Ficosa Celebrates Energy Independence with an Eye Toward Net Zero by 2030

As a technology-based company, Ficosa is accustomed to anticipating and identifying challenges to continuously offer our clients the best solutions on the market.

It’s with this in mind that we also consider the challenges our environment faces and, so, we have made sustainability a central pillar of our strategic vision. We understand that growth is only viable if it is achieved through socially responsible actions.

On July 10, the world celebrates Global Energy Independence Day. This day is set aside to promote awareness of alternative forms of energy. At Ficosa, however, we think every day is a great day to consider energy independence and often reaffirm our commitment to meeting the United Nations Global Compact’s Net Zero challenge.

Scopes 1 and 2

If your company cares about sustainability, you have to measure and track your carbon emissions before you can attempt to reduce your carbon footprint. These emissions scopes are often referred to as “Scopes 1, 2 and 3.”

Each of these scopes represents who is responsible for the emissions in a corporate value chain.

Scope 1 emissions refer to direct emissions from sources that are owned by your company. These include things your company “burns,” such as fuel to heat or power buildings, vehicles and other equipment. It also refers to accidental or fugitive emissions like chemical and refrigerant leaks and spills.

Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions generated from purchased energy. These include electricity, steam or any other power that is generated off-site. Basically, these emissions are based on your company’s consumption of energy.

So, when Ficsoa says we plan to reach Net Zero for Scopes 1 and 2 by 2030, we plan to reduce our consumption and increase our energy conservation.

In 2023, for example, we connected our Soria, Spain, factory to a new renewable heat network using biomass originating from the mountains in the area. This new network, located at our supplier’s facility near our plant, generates superheated water that we use in different production processes.

Other plans include:

• The use of photovoltaic panels: Currently, the Taicang (China) and Maia (Portugal) plants have photovoltaic installations on the roof, which provide 2% of the company’s total energy demand. The Soria plant will soon be operating a similar system. Our goal is to have photovoltaic panels at nine of our 16 plants by 2025.
• The purchase of green energy: Right now, 100% of the electricity used at five of our plants comes from renewable sources, accounting for 34% of the company’s total consumption. Our goal is for that figure to be 100% by 2030.

Scope 3

Finally, we hope to achieve Scope 3 by 2050.

These are the hardest to control because they are emissions indirectly generated by the business and include business travel, employee commutes, waste disposal, purchased goods and services, the goods we produce and end-of-life disposal of products.

To meet Scope 3 requirements, Ficosa has deployed its commitments to sustainability throughout our entire supply chain. To this end, we ensure that our suppliers comply with reference standards regarding the absence of minerals from conflict zones and restricted or banned substances. We also assess their environmental performance and emissions, encouraging them to set carbon footprint reduction targets.

To read more about our plans, download our Corporate Social Responsibility Report from 2022.

On this Global Energy Independence Day, we are reminded that Ficosa wants to be a part of the solution. We only have one Earth and it’s up to all of us to do our part to protect it.