Global Trends OTR: Sustainability and ESG

If you're interested in learning more about sustainability and ESG in the OTR sector, be sure to check out the second episode of the Global Trends OTR series! You'll hear from experts in the field who share their insights on the challenges and opportunities for businesses seeking to adopt greener practices. Keep reading this blog and watch the full episode to start exploring ways to make a positive impact on the environment and society.

Is the Future Green?

Our second episode of Global Trends OTR is now live - this time exploring Sustainability and Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) in the OTR sector. 

Join host, Saana Azzam, and this episode’s special guests: Craig Guthrie, the editor-in-chief of Mining Magazine, Robert Pell, the founder and CEO of Minviro, and Fabio Novelli, Founder, President and CEO of NTE Process for a deep dive into sustainability and ESG in OTR, and the challenges that businesses within this sector face as they seek to adopt greener practices.

The Current Landscape Across OTR 

The OTR sector plays a vital role in the global economy. However, the industry is also responsible for significant environmental impact. The use of heavy machinery in the sector, such as mining equipment, results in a significant amount of carbon emissions. 

In this episode we highlight the need for sustainability in the OTR sector, and the challenges it faces in achieving it. Our special guests explore how the sector can adopt environmentally friendly practices such as using renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, and minimizing waste.

ESG Challenges in the OTR Sector

The OTR sector faces numerous challenges when it comes to ESG. The industry operates in remote locations, which can make it difficult to implement social and governance practices. Additionally, the sector faces the challenge of meeting consumer demand for materials, whilst also trying to implement sustainable practices. Craig Guthrie, Robert Pell and Fabio Novelli share their thoughts with BKT on how the sector can overcome these challenges and the importance of implementing ESG practices in the industry.

Who’s Joining Us?

Craig Guthrie, the editor-in-chief of Mining Magazine

Guthrie joins us to discuss the challenges of achieving sustainability in the mining industry. He emphasizes the need to balance the industry's growing demand for transition metals with the pressure to minimize mining's impact on the environment. He also explores how mining companies can achieve ESG goals while meeting consumer demand for materials. Guthrie highlights the importance of operationalizing sustainability goals in a practical manner, taking it as a step-by-step process rather than overnight change.

Guthrie also sheds light on the current trend towards digitalization and automation in the mining industry, with large players investing in battery-electric haul trucks and automating processes such as drilling. However, he also acknowledges that the industry needs to balance its ESG obligations with the social impact on communities, especially in jurisdictions where mining is a critical employer.

Finally, Guthrie discusses the trend in consumer and corporate circles, highlighting the growing pressure on the mining industry to comply with ESG obligations from investors and shareholders. He suggests that the industry needs to attract the younger workforce and be seen as a sustainable industry rather than an unsustainable one that rips resources from the ground. Overall, Guthrie brings valuable insights into the mining industry's sustainability efforts and highlights the importance of achieving a balance between sustainability and meeting consumer demand.

Robert Pell, the founder and CEO of Minviro

Pell is a geologist who has worked in the mining industry. His company focuses on quantifying the environmental impacts of extraction, particularly for rare earth metals, and helps global companies in the raw material sector to assess, quantify and mitigate their impacts. Minviro helps companies understand their impact reduction roadmaps and identify the levers they can pull to achieve their sustainability goals.

Pell has seen widespread adoption of their services, particularly in the materials that feed the low-carbon transition. They work with metal and minerals companies as well as consumers of those materials, like Tesla, to examine the supply chain for their batteries. Pell explains that their life cycle assessment approach takes a holistic view of production and use, comparing the environmental impact from various categories, such as land-use transformation, water-related impacts, and toxicity.

Minviro's work helps companies run carbon intensity models to understand the impact of their materials, whether they are in development or already in operation. Pressure is coming from downstream with regulations that will require carbon footprinting, full value chain assessments, and upper limits on carbon intensity. The sensitivity of the new low-carbon economy is understanding the impact of those materials, and how they are produced will ultimately determine how sustainable that low carbon economy is.

In the next 5-10 years, Pell sees the future of their business as more technology, more data streams, and more high-resolution reporting. There will be more focus on ESG assessments, and Minviro's technology and consultancy approach will continue to adapt to the demand for more comprehensive and detailed sustainability reporting.

Fabio Novelli, Founder, CEO and President of NTE Process, Italy

Fabio Novelli is the founder of NTE Process, a company that designs and builds integrated bulk material handling and process automation systems in many industries.

In this episode, Fabio shares his thoughts on how companies can stick to their sustainability goals, whilst also keeping all of their stakeholders happy. Importantly, he emphasizes that companies need to ensure sustainability throughout the chain, from extraction to processing, and when companies choose their suppliers, they need to be sure that there’s the same attention and focus on sustainability.

Notably, Fabio and his team have been working with BKT to help further improve sustainable practices. Find out more about his contributions to BKT within the episode!

Where Can I Watch Episode Two?

Ready to head for greener pastures? Gain valuable insight into the importance of adopting sustainable practices and implementing ESG measures across the OTR sector by watching the full episode here.

You can also find further information on BKT’s full Global Trends OTR series below:

• Episode one: Technology, Automation and Robotics in OTR 

• Episode two: Sustainability and ESG 

• Episode three: Alternative Energies - May 23 2023

• Episode four: Net Zero and Low Carbon Emissions - June 20 2023

For further insights, bonus content and information on upcoming releases, head on over to the BKT Network Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bktnetwork/