Sustainability is a holistic approach to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The term "sustainable development" was first introduced in the Brundtland Report of 1987, and the first time the concept of intergenerational sustainability was mentioned dates back to the pastoral constitution Gaudium et Spes of 1965.
This principle is based on sustainable development, an interconnected approach that involves three main pillars: the environment, the economy, and the society.
Environmental sustainability
It focuses on reducing the impact of human activities on the natural world. It includes efforts to conserve resources, reduce pollution, protect ecosystems, and mitigate climate change.
Economic sustainability
It emphasizes the responsible use of resources to support current and future economic well-being. It involves practices such as responsible consumption, fair trade, and investments in renewable energy and technology.
Social sustainability
It centers on ensuring that societies are inclusive, equitable, and just. It addresses issues like poverty, social inequality, access to education and healthcare, and the overall well-being and quality of life for all members of a community.
Sustainability in its whole seeks to balance these three elements to create a harmonious and enduring way of life. It often involves making choices that promote long-term well-being, minimize negative environmental impacts, and ensure social equity. Various strategies and initiatives, both at the individual and collective levels, aim to achieve sustainability in areas such as personal lifestyle, energy, agriculture, industry, urban planning, and resource management.
Despite the increasing popularity of the term "sustainability," achieving goals remains uncertain due to environmental degradation, climate change, overconsumption, population growth, and unlimited economic growth in a closed system.
Sustainability in hot-dip galvanizing
Galvanizing, the corrosion protection process in which the steel surface alloys with zinc generating a strong layer that prevents steel from rusting, is naturally committed to sustainability and it answers to architectural, engineering, construction and safeguard needs in many fields.
As two natural commodities such as steel and zinc bond together, they originate something nearly everlasting which contributes to the circular economy.
The sustainability of galvanized steel can be synthetized in:
- Use of natural resources
- No to negligible hydric pollution
- Low environmental impact thanks to long-lasting protection of steel
- Moderate initial investments with high return
- Recyclability
Worldwide population is facing dangerous effects of global warming, together with related hazards, shortages of resources and specialized manpower as well as reduced cash-flows: all of these elements represent major menaces to global society and economy, now and in the future.
Being galvanized steel already sustainable on its own, it takes that all the leverages are not in the product content or in finding new intended uses but, rather, in optimizing the process and especially the equipment of galvanizing plants.
New to existing manufacturing units shall undergo strategic decisions in order to:
- Securing the production on the long term
- Making the production as the lowest impacting as possible for the environment
- Reducing the stress over resources, enhancing the viability
- Enhancing the bearability of work environment
- Help reducing climate hazards (or their breadths at least)
OUR PROPOSAL
Achieving sustainability according to GIMECO
We have been standing at the forefront of hot-dip galvanizing innovation, anticipating and addressing the escalating demands in energy consumption, decarbonization, resource efficiency, including a commitment to the circular economy and bearability of human labour. Our proactive approach really exemplifies a dedication to sustainability.
What’s the recipe to the sustainability that we promote with our solutions?
- Optimized heating systems even by their conversion to more ecological power sources
- Rationalized energy consumption by digital synergies and modernized system designs
- Confinment and filtering of hazardous vapors and smokes
- Drastic reduction of CO2 emissions and other pollutants
- Services that promote extending the equipment lifespan leading to savings on capital expenditures
- Enhanced bearability of the human labour through the support of ergonomics and automated solutions
- Safer and cleaner working environment