The SCORE programme and the SDGS

Three of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight the urgent need to tackle the issues our planet is facing.
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Global emissions of greenhouse gas need to be reduced over the next decades. This will require the engagement of millions of enterprises and workers to improve energy efficiency and to move to cleaner energy sources, such as renewable energy. The SCORE Training module “Productivity and Cleaner Production” helps enterprises reduce their environmental impact, avoid greenhouse gas emissions and minimise waste and pollution. Following training, SMEs manage their resources more efficiently which leads to a positive impact on the operational costs. The SCORE programme is committed to working with MNEs and national buyers to help upgrade SME suppliers, to bridge the gap between competitive production and sustainable production.

SCORE Training reduces environmental impacts

SCORE Training has brought about positive changes through a mix of low / no cost initiatives and both high and low tech solutions. Examples include ensuring staff turn off lights while not in use; providing re-usable water bottles; installing energy efficient light bulbs, solar panels, and thermostats; boiler upgrades and fuel changes. These often small changes can lead to large improvements in both energy use and waste. SCORE Training enterprise-level case studies across all programme countries also consistently show links between positive environmental impacts and financial benefits. Where there is an initial financial outlay, these costs are often recuperated within just a few months. There are also many secondary benefits, such as reduced costs, reduced defects and reduced absenteeism.

SCORE Training results to May 2017

Some environmental improvements in SCORE trained enterprises

In Indonesia, Perhimpunan LAWE is a textile enterprise in Indonesia which offers assistance to help traditional weavers by creating functional products from their traditional cloths. Following SCORE Training the enterprise’s energy consumption reduced by 32%. This saving came from a combination of managing working times differently and rearranging the layout of the work stations to take advantage of natural day light. The Bali Sarong Company is another of an example, reducing electricity consumption by more than 30% in just 5 months. A simple renovation of the windows meant natural light replaced electric lights and the ceiling fans were no longer needed as the new windows provided better air circulation. 

PT Lestari Dini Tunggul began to allow workers more flexible working hours. By arriving and leaving work earlier less energy was being used for lighting, immediately reducing electricity costs by 5%. A change in HR policy can result in energy use reductions, as well as reducing absenteeism as staff were better able to take care of family matters outside of work.

In China, Chongqing Xiema Machinery Crankshaft Co. Ltd the Enterprise Improvement Team (EIT), formed during SCORE Training, tackled the problem of oil leakages from machinery. The disposal of industrial waste was not considered before SCORE Training, making the work environment very dirty and dangerous. The EIT established a special pool for collecting the waste oil, improving the safety of the environment.

In Chongqing Xinjiejing Cleaning Technology Services Co.Ltd, advanced cleaning equipment was purchased, following a suggestion from an employee. The new equipment saves two thirds of water consumption and drastically reduces cleaning time. Workers now clean with higher efficiency and lower occupational health and safety risks.


After participating in SCORE Training, an employee of Meiyue Knitting Company suggested a relatively simple change that would benefit both the business and the workers. The suggestion was for the company to look into replacing the existing expensive fluorescent bulbs that did a poor job in lighting all the workshops with LED lighting. Meiyue Knitting was paying high electricity bills each year because good lighting was a necessity.

Unlike compact fluorescent bulbs,LED lights, which stands for ‘light-emitting diode’, emit light in a specific direction. With a total of 404 existing compact fluorescent bulbs, Meiyue was spending at least 40,000 Yuan (almost 6,000 USD) each year on electricity. Switching all bulbs over to LED saved the company 25,000 Yuan each year (about 3,600 USD), and the costs of switching would be completely covered by electricity savings within 3 months.

In India, SCORE Training has helped many SMEs such as Neatwind Industries and Tej Industries take the green route to growth, making them more environmentally conscious. Neatwind Industries in Ahmednagar installed their own treatment plant, which annually prevents over 700,000 litres of toxic fluids from contaminating the local water system. Before SCORE Training, Tej Industries’s machine coolant tanks were filled manually and this led to alot of spillage. Now, they are filled automatically which conserves resources.
In South Africa, Satara Rest Camp is the one of the largest and most popular camps in Kruger National Park. SCORE Training affected the environmental aspect of the camp in many ways thanks to the motivation of the SCORE established EIT. One example is the re-establishment and renovation of the bird sanctuary. Although it used to be a prime attraction for guests, it had become rundown over the years due to neglect. After SCORE Training the EIT pinpointed it as priority project and managed to attract adequate funding from a donor to replace faulty equipment on the site. With a group effort they managed to bring the bird sanctuary back to its original state, returning it to its former glory and making it once again a key feature of the camp – a green oasis for the enjoyment of both guests and wildlife. 

In addition, Satara Rest Camp’s car wash facility, used many times throughout the day, was pinpointed by the EIT because of an inadequate drainage system. They proposed the introduction of a drainage system that would recycle run-off water, which could then be used to water the gardens in the camp. As this involved a cost to the enterprise, the EIT brought the issue to the attention of the Satara Camp management which in turn led to an assessment of water usage by all car wash facilities in the Park.

In the Amakhala Game Reserve, The Safari Lodge had a waste problem due to using bottled water for distribution to guests. The EIT solved this problem by replacing plastic bottles with re-usable water bottles, generating less plastic waste, less transportation costs and therefore cost savings for the enterprise.

At the Shimuwini Bushveld Camp in a very remote area, the EIT found there was a problem for employees to access fresh vegetables. Shopping trips were only possible twice a month and this was an issue that was affecting their quality of life and general health. Following SCORE Training the camp provided a small budget to buy seeds for a vegetable garden. What was formerly a dusty courtyard is now a thriving green space for all the working community to enjoy.

Through SCORE Training workers are empowered to make suggestions and promote changes that improve their daily lives, their company’s environmental impact and the business bottom line. It’s a win-win for workers and employers to get on-board and initiate positive change for the future of business and the planet.

Sources:
SCORE Training enterprise improvement case studies
http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/energy/