Future, Christelle Barnes, UK country manager, SolarEdge Technologies


Subcon takes place in-person at the NEC, Birmingham next week – 14-16 September – alongside The Engineer Expo and Manufacturing Management Show. Over 120 suppliers will be exhibiting and there are 26 free conference sessions in The Engineer and Manufacturing Management Theatres with speakers including AE Aerospace MD Peter Bruch and PwC cyber security partner, Sean Sutton.

“Manufacturing is the most energy intensive industry in the UK and, with Cop 26 taking place in Glasgow in November, there’s no escaping the importance of accepting the impact of climate change. We need to start adopting and taking responsibility for sustainable practices right across the sector to create a genuinely circular economy,” said Subcon event director Gordon Kirk.

“There are some brilliant speakers on Subcon’s conference programme this year talking about sustainability, including clean and renewable energy, within both the sector and the supply chain and, with 40 per cent of manufacturers still without a policy, these are must-attend sessions.”