There is a critical interdependent relationship between the business sector and society that can affect the environment in several ways. However, sustainability issues, including emissions, oil spills, and other forms of pollution, can hurt the environment. To mitigate the effect of these issues on the environment, the manufacturing industry must refine current techniques to develop optimized and sustainable solutions for pollution abatement systems implemented to protect the environment.
Chemical engineer and sustainable energy expert Funmilayo Ogunsanya seeks to address key sustainability issues by facilitating an industry-wide paradigm and system shift to prioritize eco-friendly approaches to sustainable manufacturing processes and production materials. With this effort, she aims to tackle sustainability issues that affect air quality and other environmental factors.
An expert in project management and chemical engineering, Ogunsanya is equipped to change America’s sustainability landscape. She understands that small businesses play a crucial role in the quest for improved sustainability than ever before.
With a strong need to tackle energy and sustainability issues in the oil and gas industry, Ogunsanya began her sustainability journey at the University of Lagos in Nigeria, where she acquired a degree in Chemical Engineering. Following that, Ogunsanya acquired a master’s degree in Chemical Process Engineering from the University College London.
In her current role as a process and project engineer, Ogunsanya develops effective solutions to tackle air pollution caused by oil and gas processing, biofuel, food processing, pharmaceutical processing, and solar energy. She strives to change the sustainability landscape by urging large and small businesses to implement eco-friendly practices to reduce environmental impacts. Ogunsanya’s previous work has allowed her to build a strong foundation for solving problems and developing innovative solutions while using her extraordinary ability to make a real impact.
“There is no doubt that the oil and gas industry is a significant contributor to environmental pollution through emissions and oil spills, thus having a background in the industry availed me the opportunity to understand these challenges and the urgent need to cut emissions of hazardous compounds into the air,” Ogunsanya says.
Improving air quality can have several positive effects on the environment, including the birth of a healthy population. Ogunsanya also references records that display the benefit of cleaner air in communities. People with access to cleaner air experience fewer health concerns, improving focus on productive endeavors that bolster economic savings through reduced healthcare costs and increased workplace efficiency.
Despite the large number of sustainability challenges faced by companies today, the most notable one is the impact of weather on most businesses and their manufacturing operations. Weather can cause issues that can destroy physical assets and infrastructure, resulting in significant revenue loss. Ogunsanya stresses the importance of government and organizations working together to develop ways to reduce this impact and protect manufacturing and supply chains.
“For me, one of the starting points is for organizations to vigorously encourage reducing their overall carbon footprints through adopting more environmentally responsible practices and transitioning towards more sustainable operations. I would say to achieve this, there has to be a paradigm and systemic shift by pursuing eco-friendly approaches such as adopting more sustainable processes and materials for operations and production,” Ogunsanya shares.
Some of these practices include eco-sourcing, recycling, composting, employee education, and minimizing reliance on single-use items, which would significantly cut down on waste. Businesses can also invest in energy-efficient technology and practices to reduce environmental impacts and operating costs, or by making wise choices when it comes to partnerships and vendor selections.
