This article was written by Aaron Thomas and was first published in the January 2025 issue of the UK Warehousing Association Magazine. You can read the original article here: UKWA Magazine January-February 2025, page 21.

 

As the warehousing sector faces increasing pressure to reach net zero, businesses are challenged by the complexities of tracking, measuring, and managing their environmental impact. In response, Hatmill’s Aaron Thomas,  explores a digital approach tailored specifically for warehousing. This method simplifies sustainability efforts, equipping companies with tools to navigate their path to net zero with clarity and confidence.

 

A New Era for Sustainability in Warehousing
Meeting net zero targets has become essential across industries, with warehousing playing a pivotal role. Traditional methods like spreadsheets and manual data collection are outdated in a sector that demands accuracy and speed. For warehousing, sustainability efforts benefit most from digital solutions that streamline processes and enhance data insights. By adopting digital platforms, operators can centralise emissions tracking, reduce manual entry, and improve data accuracy. This shift helps companies identify emissions hotspots, optimise energy use, and comply with evolving sustainability regulations.

 

Moving Beyond Spreadsheets: The Power of Digital Data Collection in Warehousing
Warehousing operators are at different stages of tracking emissions. Some rely on spreadsheets and manual data gathering for energy use and waste, complicating data consistency. Digital solutions streamline data collection, allowing spending and usage data to be automatically consolidated. This data is then transformed into an emissions profile, reducing manual effort and improving data quality. This approach benefits all operators. For newcomers, digital platforms offer a straightforward way to start tracking emissions, while more established businesses gain a clear view of emissions across facilities, enabling teams to act on insights that drive sustainability.

Aaron Thomas from Hatmill

Aaron Thomas, Consultant, Hatmill

Flotilla World Platform: A Warehouse Centric Path to Net Zero
Hatmill and sustainability tech and advisory firm Flotilla have co-developed a digital platform specifically for warehousing within the supply chain. The Flotilla World platform provides operators with a structured, actionable way to manage sustainability goals beyond simple tracking. The platform enables businesses to analyse emissions by source, site, or activity, offering a detailed view of their carbon footprint. Project management tools track sustainability initiatives, and compliance checks help operators stay aligned with regulations. Consolidating these functions empowers teams to move from reactive management to proactive sustainability planning, allowing them to make strategic decisions that reduce environmental impact while supporting operational efficiency.

 

Conclusion: Embracing Digital Innovation for a Sustainable Warehousing Future
The journey to net zero for UK warehousing hinges on adopting digital solutions that streamline sustainability efforts. By combining Hatmill’s expertise in supply chain and warehousing with Flotilla’s award-winning tech platform, businesses gain tools tailored to their unique sector challenges and can create and deliver sustainable strategies that not only make a difference but make commercial sense too. This partnership enables proactive sustainability, offering insights that make a meaningful impact. In a sector where sustainability is both a responsibility and a competitive advantage, digital innovation leads the way to a sustainable future.

 

How Flotilla Can Help

If support from Flotilla’s sustainability specialists would assist you on your transformative journey, please contact us to explore how we can support your firm’s goals. Book a free consultation or get in touch here to talk further.