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Cory commits to net zero by 2040

Waste management company Cory has outlined a string of sustainability pledges in its 2021 sustainability report, including underlining its commitment of achieving net zero by 2040.

In its Sustainability Report 2021, Cory outlined its commitment to reach net zero by 2040

Headline stats from the report showed Cory processed 782,000 tonnes of waste in 2021, up from 731,000 the previous year, while it recycled 71,000 tonnes of material in both years

The company said it will also “continually explore opportunities to reduce emissions to air from our EfW process”.

Cory intends to install carbon capture technology at its existing 750,000-tonnes-per-year capacity EfW facility and its new, adjacent 800,000-tonnes-per-year facility – expected to be operational by 2026 – in Belvedere, southeast London.

As part of its decarbonising initiatives, the company carried out an assessment to understand the impact of greenhouse emissions from its value chain and purchased 100% renewable energy across sites, the report added.

Transport

The document highlighted that Cory saved 100,000 truck movements on London’s roads by using the river to transport waste. Additionally, the river fleet was moved onto biofuel, which reportedly reduced net carbon dioxide emissions by over 90%.

According to the report, 63,000 litres of fuel were saved across Cory’s fleet of tugs by reducing engine idling time.

Additionally, the company received a silver award for outstanding environmental performance from the Port of London Authority Thames Green Scheme.

‘Ambitious’

Dougie Sutherland, Cory’s CEO, said that “we all need to be more ambitious if we are going to make a material contribution to mitigating global warming”.

He added: “For Cory, ambition means going ‘faster’ and ‘bigger’. ‘Faster’ means working to hit our operational net zero targets by 2030. ‘Bigger’ means planning to be carbon negative in our energy from waste process by 2040 and contributing more widely to the decarbonisation of our local communities.”

Mr Sutherland outlined the company’s plans to submit a planning application for a carbon capture plant next year. In 2023, Cory also aims to begin construction of “the UK’s largest heat network” with Vattenfall “that could eventually service over 21,000 homes”.

He mentioned plans to support the decarbonisation of road vehicles and river vessels on the Thames, with more information expected over the coming months.

Read the full sustainability report here.

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