2021 Planet Passionate report published today

Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions reduced 4.3% versus 2020

29% reduction in carbon intensity achieved

Insulation systems sold in 2021 will save an estimated 193 million tonnes of carbon in their lifetime

Kingspan Group, the global leader in advanced insulation and building solutions, has released its second annual report for its 10-year sustainability programme, Planet Passionate.

Highlights include a 4.3% reduction (1) in scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and a 29% reduction in carbon intensity (2) year-on-year, against a background of 42% total revenue growth for the period.

For the second year running, the Group has made absolute reductions towards its 2030 net zero carbon manufacturing goal. This is underpinned by a verified SBTi (3) target to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 90% by 2030, from a 2020 base year.

Achieving this will require the decarbonisation of Kingspan’s energy sources and processes across its existing 198 manufacturing sites (up from 166 in 2020), while supporting newly acquired businesses to decarbonise as quickly as possible.

To accelerate the Group’s decarbonisation strategy, the report has announced the introduction of an internal carbon charge of €70 per tonne of CO2e, which will be implemented throughout the business in 2023. 

The 2021 Planet Passionate report illustrates the positive progress made to date against the majority of the programme’s 12 measurable targets in carbon, energy, water, and circularity. Notable achievements include:

Energy: An increase in the direct use of renewable energy from 19.5% to 26.1%, and an increase in the percentage of wholly-owned facilities with solar PV from 21.7% to 28.4%. The Group also achieved a 15% reduction in energy intensity (4) year-on-year.

Carbon: An increase in the percentage of zero emissions company funded cars from 11% to 29%.

Circularity: A reduction in company waste to landfill of 13%, as well as 843 million PET bottles recycled into our processes.

Water: The Group announced its second ocean cleanup project: a partnership with cleantech startup SeabinTM, to deploy their unique technology first in Sydney Harbour followed by LA later in 2022. This follows a three-year partnership with the ECOALF Foundation which works with a network of 2,000 artisan fishermen to remove around 150 tonnes of marine debris each year from the Mediterranean.

In addition, Kingspan’s science-based targets were updated in 2021 and are now in line with a 1.5°C future. Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C means that the world must achieve a 45% reduction in global CO2 emissions versus 2010 levels by 2030 (5). 

While Kingspan did not make progress in 2021 against its target to halve the product CO2e intensity from its primary supply partners by 2030, the report highlights ongoing collaboration with suppliers to this end.

Moreover, during the year Kingspan invested in H2 Green Steel, a company pioneering new production methods for lower-impact steel manufacturing using green hydrogen. Use of lower-emissions steel could help Kingspan reduce the embodied carbon of its insulated panel products by up to 45%. 

The report also presents the impact of Kingspan products sold during 2021. The built environment is responsible for roughly 39% of global carbon emissions (6), and high-performance insulation is one of the most important ways to increase energy-efficiency in buildings. The insulation systems Kingspan sold during 2021 are projected to save 193 million tCO2e (7) during their lifetime. That’s equivalent to the emissions from 42 million passenger vehicles in a year (8).

In addition, Kingspan announced a new initiative called Planet Passionate Communities, a programme that will support people and communities around the world. The report unveils the programme’s flagship project: a five-year partnership with GOAL, the international humanitarian response agency, to support them in their transformative work in areas of most need.

Gene Murtagh, CEO of Kingspan Group, said: “The climate crisis, the pandemic, and now recent global events all serve to concentrate the mind on the need to build a more resilient and equitable world while ensuring energy security. Planet Passionate is our contribution to a future that uses resources efficiently, protects the natural world and delivers high-performance, energy-efficient products and solutions to our customers and global communities.”

Bianca Wong, Head of Sustainability of Kingspan Group, said: “Delivering a programme of this scale against a background of rapid business growth takes huge effort and determination and I would like to thank and commend the incredible efforts of our people across the world to achieve positive progress against the majority of our targets for the second year in a row.”