Green Technology And Environmental Sustainability In UK Energy Sector

This study has chosen two types of data collection methods i.e., primary and secondary. Therefore, this chapter will present secondary and primary, both types of analysis. This chapter is divided into two parts accordingly to analyse secondary as well as primary data. In secondary, the study is using 10 relevant articles that are relevant to green technology and its impact on environmental sustainability in the UK energy sector. Similarly, on the other side, the primary data methods have chosen a qualitative source i.e., interviews, to collect data from 5 participants. They will only form 5 questions to ask from participants who are employees working in the industries of the energy sector in the UK those are having experience in industry and knowledge of green technology in the energy sector in the UK.

The below analysis is presenting 10 reviewed articles that were selected by this study that are relevant to green technology and its impact on environmental sustainability in the UK energy sector.

Nath and Ramanathan (2016) were purposed to examine how several aspects of environmental management activities are influencing environmental sustainability. These aspects are strategic, tactic, and operational. This research paper has used content analysis for presenting and interpretating the data which has been collected through annual reports and CSR reports those are available on the websites of UK manufacturing industries. In this study, the researchers have used reports of 76 UK organisations. It has been highlighted by the results of this study that it is necessary to manage the environmental situation because it can affect the living things or biodiversity. Hence, implementing some short-term pollution control views and focusing on reducing the cost are adopted by the organisation in order to prevent the pollution problem. Using some effective techniques can influence the prevention activities of pollution as well.

According to Yacob, Wong, and Khor (2019), it has been found that green technology supports small and medium enterprises. This study was based on understanding the green initiatives in the small and medium organisations of manufacturing. This study has also gained an insight into the effects of green technology implementation in developing environmental sustainability. For acquiring such information and resolving the research concern, the study has collected data through a survey from 260 participants who were working in SME of manufacturing. In addition, the findings reveal that energy & waste management and water conservation are related to the sustainability of the environment. However, the energy sector inputs various technologies in order to prevent the consequences to an environment such as natural resources, usage of the land, changes in climate, waste production, poverty, energy consumption, and more. Nevertheless, the adoption of green technology supports the environment to sustain and develop its sustainability.

Secondary analysis

The study of Guo et al. (2020) highlights that sustainable management requires appropriate planning and involvement of positive and recent trends like green technology. This study has applied to 20 different nations from the sustainable development goals index in the methodology for acquiring results adequately. It has been examined from this study that yes, the involvement of positive and recent trends like green technology is essential for sustainable growth. The use of green technology helps in enhancing sustainability and represents a positive trend in Greentech's growth. The involvement of green technology is essential for sustainable growth as it has a huge contribution to sustaining energy and natural resources.

Axsen, Orlebar, and Skippon (2013) highlighted that battery electric vehicles are transforming the perception of consumers and they believe that the use of battery electric vehicles helps in increasing the benefits to the environment. This technology is highly influencing social interactions according to the perception of consumers. In addition, Jeswani and Azapagic (2016) state that in the United Kingdom, the involvement of green technology is effective for managing sustainable development. However, the effects of co-generating electricity and heat have negative standards. But the use of electricity from oil and coal is effective and better in comparison to the UK grid. The use of electricity in the UK which significantly saved 2 – 2.6M tonnes of gas of greenhouse every year.

The use of green technology is found as more suitable in comparison to traditional technologies. Perhaps, the solitary most noteworthy benefit of developing effective green solutions is the impact on the environment. The use of green technology helps in reducing the risks while building satisfactory green solutions (Leigh and Li, 2015).

The research done by Gliedt, Hoicka and Jackson (2018) examined that there is a positive and strong relationship between technology, infrastructure development, and innovations. It has been observed that while working in the energy industry, green technology enables people to constantly make use of natural resources with the help of dams, wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal wells, and more. These are innovative technologies that are beneficial for sustaining the environment.

Papadis and Tsatsaronis (2020) conducted a study on the challenges in the energy sector. The study has examined that there are various social and economic issues that are involved in the security of energy supply and sustainability. These challenges are found relevant to environmental sustainability. It is necessary to involve some aspects for managing sustainability such as social aspects, economic stability, security of energy supply, and more.

Interview analysis

Tonini, Albizzati, and Astrup (2018) found that food waste is one of the foremost environmental challenges because it is a humanitarian and social concern. It wastes all the energy of preparing that food, it would be better if people donate that food rather than wasting it. Therefore, the adoption of green technology helps in reducing the carbon footprint of the business. It similarly reduced waste, consumes condensed energy, and conserves water. In addition, as per Ashby (2018), green technology in the energy industry is effective adoption because it helps in managing and recycling waste material in the easiest way. The use of green technology supported the organisations of participants to achieve long-term sustainable growth while saving our resources and energy.

Question 1. How green technology is beneficial for environmental sustainability?

According to the responses of participants, it has been observed that while working in the energy industry, green technology enables people to constantly make use of natural resources with the help of dams, wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal wells, and more. These are innovative technologies that are beneficial for sustaining the environment. Also, the 2^nd participant stated that particularly, the adoption of green technology helps in reducing the carbon footprint of the business. It similarly reduced waste, consumes condensed energy, and conserves water. The use of green technology is found as more suitable in comparison to traditional technologies. Perhaps, the solitary most noteworthy benefit of developing effective green solutions is the impact on the environment. The use of green technology helps in reducing the risks while building satisfactory green solutions. One of the participants also highlighted that green technology in the energy industry is effective adoption because it helps in managing and recycling the waste material in the easiest way. The use of green technology supported the organisations of participants to achieve long-term sustainable growth while saving our resources and energy.

Question 2. What consequences did you face while adopting green technology?

The responses of participants highlighted that the energy sector with diffuse consequences during the implementation of green technology and ever more global risks to the environment. The major challenge or consequence we face while adopting green technology was cost. The cost is very high. Possibly the solitary most noteworthy benefit of developing effective green solutions is the impact on the environment. Moreover, participants had experienced conventional technology like generators for petroleum. They are although beneficial for our organisation but cause widespread harm to the environment. Various technologies are still not evolved and several products are at the research & development level. When it comes to the challenge while adopting green technology, the people are not that aware of technology which takes time for adopting for a bigger population.

Question 3. What environmental barriers are to be faced for procuring sustainability?

The participants believe that food waste is one of the foremost environmental challenges because it is a humanitarian and social concern. It wastes all the energy of preparing that food, it would be better if people donate that food rather than wasting it. The participants believe that pollution is a major challenge because it is responsible for damaging trees and crops in various manner. It has a direct impact on affecting sustainability development. Moreover, soil exploitation and overbuilding are harmful to the land due to human actions which involve soil pollution or corruption, developing and infrastructure construction, polluting farming activities, and more. It disturbs the management of sustainable practices. One of the participants thinks that for procuring sustainability, it is necessary to protect biodiversity because there are immediate threats involved such as climate change, loss of plant pollinators, and more. In addition, people highly waste food which affects human health and the environment at the same time because it releases Methane. It is a greenhouse gas which releases from the food that gets decomposed. It has a high effect on the temperature and climatic conditions of the earth.

Question 4. What key factors influence the sustainability development of your organisation?

As per participants, there are various key factors that influence the sustainable development of the organisation such as social, environmental, economic, and political factors. Social factors increase the issues in the path of sustainability performance which involves wellness, health, safety, living conditions, diversity, and more. There are various environmental issues which considered the major factor that affects the sustainability performance of the organisation. It involves management of natural resources, usage of the land, change in climate, waste production, poverty, energy consumption, and more. Social, economic, and environmental factors are the ones that analyse sustainability. These factors highly influence to get the effect of managing sustainability. In accordance with one of the participants and considering the energy industry, sound, light, population density, food, temperature, and parasites are some different environmental factors that cause problems in managing sustainability. When it comes to the energy sector, political corruption, instability, and more highly affect sustainability development.

Question 5. What is the contribution of green technology in promoting sustainable growth?

As per the responses, the contribution of green technology is in a huge amount which helps in promoting sustainable growth because the energy sector inputs various technologies in order to prevent the consequences to the environment. In which, the adoption of green technology supports the environment to sustain and develop its sustainability. The participants believe that the involvement of positive and recent trends like green technology is essential for sustainable growth. It has a huge contribution to sustaining energy and natural resources. Sustainable management requires appropriate planning and involvement of positive and recent trends like green technology; thus, green technology has a direct contribution to sustainability. In addition, the use of green technology supported us to achieve long-term sustainable growth while saving our resources and energy. Green technology enables people to constantly make use of natural resources with the help of dams, wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal wells, and more. The use of green technology is found as more suitable in comparison to traditional technologies.

Table 1: Axial and Selective codes

(Source: By researcher)

References

Ashby, A., 2018. Developing closed loop supply chains for environmental sustainability: Insights from a UK clothing case study. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management.

Axsen, J., Orlebar, C. and Skippon, S., 2013. Social influence and consumer preference formation for pro-environmental technology: The case of a UK workplace electric-vehicle study. Ecological Economics, 95, pp.96-107.

Gliedt, T., Hoicka, C.E. and Jackson, N., 2018. Innovation intermediaries accelerating environmental sustainability transitions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 174, pp.1247-1261.

Guo, M., Nowakowska-Grunt, J., Gorbanyov, V. and Egorova, M., 2020. Green technology and sustainable development: Assessment and green growth frameworks. Sustainability, 12(16), p.6571.

Jeswani, H.K. and Azapagic, A., 2016. Assessing the environmental sustainability of energy recovery from municipal solid waste in the UK. Waste Management, 50, pp.346-363.

Leigh, M. and Li, X., 2015. Industrial ecology, industrial symbiosis and supply chain environmental sustainability: a case study of a large UK distributor. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, pp.632-643.

Nath, P. and Ramanathan, R., 2016. Environmental management practices, environmental technology portfolio, and environmental commitment: A content analytic approach for UK manufacturing firms. International Journal of Production Economics, 171, pp.427-437.

Papadis, E. and Tsatsaronis, G., 2020. Challenges in the decarbonization of the energy sector. Energy, 205, p.118025.

Tonini, D., Albizzati, P.F. and Astrup, T.F., 2018. Environmental impacts of food waste: Learnings and challenges from a case study on the UK. Waste Management, 76, pp.744-766.

Yacob, P., Wong, L.S. and Khor, S.C., 2019. An empirical investigation of green initiatives and environmental sustainability for manufacturing SMEs. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management.