MaCaW brings sustainable procurement closer to home

The University of Central Lancashire’s Making Carbon Work (MaCaW) project, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is helping to drive a powerful onshoring message for Pendle Engineering.

Chris Smith, MD of Pendle Engineering, saw a double opportunity in contacting MaCaW. On the one hand, there was the chance for the specialist steel engineers, manufacturers and fabricators to benefit in a similar way to so many other Lancashire SMEs, with a carbon report that could help the business cut its energy costs and operate more sustainably. But there was another, even bigger opportunity to be explored.

The onshoring opportunity

“In the early 2000s we saw the Far East and eastern Europe offer a much cheaper supply of fabricated steel products than we could offer in the UK. Inevitably we saw some of our customers take their business overseas,” Chris explains.

“We’re an advocate of global trade – we understand the realities and merits of it. But in the last 20 years we’ve seen a much stronger drive towards sustainability and environmental awareness. Price is no longer the only consideration.”

With a growing number of customers seeking a more sustainable supply of steel, Chris wanted to find a measurable way of defining ‘more sustainable’. He realised MaCaW offered that opportunity.

“We wanted to make the buying process easier for our clients,” he says, “ and we realised that if we could create a measurable metric of the environmental cost of overseas sourcing versus onshoring we could help make decisions at the customers’ end easier.”

Creating a carbon calculator

Chris asked MaCaW to help him develop a ‘ready reckoner’ that puts a carbon cost on every tonne of steel bought and shipped from overseas. “It is based on several assumptions,” he adds, “but it helps clients put a hard figure to procuring more sustainably – and that makes it much easier to see the benefits.”

Chris is now using the calculator as a regular part of client conversations. “In many sectors, sustainability is now almost as important a factor as price,” he says. “That’s particularly evident for customers who sell themselves as a sustainable business. As we move closer to net zero, sustainability will be something that grows to affect every business and it will be an essential, not just a nice-to-have. So it’s important that we’re proactive – that we get in early and show that, even in the traditionally ‘dirty’ industry of steelwork and fabrication, there are cleaner ways of operating.

“I can certainly say with confidence that it’s far easier to make carbon part of the conversation when you have something tangible to share with clients.”

A virtual energy audit

Although Pendle Engineering’s conversations with MaCaW began pre-pandemic, by the time the audit was ready to begin in earnest lockdown had begun. For the first time, MaCaW’s specialists weren’t able to visit the site or meet the client in person and needed to help steer Chris’ reporting activities remotely.

“We try and understand our plant and machinery as best we can anyway,” says Chris, “so we had a pretty good handle on things, but MaCaW’s support has been very helpful in filling in certain blanks.” As evidence of this, Chris cites an issue with finding data for one of the company’s older industrial ovens.

“We were struggling to identify the consumption and the guys at MaCaW went above and beyond to find similar machines elsewhere which would enable us to make an accurate assessment.”

The results of the assessment were enlightening. Using the gas and electric usage data supplied by Chris, MaCaW calculated a footprint of 681.77 tonnes CO2e (carbon equivalent) per year.

By improving the efficiency of gas burners on powder coating ovens, improving on-site heating, introducing solar PV and making behavioural changes, the audit revealed the potential to reduce carbon output – and energy costs – by more than one third.

Investment-led initiatives are on the longer-term agenda (“the matched funding of up to £15,000 is terrific, but the pandemic has meant we have to be careful with investment right now”) but a range of behavioural and cultural changes have been made. “We’ve discussed the importance of energy management with the team,” says Chris, “and we’re working to reduce the amount of time we leave machinery and lights on. We’re already starting to see the difference coming through in our energy bills.”

Taking the green agenda seriously

“One of the most rewarding aspects of the Pendle Engineering audit was that it highlighted the broader impact of reducing carbon and operating more sustainably,” says Mark Nelson, MaCaW’s Business Engagement Officer. “Chris and the team have seen how, through a combination of behaviour change, energy management and investment, they can lower carbon and cut energy costs. But in developing the onshoring ‘ready reckoner’ they have also found a way to make sustainability a key element of their conversations with every client.”

“We take the green agenda seriously,” says Chris pointing to Pendle Engineering’s sister business, Pendle Bike Racks, as further evidence of the company’s commitment to the green agenda, “but as lots of companies in our sector will attest – that’s something that’s easy to say and a lot harder to do. Working with MaCaW has made it much easier for us to say ‘we’re thinking about carbon – why don’t you?’”

To explore how MaCaW could help support your carbon reduction activities, contact us.

MaCaW is a University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) project, an industry and academic collaboration funded by the ERDF alongside UCLan, and supported by Boost; Lancashire’s business growth hub.

Enjoyed this? Read more from University of Lancashire

Latest news

1

Eden Project Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 marks 25th anniversary Eden Project garden

Eden Project Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 marks 25th anniversary

21 Oct 2025

2

Breck Homes appoints new managing director Phil Dolan, Breck

Breck Homes appoints new managing director

20 Oct 2025

3

Management buyout at Suresite Group Steve Holden

Management buyout at Suresite Group

17 Oct 2025

4

Meet the influencers who have generated £2m sales for one company Helen and Richard Chalu new

Meet the influencers who have generated £2m sales for one company

16 Oct 2025

5

WHN strengthens position in prestigious legal guide Daniel Long

WHN strengthens position in prestigious legal guide

16 Oct 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues
EventBrite NORi - 22nd Oct Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
22 Oct 2025 - 22 Oct 2025

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues

Online - Teams, Leyland, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women
thumbnail_Emma Weston Illustration WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 18 Mar 2026

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:30 - 15:30

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 09 Jan 2026

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre

The Small Business Academy, Blackpool, FY4 5JX

09:30 - 15:30

North West Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880456273-4862066883-1-original.20241022-105445.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
24 Oct 2025 - 24 Oct 2025

North West Business Expo 2025

Bolton Stadium Hotel, Bolton, BL6 6SF

09:00 - 15:00

Chamber Business Lunch – October
LBV Hub Networking
24 Oct 2025 - 24 Sep 2025

Chamber Business Lunch – October

Lancaster Golf Club, Lancaster, LA2 0AJ

11:00 - 13:30

Lancaster District Business Support Expo
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Oct 2025 - 29 Oct 2025

Lancaster District Business Support Expo

The Platform, Morecambe, LA4 4DB

10:00 - 15:00

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
06 Nov 2025 - 06 Nov 2025

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November

Porsche Centre South Lakes, Carnforth, LA6 1FW

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Roundtables
10 Nov 2025 - 10 Nov 2025

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner

Lancaster Castle, Lancaster, LA1 1YN

14:00 - 16:00

AI, Creativity, and what it means to be human
2.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
11 Nov 2025 - 11 Nov 2025

AI, Creativity, and what it means to be human

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin