A significant milestone in the delivery of 81 affordable, low-energy homes at Greenhill Centre in Newham has been marked with an official topping-out ceremony. Higgins Partnerships was joined by the Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiza OBE and its partners Newham Council to celebrate the progress being made in delivering these
Cala Homes has completed its first net-zero-carbon enabled home at its Hampton Lakes development in Peterborough. The project demonstrates Cala’s commitment to sustainable construction and will test the housebuilder’s net zero principles, providing essential learning to help inform Cala’s approach in the future. Residents will soon move into the four-bedroom
As the Paris Olympics 2024 is about to get underway, millions of fans will travel to the French capital city to attend one of the world’s largest sporting events. Thanks to the latest technology from Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), they will enjoy a more comfortable experience at some of the smartest and
A substation in Wrexham is at the heart of SP Energy Networks’ first live network deployment of smart transformers to help the connection of low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps as part of a £8.3m innovation project. Funded by Ofgem’s Network Innovation Competition, LV Engine will
Global Segment Manager at Malvern Panalytical, Murielle Goubard, discusses how the construction industry can cut industrial emissions by up to three-quarters before 2050… Navigating toward a more sustainable construction industry is driven by the pressing need to curb carbon emissions and advance sustainability. Cement producers globally are pushing for ambitious
TO DRAW attention to the damage litter causes to the UK’s waterways, lakes, and oceans, leading housing provider Barratt Homes and specialist civils provider Wrekin Products has partnered on an initiative – ‘The Sea Starts Here’ – to educate the public. The campaign’s message will be featured prominently on Wrekin gully grates
Bender UK, a leader in smart, safer, and sustainable energy solutions, today announces a strategic partnership with Morgan Sindall, one of the UK’s leading construction and regeneration contractors. This landmark agreement marks the start of a significant collaboration between the two industry leaders that will enhance infrastructure and future-proof investment
Leading bio-diversity net gain (BNG) expert and chief executive of CSX, Andy Howard, has called on the new Labour Government to put the environment at the heart of its plans to get Britain building again. As the dust begins to settle following the landslide Labour victory in this month’s General
In the comment inserted at the bottom of this email, Don McLean, CEO of Glasgow-headquartered climate tech company, IES, discusses the welcome attention around decarbonising energy production. However, he reaffirms the need to take a holistic approach to decarbonising how we both produce and consume energy, in order to deliver
Fivemiletown headquartered Paving and Building Products firm, AG, has reinforced its position as a market leader in sustainable construction through the publication of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for over 370 of its products. The firm, which has manufacturing locations in Fivemiletown, Toome, and Carryduff, already has one of the lowest
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
A significant milestone in the delivery of 81 affordable, low-energy homes at Greenhill Centre in Newham has been marked with an official topping-out ceremony. Higgins Partnerships was joined by the Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiza OBE and its partners Newham Council to celebrate the progress being made in delivering these new homes, which will achieve Passivhaus Classic certification. This ensures the homes will have reduced energy costs and improved comfort and air quality for residents. Located in Manor Park, the development features three blocks: an eight storey building, a five storey building and a multi-level building with heights varying from two to seven storeys. Of of the 81 homes, 56 will be available at London Affordable Rent and 25 will be offered for low-cost shared ownership, with partial funding from the Greater London Authority. Designed by architects Haworth Tomkins, the scheme will also include a new gym space and landscape improvements, with a focus on preserving existing mature trees on the site and creating a new community garden. Colin Ricketts, Regional Director of Higgins Partnerships commented, “We are proud to welcome the Mayor of Newham here to Greenhill Centre to mark this significant point in the delivery of these affordable homes, which have been designed to ensure residents benefit from increased thermal comfort, improved indoor air quality and lower energy bills. “As part of our commitment as a socially responsible developer, we are also working closely with the local community to provide a wide range of social value initiatives, including Eat Clubs, volunteering opportunities, community garden and environmental initiatives, working with schools and colleges to provide career and work of work sessions, and community sport sessions.” Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE said: “This development forms part of our ambition to deliver homes that our people can afford. In the face of this country’s crushing housing crisis, we are making the case to the new government that they need to support councils like Newham to deliver more and more homes. “I am working with the Cabinet and council officers to make that ambition a reality, along with Higgins Partnerships, who are supporting us on this particular scheme which will deliver 56 new homes at London affordable rent and 25 homes at low-cost shared ownership. “This is an example of our commitment to deliver more affordable housing and I look forward seeing the completed scheme next Autumn.” Higgins is also providing a range of apprenticeship and work placement opportunities, throughout the construction of Greenhill Centre. One such apprentice is Mikael Mustafa, a local Newham resident who is now a Business Admin Apprentice in Higgins’ head office and part of the Social Value team. Mikael shared his experience, saying: “Doing an apprenticeship means I am able to put what I learn in college into practice working in the Social Value team. I really enjoyed maths at school and so use my skills to support the rest of the team by recording all the social value data as well as taking part in a variety of employability volunteering events in the local community. “Every day brings different challenges which keep me motivated to become better. If I am unsure of anything I can ask my team and Manager for help, and they take their time to explain everything to me. I really enjoy the flexibility and the range of tasks in my role. I am grateful for the support Higgins and Ixion have given me and am hoping to move onto a Level 4 apprenticeship once I have completed my Level 3.” For further information about Higgins Partnerships please visit www.higginspartnerships.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Cala Homes has completed its first net-zero-carbon enabled home at its Hampton Lakes development in Peterborough. The project demonstrates Cala’s commitment to sustainable construction and will test the housebuilder’s net zero principles, providing essential learning to help inform Cala’s approach in the future. Residents will soon move into the four-bedroom property, offering the opportunity for the business to learn about the technical viability and user experience of sustainable technology in a ‘lived in’ home. Through monitoring data, including qualitative feedback from the residents gathered throughout the summer and winter months, Cala will gain valuable insights into the practicalities of implementing these technologies and, importantly, the user experience of sustainability features in an occupied home. Cala has worked with its subcontractor partners to bring together various technologies already trialled and implemented on its sites across the UK. The sustainable features within the home have also been informed by desktop studies and initial comparative testing with the same Cala house type built to current regulations. The learnings from the Hampton Lakes home around installation, implementation and performance will support another positive step towards Cala’s ambitious goal of delivering operationally net-zero-carbon enabled homes by 2030. Steve Rule, Group Technical Director at Cala, said: “We have calculated that this home has the potential to use 95% less primary energy* compared to the same Cala house type built to current regulations. Early comparative in-situ testing has seen a 40% better thermal performance than our current homes built to the latest regulations, even with all the advances and efficiencies of new homes today. This means it achieves a Heat Loss Parameter (HLP) which ranks it in the ‘excellent’ category of the heat loss scale. “This is obviously significant for our customers, but it’s important that the customer experience is enhanced. Living in a net-zero-carbon enabled home should be seamless and that’s something we’ve strived to achieve here.” The home has been built using modern methods of construction including timber frame and low-carbon bricks, and features triple glazing and enhanced insultation. Other features include: Outside, biodiversity enhancing measures include bird and bat boxes, bug hotels, rain gardens, bat bricks, hedgehog highways, a dedicated vegetable patch, and home composting facilities, bringing Cala’s Urban Wildlife Strategy to life. Kathryn Dapré, Head of Sustainability at Cala Group, said: “Our net-zero-carbon enabled home is a positive step forward in our sustainability journey, but what’s important to us is that we take customers on that journey with us. Our Hampton Lakes property therefore aims to integrate sustainable measures into a ‘real’, lived in home – to design the home around the customer, not the technology. “Gathering real-life, real-time feedback from the people living in this home will help us to understand how the net-zero-carbon enabled home performs both in terms of reducing carbon emissions and for Cala customers.” Cala’s Sustainability Strategy will see the business achieve net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It has also set a wider target of net-zero total greenhouse gas emissions across the business by 2045. So far, Cala has achieved a 28.5% reduction in operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its 2021 baseline. Operational emissions per square meter of developed floor space have fallen by over 25% since 2021. *(heating, hot water, lighting and electricity) Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
As the Paris Olympics 2024 is about to get underway, millions of fans will travel to the French capital city to attend one of the world’s largest sporting events. Thanks to the latest technology from Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), they will enjoy a more comfortable experience at some of the smartest and most energy-efficient stadiums on the continent. By integrating advanced building automation systems, HVAC and fire suppression technologies across eight venues, the company not only is helping the International Olympic Committee prioritise safety and operational efficiency but also is contributing to the Committee’s ambitious goal of reducing the event’s carbon footprint by 50% compared to previous Games. Achieving this goal required making the building infrastructure behind the games’ venues more energy efficient and sustainable. For example, two of the latest innovations of Johnson Controls’ York 3.3 MW industrial chillers are in operation at the new cooling production plant, the La Chapelle plant, located in the Adidas Arena sports and cultural complex. As the twelfth power plant in the city of Paris’ cooling network, it meets the cooling needs of the Adidas Arena and the surrounding area. This equipment provides sustainable and energy-efficient cooling at one of the flagship sites of the Olympic Games. “With temperatures rising year on year and heatwaves becoming the norm, the need for sustainable cooling technology is critical to ensure optimal conditions in venues while minimising the impact on the planet,” said Marc Vandiepenbeeck, CFO and EMEALA President for Johnson Controls. “Chillers are one of the most energy-consuming pieces of equipment in a building and represent an important opportunity to cut energy use and cost, while minimising carbon footprint and delivering a healthier indoor environment.” A further example is a renowned tennis stadium where the Johnson Controls Metasys building automation system links the most vital building equipment including HVAC, lighting control and energy management. The system controls and monitors performance and provides real-time data so facility managers can identify potential issues, make adjustments and ensure the stadium is running as efficiently and sustainably as possible. “We are proud to work with these prestigious venues and help our customers achieve their desired outcomes in energy efficiency, carbon reduction emissions, safety, security and building management. Our expertise in smart stadiums and large venues has made Johnson Controls the partner of choice for stadiums across the world and we continue to innovate in this space to further elevate the fan experience,” continued Vandiepenbeeck. Johnson Controls drives fan engagement, operational efficiency and sustainability with innovative building technology at sports and entertainment venues across the globe. The company provides smart buildings solutions to Intaleq in Doha,Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, O2 Arena in London, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Chase Centre in San Francisco, Borussia Dortmund at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, and more. It offers its full range of technologies for this sector including its OpenBlue digital platform, building automation system, HVAC, fire detection and suppression Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A substation in Wrexham is at the heart of SP Energy Networks’ first live network deployment of smart transformers to help the connection of low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps as part of a £8.3m innovation project. Funded by Ofgem’s Network Innovation Competition, LV Engine will carry out this world first demonstration at Wrexham to investigate how power electronics – a way of controlling and converting voltage – can help improve the quality and efficiency of power supplied into customers’ homes and reduce the need for disruptive and costly network reinforcement. LV Engine will use cutting-edge power electronic technology aiming to demonstrate greater voltage control at a substation level. The smart control system will recognise where electricity capacity can be shared between itself and other transformers on the network to maximise space on the existing network, allowing more low carbon technologies to be connected. Smart meter data will help tailor voltage in line with demand to ensure a high quality of supply for customers. This real-time data will also help operational planning and further increase capacity on the grid. Graham Campbell, Director of Processes and Technology of SP Energy Networks said: “Power electronics are playing a critical role in enabling our decarbonisation journey. This has become increasingly critical at distribution level to increase capacity and stability of the network as demand increases, while providing more flexibility for customers. Being a global first, LV Engine is developing engineering solutions that will enable a sustainable and efficient energy future by helping to shape future network design and make our LV network more flexible, adaptable and ready for our low carbon future. “This project is a culmination of collaboration between SP Energy Networks and its partners, particularly Ermco, to test and trial this globally unique solution. By improving the quality of the power supplied to customers’ homes we can continue to provide a resilient and reliable electricity supply while enabling more customers to adopt low carbon technologies and, potentially, in the longer term, reduce their bills.” The LV Engine project in Wrexham is part of wider works by SP Energy Networks innovation team to investigate and establish ways of adapting the electricity network to best meet the electricity needs of customers well into the future. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Global Segment Manager at Malvern Panalytical, Murielle Goubard, discusses how the construction industry can cut industrial emissions by up to three-quarters before 2050… Navigating toward a more sustainable construction industry is driven by the pressing need to curb carbon emissions and advance sustainability. Cement producers globally are pushing for ambitious goals, with many targeting a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, and envisioning a concrete industry that achieves lifetime carbon neutrality by 2050. The adoption of innovative solutions to mitigate environmental impact in the industry is accelerating. Industry leaders are heavily investing in research and development to supercharge sustainability. Optimising process and kiln efficiency Many cement manufacturers are carefully adjusting processes in the raw milling and pyro-processing stages to enhance efficiency. Ensuring the fine particle size distribution of raw mix particles is key since larger particles can trigger clinker formation issues. Cutting-edge tools such as particle size analyzers and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are empowering manufacturers to maintain precise control over these parameters. This has resulted in increased throughput, substantial cost savings and reduced energy consumption. Innovative fuels and sustainable materials Reducing direct CO2 emissions in cement production remains a high priority across the industry. Co-processing is an approach widely used, whereby alternative fuels – such as biomass, mixed and fossil-waste fuels – are applied to recover the calorific value of waste materials and reduce carbon emissions. To optimise combustion and kiln performance, accurate characterisation of these alternative fuels is imperative. A significant quantity of emissions in cement production comes from clinker production. Cement manufacturers are proactively incorporating alternative materials into their processes to address this issue. Alternative materials, including blast-furnace slag, fly ash, calcined clays, pozzolans, and other industrial waste, reduce the reliance on clinker production, substantially reducing emissions. Unlocking efficiency through automation Automated solutions, ranging from individual instruments to real-time online analysis, provide the precise control needed over processes, increasing sustainability. On-line solutions are particularly useful in busy industrial production environments as they address the very common sampling representativity issue that is one of the most critical steps in the monitoring and control process. This technology can reduce human error, ensuring consistency in product quality. By embracing automation, cement manufacturers can optimise fuel and power costs, cut down on production expenses and meet stringent quality requirements. Paving the way The cement and concrete industry is making important progress in becoming carbon-neutral, despite it being a significant challenge. Implementing a connected, future-proof analytical strategy alongside more efficient manufacturing practices, heightened recycling rates, electrification, renewable energy integration, and carbon capture could potentially cut industrial emissions by up to three-quarters by 2050. While sustainability efforts involve investment, they also offer substantial opportunities for cost savings. The cement and concrete industry is increasingly focused on delivering a greener future, where sustainability and profitability go hand in hand. Aligning with industry trends and adopting sustainable practices, the sector will continue to navigate a path toward an environmentally friendly and economically viable future. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
TO DRAW attention to the damage litter causes to the UK’s waterways, lakes, and oceans, leading housing provider Barratt Homes and specialist civils provider Wrekin Products has partnered on an initiative – ‘The Sea Starts Here’ – to educate the public. The campaign’s message will be featured prominently on Wrekin gully grates in Barratt’s Kings Park, a David Wilson Homes development in Macclesfield. It aims to raise awareness of how small pieces of litter can snowball into lasting environmental effects. To further grab attention, Kings Park gully grates have been painted a stark bright blue. Keep Britain Tidy estimates that the UK discards a staggering 30 million tonnes of litter annually, incurring a cleanup cost of £1 billion. Shockingly, nearly half of this litter (14m) ends up contaminating our rivers and canals, as reported by the Canal & River Trust. This ongoing damage has led to a situation where none of our waterways are currently classified as being in ‘good health’. Simon Turner, commercial director at Wrekin Products said: “We hope this campaign will go some way to increasing awareness about the interconnectedness of our infrastructure and the problems and effects of water pollution on our marine wildlife. “As one of the most popular suppliers of gully grates in the UK, we’re using our position as an opportunity to create a positive environmental impact by reminding people that there is a correct place for litter to go, and it’s not down our drains. “We’re lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful natural landscapes on the planet, and so it’s a shame to see it needlessly harmed by pollution and rubbish. More so when we see the ripple effects of excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen seeping into and harming our freshwater habitats, and in some cases being enough to kill the fish population. “Kings Park is just the beginning of this campaign, and we’ll be looking to spread this important message even further throughout this year and beyond. The main culprit of river pollution in the UK is smoking-related litter. However, confectionary packets, drinks bottles and cans, fast food, wet wipes, and, more recently, disposable vapes all contribute to a harmful chemical cocktail.” The government’s Environmental Audit Committee (2022) found that housing developments’ drainage systems which are clogged with ‘a profusion of plastic and other non-biodegradable waste’, in addition to heavy rainfall, often leads to an overloaded sewerage system unable to cope effectively. Alaric Ross-Wagenknecht, project engineer at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Anglia, said: “As leaders in the residential housebuilding sector, we wanted to work with Wrekin to educate children and adults in a fun and informative way about the importance of pollution control and the role of drainage infrastructure and the water cycle. “To permanently imprint the message ‘The Sea Starts Here’ on a gully grating means the message will be here for years to come, throughout the gully’s whole life cycle. That will get people thinking twice about gullies and their role.” More information surrounding the effect of litter on drainage systems and in the UK’s waterways can be found at the Wrekin website here: https://www.wrekinproducts.com/tssh Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bender UK, a leader in smart, safer, and sustainable energy solutions, today announces a strategic partnership with Morgan Sindall, one of the UK’s leading construction and regeneration contractors. This landmark agreement marks the start of a significant collaboration between the two industry leaders that will enhance infrastructure and future-proof investment projects across the UK. Carl Fletcher, Group Sales Director of Bender UK, who was key in establishing this partnership, commented: “This collaboration with Morgan Sindall is a testament to our collective commitment to sustainability and innovation. “By integrating Bender’s expertise in developing smart and more sustainable solutions, we will optimise productivity, reliability, and efficiency in our partner’s infrastructure projects. “Together, we are not just preparing for the future, but actively predicting, preventing, and protecting investments in such critical industries.” The agreement will see Bender UK provide a comprehensive range of smarter and more sustainable services and products to Morgan Sindall’s group businesses, including construction and healthcare. This collaboration addresses today’s challenges while ensuring readiness for future developments. Morgan Sindall, known for its extensive experience across multiple sectors, will benefit from Bender UK’s cutting-edge technology and engineering solutions. The partnership aims to drive growth and propel innovation, ensuring high safety, reliability, and efficiency standards across all current and future projects. Bender UK’s pioneering expertise will now support Morgan Sindall’s efforts to create robust and efficient infrastructures that protect critical assets, optimise productivity, and deliver unmatched value to communities and businesses. Graham Edgell, Group Procurement Director of Morgan Sindall commented on the partnership: “Our alliance with Bender UK highlights our unwavering promise to deliver cutting-edge and sustainable projects. By collaborating, we best position ourselves to tackle current challenges while future-proofing against the challenges to come.” This strategic partnership represents a major step forward to delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to enhance the built environment and support long-term development goals. By working shoulder to shoulder, Bender UK and Morgan Sindall are formidably positioned to champion industry growth and innovation. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading bio-diversity net gain (BNG) expert and chief executive of CSX, Andy Howard, has called on the new Labour Government to put the environment at the heart of its plans to get Britain building again. As the dust begins to settle following the landslide Labour victory in this month’s General Election, the new Chancellor, Rachel Reeves has announced plans to amend the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and turbo-charge the economy by making it easier for new homes and infrastructure to be built. The growing challenge of NIMBYism up and down the country means radical change is needed but tackling local opposition and delivering the monumental target of 300,000 homes per year, while meeting climate reduction targets and hitting BNG requirements is going to be the latest challenge for the built environment. While Labour will take powers away from local councils on national infrastructure projects as well as introduce a greater role for regional Mayors to speed up the planning process, they have still committed to sensitive development that respects and enhances the environment. Labour has made no mention of repealing BNG legislation so developers should assume it is here to stay. BNG has the potential to fundamentally improve how the built environment will transform and enhance communities across the UK. The built environment is responsible for a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions, often involves habitat and land use change when new developments are taking place, and therefore a clear commitment from Government is needed to ensure developers can continue to plan for BNG on sites across the UK. Andy Howard of CSX said: “This new Government’s commitment to get Britain building again must coincide with a renewed commitment to restore, protect and diversify the environment. BNG has a vital role to play in shaping the future impacts of built development across the UK, providing the natural places, green landscaping and nature recovery that helps shapes places and enhances wildlife habitats. For example, the current BNG guidance allows for off-site units to come from projects within either the Local Planning Authority Boundary OR the National Character Area. There is however different application of this guidance across the country, with only one of those area boundaries being applied in some instances. Clarification from the new Government that it is indeed either LPA or NCA boundaries that can be used will provide significant flexibility to unlocking the benefits of BNG in delivering new developments. We look forward to working with the Labour Government and developers to deliver BNG across the country.” As policies take shape, and Britain gets building, it will be imperative for BNG to remain present in discussions between parliament, local authorities, industry leaders, developers, and experts. CSX and their team of experts stand ready to help politicians and industry leaders to refine the detail of how to implement BNG and hold constructive conversations which utilises their expertise and data to further provide efficient and effective solutions in the management of BNG requirements and carbon offsetting. Datasets, accumulated by CSX, will be crucial in making sure processes and guidance is accurately and reliability accounted for in the quality of carbon offsetting for future builds and changes to the landscape. Read more about CSX’s work on biodiversity at https://csxcarbon.com/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
In the comment inserted at the bottom of this email, Don McLean, CEO of Glasgow-headquartered climate tech company, IES, discusses the welcome attention around decarbonising energy production. However, he reaffirms the need to take a holistic approach to decarbonising how we both produce and consume energy, in order to deliver on the ambition for Britain to become a clean energy superpower. Commenting on the role of the new government when it comes to decarbonising energy in the UK, Don said: “Since at least 2015, governments have talked about how they would cut emissions, but sadly, this has not yet been achieved. While Labour promises to solve former Conservative failures, the scale and pace of climate change is impacting the Earth more and more and becoming an increasingly pressing issue. “The new government has made some big promises when it comes to decarbonising the UK energy system, and all eyes will be on how they put this policy into practice throughout the next parliament. “Great British Energy is a welcome initiative which will go some way to focus attention on decarbonising energy production. But while decarbonising the grid is really important, we also need to strengthen our efforts in reducing the way we consume energy in turn. “For example, we know that buildings are major players when it comes to energy usage and emissions, responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions – with a greater proportion of this resulting from operations compared to materials and construction. To fully deliver on the ambition for Britain to become a clean energy superpower, while cutting bills for people and businesses alike, we need to take a holistic approach to decarbonising how we produce and consume energy.” “We are still a long way from finding a holistic solution to decarbonisation – not just here in the UK, but from a global perspective. This means that as a country, we have the opportunity to demonstrate leadership that others can follow. However, it is necessary to prove the decarbonisation process will work before making significant changes to millions of buildings.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Fivemiletown headquartered Paving and Building Products firm, AG, has reinforced its position as a market leader in sustainable construction through the publication of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for over 370 of its products. The firm, which has manufacturing locations in Fivemiletown, Toome, and Carryduff, already has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry and is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations to an absolute minimum. Created to encourage transparency across the construction industry, an EPD is a standardised formal document that quantifies a product’s environmental impact. It is based on a detailed life cycle assessment and verified by an accredited third party. Recently awarded Sustainable Manufacturing Business of the Year at the prestigious Business Eye Awards, AG’s EPDs reflect the company’s dedication to innovation and its ongoing carbon reduction efforts. Michael Davies, Head of Innovation and Carbon Reduction at AG said: “For many years, we have worked tirelessly to reduce our environmental impact and we are delighted to publish our Environmental Product Declarations.” “A reflection of the continuous innovation we’ve employed to date, our EPDs will provide our customers with essential data that will enhance the sustainability credentials of their projects and provide them with a comprehensive overview of their scheme. We are extremely proud to be able to say that our facilities and products boast some of the industry’s lowest embodied carbon statistics.” From 2019 to 2023, AG reported a 47.8% reduction in its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, a significant achievement considering the firm’s extended operational hours and the construction of a new £3 million factory in 2023 to meet increased product demand. Additionally, AG reduced its Scope 3 emissions by 4.67% from 2021, underscoring its commitment to a greener future in construction. Verified by EPD Hub, AG’s Environmental Product Declarations represent the latest in the firm’s series of sustainability initiatives. These efforts include a longstanding commitment to producing a significant portion of their product range using recycled aggregate and locally quarried materials. AG’s commitment to energy efficiency is reinforced through regular reviews of its systems and procedures, driving continuous improvement. As part of its CSR strategy, the company has recently made a significant investment of over £5.4 million to modernise its plant, equipment, and technology, underscoring its dedication to sustainable practices and cutting-edge innovation. AG’s CEO, Stephen Acheson commented, “At AG, sustainability isn’t merely a responsibility but a guiding principle that fuels our innovation and shapes our operations. Our EPDs mark a major milestone in our journey to reduce carbon emissions, providing transparent and comprehensive insights into the environmental footprint of our products. These documents and the data they contain underscore our commitment to creating high-quality, sustainable products, solidifying AG’s reputation as a leader in low-carbon solutions.” For more information about AG, please visit ag.uk.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
