The perfect covid-pick-me-up came for MacArthur Green at the Scottish Green Energy Awards on 26th November as we scooped the much coveted Judges Award!
This award was in recognition of our team’s contribution to the renewables industry and for leading the way with our carbon negative business model. This award is a particular favourite of ours; the first time we won it was back in 2014 (and what a night that was!) Changed days with an online experience this time around, but we have had such tremendous feedback from clients and friends and we are all very proud. This award helps to spread the word on what even a small company like us can achieve, and will hopefully inspire others.
David MacArthur, Director, spoke passionately, stating, “A true revolution requires a radical change in our behaviours and for us to challenge the status quo, particularly in the renewables sector where we can be global leaders”. He highlighted the coverage about the green revolution and a green recovery, nodding to the amazing projects coming forward by many of the companies in attendance at the GEAs. Then David went further, setting carbon challenges to inspire the 800 Award attendees to do more to reduce our collective carbon footprint.
David’s carbon challenges were:
“For SME’s, if you haven’t done so already:
1. Measure your carbon footprint Carbon reduction plan. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. This only cost us 0.1% of our revenue.
2. Offset your carbon emissions.
3. Put together a carbon management plan to reduce your carbon footprint in a meaningful way.
For public sector/large utilities:
You have significant influence over your suppliers to direct positive change. There are huge sums of money due to be invested in renewables in the coming decade – and this is a key opportunity to put in place the mechanisms to green your supply chains by making carbon reduction an explicit part of procurement. This is possible; you just have to look at what Microsoft are already doing. If done timeously it will be a fair and cost effective transition for all suppliers to achieve.
Lets see which companies and Government bodies have achieved this next year at the Green Energy Awards 2021 in time for COP 26!”
More to follow on David’s carbon challenges; watch this space! In the meantime, here is a clip of the night for those who did not manage to attend.
It’s worth setting out a little background on the award itself: the Judges award is a discretionary award where the judges in The Scottish Green Energy Awards nominations process the judges see ‘a project, organisation or person that fits the criteria across a number of awards categories, or one which has genuinely shifted the dial for the industry. This can be something delivered that was truly ground breaking on multiple fronts, that demonstrated excellence in vision or best practice, or simply left a deep impression on the judges because it so firmly upheld the values of our sector’.
So who are the Judges? Answer: EDF Renewables, Green Investment Group, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, National Grid ESO, Natural Power, Red Rock Power Ltd, RWE Renewables, Scottish National Investment Bank, SmartestEnergy, SSE Renewables, Statkraft and WSP. Not bad to be picked out by these companies as the Judges Award winner.
The calibre of nominees was high as always, and our congratulations go to the other nominees and winners; what a fine collective!!
And our final thanks go to the Judges, and to the team at Scottish Renewables and EICC for a brilliant ‘at home’ event. Well done all!