How does the coronavirus crisis link to sustainability and ecology in the field of heavy machinery industry?

COVID SURVEY by CECE, ERA and LECTURA:

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Covid Special, part 9

The COVID-19 pandemic has had many significant consequences, resulting mainly in a series of economic impacts—seriously reducing economic activity. The capacity of many services and projects was reduced. The global supply chain system was disrupted, too. Most of the industrial managers and policymakers were searching for adequate strategies and policies for revamping production patterns and meeting demand. This has led to a decline in demand for some non-essential products and services. However, from our perspective, many sectors in the heavy machinery industry cannot be considered as non-essential. Thinking about agriculture, construction works, and transportation, these sectors may be reduced. However, the total decline would lead to social collapse. Therefore some voices call for a shift to more sustainable ways and approaches. And the idea that after the normalization of the COVID-19 situation, the manufacturing, and transportation industry would find an opportunity for a sustainable transition and development in business processes is widely spread among stakeholders and other SMEs. 

The influence of the pandemic on more ecological and sustainable approaches

From this perspective, the lesser production of waste and trash is obvious. The current positive effects on the environment, e.g., the reductions in energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution, are due to the temporary limitations that have been imposed on activities. A huge amount of solid trash that is generated from the construction and manufacturing process responsible for water and soil pollution, also reduced. Moreover, owing to the reduction of export-import business, the movement of merchant ships and other vessels is reduced globally, which also reduces emission as well as marine pollution. Therefore, the coronavirus pandemic is having a positive impact on the environmental side of production due to the shut down of many manufacturing units and significant reductions in logistics and distribution operations.

The influence of COVID-19 pandemic on more green manufacturing processes

Since most carbon emissions come from energy use, the simplest step in addressing the problem is by reducing consumption through energy-efficient design. The answer to the situation provides green manufacturing - also called environmentally conscious manufacturing, which means that environmental factors are taken into consideration in the process of mechanical manufacturing. Its purpose is to use technical means to optimize manufacturing procedures, reduce environmental pollution, and achieve the purpose of resource conservation and sustainable development. 

When asking our covid survey respondents whether the pandemic impacted their investment in more green equipment, regardless of their sector, about half of the respondents claimed they considered the option, whereas the other half refused it.