Sustainable operations are the result of robust processes and continuous improvement — supported by the right expertise.
With 68% of aerospace and defence leaders saying sustainability requires transformational change—and 60% citing skills shortages (KPMG) — many organisations are realising they can’t deliver Net Zero expectations with incremental tweaks or by adding another small, separate workstream. The biggest gains come when sustainability is built into the same continuous improvement that drives quality, cost, delivery and resilience.
That’s where the ADS Business Services Network can help. It brings together professional services member companies with deep experience in aerospace and defence — from ESG and carbon management to operational excellence, digital, risk and compliance — so SMEs in particular can access specialist support when they need it.
Daniel Walsh from transformation experts FourCentric reflects on this,
One shift we’re seeing across operational and manufacturing teams is that the “ask” is changing. Organisations are moving away from chasing separate carbon targets and toward eliminating waste, defects and delays. The businesses that succeed are the ones that link sustainability to better operational performance — rather than driving parallel targets that struggle to get time and attention.
So what does “embedded sustainability” look like day to day?
FourCentric points to “right first time” behaviours: tighter process controls, minimising losses, and optimising inventory. These actions improve flow and productivity, while also reducing scrap, rework, energy use and embedded emissions. Crucially, they stop sustainability initiatives competing with delivery — because they are the same work.
In defence, this alignment matters more than ever. Daniel Walsh continues,
The Ministry of Defence set out its ‘Climate Change and Sustainability Strategic Approach’ in 2021 with a key aim to ensure defence has a path to Net Zero without compromising national security or operational readiness. SMEs in particular are vital to the defence ecosystem, but can come unstuck when trying to deal with often complex sustainability regulations. The ADS Business Services Network can play a key role in supporting SMEs to ensure this difficult balance is met.
At the same time, customer expectations are hardening. Three quarters of QinetiQ’s global footprint of total scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions, results from the goods and services procured from their suppliers, making their upstream activities their biggest impact. In April 2024, they introduced a Net-Zero Clause in UK supplier agreements, encouraging the adoption of continuous improvement plans to reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of their supply chain.
There are strong examples already in our membership community. Southbourne Rubber has reduced its carbon footprint by over 50% in the past 18 months through practical operational changes — moving to 100% renewable electricity, adding solar, electrifying vehicles and working with lower‑emission logistics partners. They’ve also invested in nature projects (planting 2,784 trees through Ecologi) and signed the ADS ESG Charter. Their advice is simple: start with what you can control—energy, transport and procurement—and build momentum through consistent improvements.
This Earth Day, consider whether your sustainability plan is truly integrated into how you run and improve operations.
Jordan Croskery, ADS ESG Executive explains:
The fastest route to sustainable operations is often the same route to better performance: make improvement everyone’s job, and bring in the right provessional services to help you design the system, build capability, and make the change stick.
ADS Business Services Network
The most sustainable operations are driven by strong processes, continuous improvement and the right expertise embedded across the organisation.
If you’re being asked for better data, lower emissions, less waste, or a credible continuous improvement roadmap—but you’re stretched for time or specialist skills — the ADS Business Services Network can connect you to proven expertise.
