Scania’s Sustainable Solutions Manager, Tanya Neech, explains her role at the company – and why sustainability matters more than ever
I have one of those jobs that people don’t necessarily ‘get.’ You know the ones, where people ask “what does an average day look like for you?” and you have to tell them that there isn’t such thing as an average day as they never happen! [wlm_nonmember][…]
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As Sustainable Solutions Manager at Scania (Great Britain) Limited, my role involves raising awareness of sustainable transport solutions, stimulating market awareness of low carbon solutions available from Scania and working alongside our sales team to help customers with their foray into the world of alternative fuels.
It’s a job I absolutely love and one which has changed considerably since I began two years ago. It’s an extremely exciting time to be working in the ever-changing coach and bus industry.
Sustainability at Scania is extremely important. Let’s look at it from a global perspective first; one of our global business objectives is to reduce the CO2 emissions from all operations globally by 50% by 2025, with 2015 as a baseline.
Activities to achieve this include developing ever more fuel-efficient engines for our vehicles, fitting over 22,000 solar panels to the roof of one of our production facilities in Zwolle and sharing best practice throughout our supply chain.
On a UK level, we’re currently in the midst of building a brand-new energy-efficient headquarters in Milton Keynes.
The project will incorporate sustainable features including solar panels on the roof, low energy light fittings and will use light and water-saving technology – as well as hosting charging points for electric vehicles.
Around our network we’ve also invested in premises, with many new builds completing this year which have solar panels, automatic lighting and recycling facilities.
But most importantly, we’re working with our customers on their sustainability and seeing how we can help them with their green journey, no matter what stage of it they may be at.
We understand that solutions must be commercial for mass adoption, so we use our experience, knowledge and data of what works best in the UK – and across the globe – to help find the best option for them.
However, it doesn’t always have to be a ‘tried and tested’ method.
Some of the most fun projects are where we work on something that hasn’t been done before – and we’ve had a few of those over the last few years! It’s great to work in partnership with an operator to look at a new solution and gather extensive feedback to help shape future options.
Part of my role too is working alongside partners (and we work with a whole host of them) to drive towards the future.
They might be steering groups, charities, government bodies, local councils or transport departments to name just a few.
The world is changing, and the UK of the future looks very different.
With the introduction of even more Clean Air Zones in just a few years and the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London by 18 times the size it was originally planned to be, we’re encouraging everyone to take part in the conversations so that we can all help create a world for everyone.
Legislation plays a huge part in driving companies towards sustainability, but at Scania we also believe it’s the right thing to do.
The Brundtland Report quote is often used to define sustainability: “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
We take a holistic approach to sustainability at Scania. We want to ‘do the right things’ in terms of our sustainable transport solutions, taking into account energy efficiency, alternative fuels and electrification and providing smart and safe transport.
This also expands to being responsible in business and ‘doing things right’.
Looking at the whole task can be daunting – and we understand this – which is why it’s important to break it down into smaller and more manageable tasks, both as a business and as an industry. No matter how small the change, it all adds up to make a difference.
Education is key, and knowledge is power. I attend many different events and conferences to discuss sustainability, share knowledge and best practice and help maintain the great momentum the industry has at the moment.
It’s not just a case of setting the target and then seeing what happens.
Instead, it’s about constantly gathering information and making necessary decisions in order for targets to be met and best practice to be shared with all stakeholders.
Together with our customers and partners, we are ‘Driving the Shift’…
So, do you know what I do now?
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