Environmental Performance
Managing our impacts to produce a more positive result is good for the environment and also brings economic benefits to Tate & Lyle.
Overview of the year
Tate & Lyle’s environmental policy and standards apply to all our activities globally, and we aim to integrate environmental considerations into all major decisions. We focus on those aspects of our direct operations that have the greatest potential impact on the environment, these comprise: our energy use and consequent carbon footprint; our water use; and waste.
2010 was an exceptional year for us in terms of environmental performance. Energy efficiency improved significantly, as projects to improve ethanol distillation and dehydration at Loudon, Tennessee, USA, and energy management at the Decatur, Illinois, USA and Loudon refineries, delivered their full benefits. As a result our carbon footprint decreased. Meanwhile our water efficiency increased and waste volume was reduced through targeted efficiencies.
Managing our environmental performance
During 2010 we took several measures to improve the management, oversight and reporting of environmental performance, including:
- implementing one standard environmental audit programme across the Group;
- issuing updated, detailed environmental reporting guidance, to ensure reporting on a standard and consistent basis; and
- commissioning external consultants URS Scott Wilson to review our processes for measuring our carbon footprint. This led to enhancements to our reporting methodology and tools for measuring our carbon footprint, in line with the relevant international reporting standards.
Results for the 2010 calendar year
The data presented here outline the environmental performance of our global manufacturing facilities, including joint ventures where we have operational management control or influence.
The graphs below show our progress. In calendar year 2010, versus 2009:
- Energy use per tonne of production reduced by 9%, due to energy efficiency projects and improvements in plant utilisation
- Primary carbon footprint from manufacturing energy use reduced by 10% per tonne of production, resulting largely from these energy efficiency improvements
- Water use reduced by 5% per tonne of production, due to water efficiency projects and improvements in plant utilisation
- Waste reduced by 4% per tonne of production, and has reduced by 24% since 2008, following a combination of waste reduction projects, production process changes at Loudon, USA, and improvements in plant utilisation.
Most of our operations globally complied with their environmental operating permit limits during 2010. On the rare occasions that a site temporarily exceeded its limits, we took immediate action to correct the issue and prevent a recurrence. We expect all our operations to meet operating permit limits at all times and treat any contraventions seriously.
The environmental data for the calendar years 2008, 2009 and 2010 presented above and in our Annual Report 2011 are not directly comparable to those provided in the Company’s Annual Report 2010 and previous reports due to changes to the Company’s structure and developments in the Company’s environmental reporting arrangements. Specifically, these differences are as follows:
1. Discontinued operations have been removed for 2008, 2009 and 2010.
2. Inclusion of data from some additional joint ventures.
3. Movement to normalised absolute reporting (i.e. performance per tonne of production volume).
Outlook
Our newly-appointed VP Sustainability will provide strategic leadership of our work to improve our environmental performance further, driving action plans that will build on our progress to date. These plans include:
- reducing energy and water usage per unit of production, and minimising process waste, through a constant focus on efficient operation, supported where appropriate by capital investment;
- working to eliminate any incidence of non-compliance with environmental permits;
- continuing to evaluate our carbon footprint; and
- improving engagement with colleagues and external stakeholders on our environmental performance and other sustainability matters.