The Grenfell Tower Inquiry (Phase 1) highlighted numerous failings, one of which was the lack of wayfinding signage in stairwell landings which meant firefighters were unable to easily identify floor numbers when carrying out their duties. As such, the Inquiry recommended (Recommendation 33.27) that the owner and manager of every
Today, Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight experts, releases the June 2023 edition of its Construction Index. The Index focuses on the three months to the end of May 2023, covering all underlying projects, with a total value of £100m or less (unless otherwise indicated), with all figures
Wyatt Homes is proud to announce that its Charminster Farm development, in Charminster, has received its first Quality Recognition Award. The award, which is ascribed by Premier Guarantee, recognises the exceptional craftmanship provided by the development team, including Site Managers Rod Dunford and Arron Zaple. A presentation ceremony was held
After becoming a member of the CPD certification service on 1st March 2023, DHF (Door & Hardware Federation) has announced that it will be holding two accredited CPD Webinars for members on 10th and 24th August. Each webinar demonstrates the required Continuing Professional Development standards and the learning value and
Aggregate Industries UK, Balfour Beatty plc, Galliford Try and Morgan Sindall Group plc have joined forces with construction technology provider Causeway Technologies in a project to develop automated, real-time scope 3 emissions reporting. Scope 3 emissions are indirect carbon and greenhouse gas emissions that come from an organisation’s supply chain.
Aggregate Industries will once again be one of the headline sponsors for this year’s Leicester Pride event as it celebrates its 15th anniversary. The leading building materials supplier, with its group headquarters near Coalville in Leicestershire, has announced it is to be a Gold Sponsor for the event on Saturday
On World Environment Day (5 June), the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) announces its 14th annual World Green Building Week, taking place 11–15 September 2023. As the largest contributing sector to global energy-related carbon emissions (37% globally), the built environment is a key agent of change to deliver on the
City Plumbing has launched an industry-leading rewards scheme, empowering trade customers to benefit from stronger pricing and promotions, accrue points to turn purchases into exciting lifestyle benefits, and access educational added value content. My City Plumbing Rewards went nationwide on 1 June following a successful pilot scheme in Scotland. As
By Simon Blackham, Senior Technical Manager at Recticel Here at Recticel, we know what it takes to deliver products to a consistently high standard. We are also aware of our responsibility in terms of industry standards, particularly in relation to health, safety and the environment. It’s why, with each of
Powerday has set out the company’s latest sustainability targets in our new ambitious Sustainability and Wellness Manifesto for 2023. The Manifesto sets out clear objectives under all five pillars – our employees, communities, carbon management, clients, and procurement. As well as these challenging targets, the Manifesto plots our roadmap to
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry (Phase 1) highlighted numerous failings, one of which was the lack of wayfinding signage in stairwell landings which meant firefighters were unable to easily identify floor numbers when carrying out their duties. As such, the Inquiry recommended (Recommendation 33.27) that the owner and manager of every residential building containing separate dwellings carry out an urgent inspection of wayfinding signage to ensure it is visible in low light or smoky conditions and that flat and floor numbers are clearly identified in the stairwells of relevant buildings. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into effect in England from 23 January 2023, making it a legal requirement for all high-rise residential buildings in England to install wayfinding signage in their buildings, including clear markings identifying floor and individual flat numbers to assist the Fire and Rescue Service in navigating their way around, even when visibility is low. The regulations require Responsible Persons in multi-occupied residential buildings which are classed as high-rise buildings, (defined in The Fire Safety (England) Regulations as a building at least 18 metres in height or at least seven storeys), and also those above 11 metres in height in an identical use of multi-occupation residencies where communal areas and escape routes exist, to provide additional safety measures with the provision of wayfinding signage directly reflecting the building plans, which are required to be made available in a secure information box on site. Existing duties under the Fire Safety Order will make sure that this signage is maintained throughout the life of the building. As part of the best endeavours of the Responsible Person, it would be pertinent that this signage is inspected regularly to ensure it is still in place, legible, and correct in the information it provides. Signage should conform to the specifications and locations set out in paragraphs 15.14 to 15.16 of Approved Document B Volume 1 edition, which incorporates the 2020 amendments, namely firefighting shafts and protected stairways, as well as the individual dwellings. Fire safety signs As it is estimated that a large number of buildings will not have this signage in place, a signage survey should be carried out with immediate effect and any findings should be remedied, with all missing signage put in place. The FPA supplies fire safety signage which can be delivered directly to site for fitting. Find out more about the FPA’s fire safety signage here. FPA Members will receive a 20% discount on all fire safety signage. Not an FPA member? Find out more here Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Today, Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight experts, releases the June 2023 edition of its Construction Index. The Index focuses on the three months to the end of May 2023, covering all underlying projects, with a total value of £100m or less (unless otherwise indicated), with all figures seasonally adjusted. It’s a report which provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of year-on-year construction data, giving built environment professionals a unique insight into sector performance over the last 12 months. Starts-on-site performance fell even further, down 16% on the preceding three months. Affecting the entire construction sector, these figures present the latest disappointing results in a frustratingly protracted period of decline. Despite stabilising somewhat compared with the steep decline seen during the first quarter of the year, start-levels are still floundering, remaining a significant 42% down on a year ago, as rising interest rates continue to keep public and private investors cautious about starting on new projects. Furthermore, material price inflation, labour shortages and sweeping regulatory changes are holding back shovels from being committed to soil. For example, in the residential sector, the upcoming legal-enforcement of Part L on 27th June and the promise of tighter building safety restrictions has likely resulted in an activity-dip as many implement protocol to stay compliant and bring existing stock up to required standard. Almost at half way through year, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that consistent recovery will be observed until at least Q.4 2023 or, more likely Q.1/Q.2 2024. Commenting on the findings, Glenigan’s Economic Director, Allan Wilen, says, “Despite some stabilisation in the sharp falls in project-starts seen in Q.1 2023, the industry continues to suffer a squeeze in activity with starts remaining significantly down on a year ago. The sector looks to be in for a challenging period, with commercial starts falling back as skyrocketing interest rates and a weak economic outlook continue to dampen investor confidence. “Private housing also looks to be hard hit, as housebuilders focus development on existing sites in response to a reduction in activity across the wider housing market. The pick-up in industrial starts is the silver lining in a distinctly overcast Index, with the rising demand for logistics space expected to drive sector activity in the medium term. On the flipside, it’s especially disappointing to see civil engineering starts hit a wall following a strong burst of activity in recent months, with marked declines in both infrastructure and utilities work.” Taking a closer look at sector verticals and UK regions… Sector Analysis – Residential Residential construction experienced overall decline in the three months to May as starts fell 10% to stand 46% lower than a year ago. Private housing fell back 13% against the preceding three months and registered particularly weak performance against the previous year, finishing 55% down compared with the previous year. Social housing’s fall was less severe, with work starting on site falling a modest 4% against the previous three-month period, down 1% on 2022 levels. Sector Analysis – Non-Residential The value of starts across non-residential sectors fell by 19% during the three months to May, slipping back a third (-31%) on 2022 figures. Overall performance was a mixed bag, with education the only sector vertical to experience growth (9%) on the previous year, yet failed to match this increase against the preceding three month period, declining 18%. Industrial project-starts were also mixed, with the value of project-starts increasing 9% during the three months to May but 20% lower on 2022 levels. Retail performance was especially poor, with project-starts weakening 29% against the preceding three months and 48% against the previous year. It was a similar story for offices, with the value of underlying project-starts falling 20% against the preceding three months to stand 48% down on a year ago. Health starts also slipped back sharply, declining 20% against the preceding three months to stand 52% down on 2022 figures. Hotel & leisure and community & amenity also decreased 34% and 54% against the preceding three months, to stand 10% and 54% down on the previous year, respectively. Civils work starting on-site dropped 30% against the preceding three months to stand 50% down on a year ago. Infrastructure starts dropped 26% against the preceding three-month period, down 56% on the previous year’s figures. Faltering on strong activity in previous months, civils general decline can also partly be attributed to a weakening in utilities starts, declining by 35% against the preceding three months to stand 37% down against last year’s results. Regional Analysis Regional performance was poor across most of the UK, with project-starts weakening during the three months to May. The East of England was the only region to post growth on the preceding three-month period, with project-starts increasing 19%, but remaining 39% behind 2022 levels. Wales suffered the heaviest fall, declining 56% against the preceding three months to stand 43% down on a year ago. It was a similar story in Yorkshire & the Humber, with the value of project-starts decreasing 31% against the preceding three months and remaining significantly down (-52%) on the previous year. Project-starts in the North East experienced a fall against both the preceding three months (-27%) and previous year (-26%). London and the South West both weakened against the preceding three months, falling back 1% and 12%, respectively. Both regions were down on the previous year, remaining 20% and 46% lower than a year ago. Scotland was also down on both the preceding three months (-12%) and the previous year (-43%). Northern Ireland, the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East and the North West all crashed compared to both the preceding three months and previous year. To find out more about Glenigan and its construction intelligence services click here. 2023 sees Glenigan celebrate its 50th anniversary, commemorating half a century of delivering the highest-quality construction market intelligence. To find out more about its services and expertise click here.
Wyatt Homes is proud to announce that its Charminster Farm development, in Charminster, has received its first Quality Recognition Award. The award, which is ascribed by Premier Guarantee, recognises the exceptional craftmanship provided by the development team, including Site Managers Rod Dunford and Arron Zaple. A presentation ceremony was held recently at Charminster Farm, where representatives from Wyatt Homes and Premier Guarantee were in attendance to celebrate this achievement. The Quality Recognition Award is scored during each inspection visit and is based on the following categories: the standard of site management, the standard of workmanship, health and safety, site tidiness, and general cooperation. Tara Kelly, Sales Director at Wyatt Homes said, “We are thrilled to achieve this Quality Recognition Award for Charminster Farm. “Our team has worked incredibly hard to ensure that every aspect of the development, from the design of the homes to the landscaping of surrounding areas, meets our exact standards. This award is a reflection of the commitment and expertise of our team, and we are proud to see their effort recognised in this way.” Aaron and Rod, site managers at Charminster Farm, have been instrumental in ensuring the development meets the high standards required for the Quality Recognition Award. Their attention to detail and ability to manage the complex logistics of a large-scale development has been critical to the project’s success. Rod, Site Manager at Charminster Farm said, “We are delighted to have played a part in securing the Quality Recognition Award. “Charminster Farm has been a truly rewarding project, and we are proud to see it as a leader in quality and craftmanship.” Aaron, Site Manager at Charminster Farm said, “We would like to thank the entire development team for their hard work and dedication, as well as our partners and suppliers for their support throughout this project.” Charminster Farm is a development of beautiful two, three, four and five bedroom homes located in Charminster, Dorchester. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
After becoming a member of the CPD certification service on 1st March 2023, DHF (Door & Hardware Federation) has announced that it will be holding two accredited CPD Webinars for members on 10th and 24th August. Each webinar demonstrates the required Continuing Professional Development standards and the learning value and practicality of each course has been examined thoroughly to ensure both are of high quality and comply with CPD requirements. The complimentary webinars will feature force limitation and non-contact presence detection for doors, gates, and traffic barriers respectively and will be aimed at installation and maintenance engineers of industrial & garage doors, powered gates, and traffic barriers, as well as managers of installation and maintenance engineers; business owners of installation and maintenance companies, and facilities managers, retail landlords/managers with responsibility for maintenance teams. The force limitation webinar explains how to assess force limitation on industrial & garage doors, powered gates, and traffic barriers under EN 12453 including what safe force and time limits apply in a range of hazard locations, how to test at the main closing edges and how to verify safe force at hazards that cannot be easily or safely measured directly to achieve legal compliance. The non-contact presence detection webinar covers one of three ways in which powered doors, gates and barriers can be prevented from injuring people and how compliance with EN 12453 can be achieved. It explains how to assess non-contact presence detection on industrial & garage doors, powered gates, and traffic barriers under EN 12453 and will enable delegates to understand what non-contact presence detection is, how non-contact presence can be used to prevent powered doors, gates and barriers harming people and how to test it for compliance in a range of hazard locations. The webinars are delivered via Teams and last around an hour and a half, including time for a Q&A session. Although the webinars are delivered electronically, these can also be delivered at members’ open days, face-to-face upon request, and is a further benefit of membership. “DHF continues to stress the importance of a competent workforce and that the correct training is sourced, including increasing knowledge on important topics like those covered in our webinars,” says DHF’s Commercial Director, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens. “We encourage companies involved in the installation and maintenance of doors, gates, and traffic barriers to ensure they are meeting safety standards, as well as recognising when to bring in a specialist contractor. Our CPD-accredited webinars offer information on topics that enable staff to understand how these safety elements can be used to ensure doors, gates or traffic barriers are safe and we are delighted to be able to provide these for our members.” To enquire about membership of DHF to gain access to these webinars free of charge, visit www.dhfonline.org.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Aggregate Industries UK, Balfour Beatty plc, Galliford Try and Morgan Sindall Group plc have joined forces with construction technology provider Causeway Technologies in a project to develop automated, real-time scope 3 emissions reporting. Scope 3 emissions are indirect carbon and greenhouse gas emissions that come from an organisation’s supply chain. In the case of construction, for example, this could include the embodied carbon from the production and transport of concrete, steel and timber. The accurate measurement of scope 3 emissions is increasingly seen as the biggest challenge to reducing the construction industry’s carbon footprint on the road to net zero. Speaking recently at Digital Construction Week, Dr Adam O’Rourke, Causeway’s emerging technologies consultant, explained: “The construction industry has been grappling with the measurement of scope 3 emissions for some time with increasing pressure from regulators, investors and campaigners adding to the sense of urgency for a viable solution. “But at present, few construction product suppliers find it easy to provide consistent transaction-level data on the full carbon emissions of their products, and so contractors are heavily reliant on using generic carbon calculators for estimating scope 3 emissions. “These calculators are useful estimating tools, but Causeway’s scope 3 initiative is different – it provides contractors, for the first time, with an accurate, consistent and automated reporting tool that reflects the actual materials and products used, not just what was planned. “More accurate reporting means better choices and lower risk for contractors. It also means competitive advantages for suppliers who are supporting their customers to meet their carbon reporting obligations with an automated solution – no further effort is required. It really is ‘Scope 3 made easy’.” The scope 3 initiative is well advanced in developing a software solution that can deliver a credible, verifiable, efficient and scalable way to measure scope 3 emissions in real-time, using invoice data automatically extracted from Causeway Tradex, the largest connected construction supply chain community in the UK. Invoices represent the actual materials and services consumed and quickly allow buyers and sellers to see the impact of the changes they make as they implement their net-zero strategies. Causeway Tradex already processes 6.7 million invoices from over 60,000 suppliers, amounting to billions of construction value. Using Causeway Tradex in this way, scope 3 emissions can be associated with specific projects and specific transactions, and emissions measured in real-time as a building or structure is constructed. In initial tests, Causeway was able to sample 25,000 invoices from Aggregate Industries, Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall and Galliford Try focusing on materials with the highest carbon impact. The system is capable of addressing embodied carbon figures down to line-level items such as tools and plant purchases, with the range of materials and products growing as the project matures. Causeway and its partners are currently engaging with more suppliers and contractors, as well as validating and testing elements of the software. The project is also being supported via a partnership engagement with the Engineering Department at the University of Bath. Dr. Adam O’Rourke added: “One of the biggest innovations on this project has been bringing together major contractors’ finance departments and sustainability teams. The detail and accuracy of existing financial reporting provides the level of information needed for transparent benchmarking, tracking and reporting on carbon emissions for ESG reporting, but we found that this connection had not been made in many businesses. The Scope 3 initiative bridges this gap.” To register for updates on the scope 3 initiative, go to: https://www.causeway.com/carbon-reporting/scope-3 Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Aggregate Industries will once again be one of the headline sponsors for this year’s Leicester Pride event as it celebrates its 15th anniversary. The leading building materials supplier, with its group headquarters near Coalville in Leicestershire, has announced it is to be a Gold Sponsor for the event on Saturday September 2, following a successful sponsorship in 2022. This year sees a change of venue with the annual celebration moving to Leicester’s Abbey Park. The sponsorship will see Aggregate Industries take up a prominent pitch at the event, where members of its team will be on hand to discuss the diverse careers available across the business, the company’s approach to inclusivity, and the High Viz LGBTQ+ Network. The sponsorship of Leicester Pride forms part of Aggregate Industries’ continued focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) within the business, with the aim of continuing to build a progressive and inclusive workplace, where everyone is encouraged to be their true selves. Thomas Edgcumbe, Managing Director for the Surfacing Solutions division at Aggregate Industries, said: “Within Aggregate Industries we’re committed to creating a workplace that is inclusive for all. I’m delighted that we are once again able to be a headline sponsor of Leicester Pride, the largest pride event local to our country head office, and I’m proud of the difference that this makes to our colleagues and the wider LGBTQ+ community.” Martyn Parker, Chair of Leicester Pride, said: “Leicester Pride is thrilled to announce that Aggregate Industries has once again chosen to be one of our Gold Sponsors for this year’s celebrations. Their ongoing support enables us to host one of Leicester’s largest cultural events of the year, allowing thousands to celebrate all aspects of the LGBTQ+ community as well as promote diversity and equality within the county.” The company’s High Viz network creates a safe and welcoming environment for all employees who identify as LGBTQ+ and those who simply support equal rights for all. It also acts as a voice for LGBTQ+ employees within Aggregate Industries as well as driving change by continuing to educate, raise awareness and up-skill colleagues. Aggregate Industries also has Affinity Groups supporting women in the construction sector, age, ethnicity and nationality, veterans and disability. For more information on careers at Aggregate Industries visit our careers pages. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
On World Environment Day (5 June), the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) announces its 14th annual World Green Building Week, taking place 11–15 September 2023. As the largest contributing sector to global energy-related carbon emissions (37% globally), the built environment is a key agent of change to deliver on the systemic transition needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. This World Green Building Week — #BuildingTheTransition — calls on the global building and construction sector to accelerate the transition to secure an energy efficient, regenerative and just future for all. Led by a network of over 75 national Green Building Councils (GBCs) and their 46,000 members, the week-long event will show how through systems change thinking, and leveraging local solutions, we can transition to sustainable built environments. This year, all eyes are on the world’s first Global Stocktake, expected to show the status of our efforts in implementing the Paris Agreement. Political and private sector leaders across the world are asking “how far have we come?”, and importantly, “how far do we still have to go?” in order to tackle the worst impacts of global warming, humanitarian challenges and economic uncertainties. There is no question that the world must undergo a transition to ensure better outcomes for nature and people. But this transition won’t happen on its own. It requires systemic transformation across all sectors, including buildings and construction. An urgent understanding of what the transition entails, and a profound shift in how all stakeholders think and act on any given choice is imperative to secure an equitable and just future for all. Throughout World Green Building Week, WorldGBC’s network will host events across the world and share examples of #BuildingTheTransition across three themes: the energy transition, regenerative transition and just transition. This year’s campaign will also lead into the UN’s 2023 SDG Summit (18–19 September) and therefore pinpoint 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that are essential to catalyse a sustainable built environment. #BuildingTheTransition’s three themes highlight how the built environment can support the Paris Agreement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: The Energy Transition The energy transition is about more than switching to renewable energy. We’re talking about a complete systemic change. Accelerating the uptake of built environments that reduce energy demand, store and share clean energy, and produce more energy than they use. It’s investing in clean technologies and driving economies of scale. And it’s deep retrofitting existing buildings to be exceptionally energy efficient. The Regenerative Transition How do we advance regenerative principles in the built environment from niche to normal? Our planet’s resources give us life, but they are not infinite. Humans and the built environment must exist together within a cycle of natural systems. That means not just protecting biodiversity but prioritising its restoration, embracing nature-based solutions, and creating a thriving circular economy across the entire building value chain. The Just Transition We cannot achieve climate justice without social justice. The people who have contributed the least to environmental degradation are suffering the biggest consequences. Equality is not the same as equity. Advancing a just transition in the built environment means committed solidarity to protect human rights from financial flows, to supply chains, to geopolitics. Cristina Gamboa, CEO, World Green Building Council: “A final reminder. That’s what we have from this year’s Sixth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). A final reminder before we are evicted by an uninhabitable planet. In the run up to COP28 in Dubai, UAE, and in the world’s first Global Stocktake year, we must remember that 1.5ºC is a limit, not a target. Our aim cannot be to only avoid the worst-case scenario when we are capable of so much more. The building and construction sector has the ability to mobilise and scale available solutions now to deliver a future that is energy efficient, regenerative and just. Scaling these solutions requires political will and industry ambition. As the largest contributing sector to carbon emissions, the built environment is at a historical juncture to deliver on the required transitions in a decisive decade. That’s why this World Green Building Week our #BuildingTheTransition campaign is leveraging localised solutions from the built environment to accelerate a global transition to a decarbonised, sustainable and resilient society. Between 11–15 September, we’re inviting our global community to take urgent action to accelerate the UN Sustainable Development Goals and transition to energy efficient, regenerative and just built environments for everyone, everywhere.” Find out more and join the social media campaign at @WorldGBC, #BuildingTheTransition and #WGBW23. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
City Plumbing has launched an industry-leading rewards scheme, empowering trade customers to benefit from stronger pricing and promotions, accrue points to turn purchases into exciting lifestyle benefits, and access educational added value content. My City Plumbing Rewards went nationwide on 1 June following a successful pilot scheme in Scotland. As a member of the My City Plumbing Rewards club, trade customers can earn rewards on everything they buy, both in store and online, and cash them in for a range of products, treats and experiences. Rewards range from Google and Apple technology to larger items such as trips and holidays. The more a customer spends, the more rewards they can redeem, with an added benefit that points last for a full year before they expire. The news comes as plumbing and heating merchant City Plumbing aims to deepen its relationship with plumbing and heating installers and electricians – and to understand them better. CEO Dave Evans said “At City Plumbing we pride ourselves with delivering great value products and service to our customers. “Today we are pleased to launch our My City Plumbing Rewards scheme, a loyalty scheme that will offer our current and future customers great deals and opportunities to earn points to then redeem against lots of treats.” “My City Rewards alongside our extended range and ongoing value investments really makes City Plumbing the place to trade for all plumbing, heating, bathroom, electrical and energy efficiency needs.” My City Plumbing Rewards points will be added to a customer’s account online, in store and within the City Plumbing app, with no need for a physical card. Purchases at The Bathroom Showroom will also be included in the scheme, replacing and amalgamating a pre-existing rewards programme at the bathroom specialist. Points are tiered depending on the items bought, with extra Eco points on offer for Energy Efficient products. This means the scheme can also be used to nudge customers towards more sustainable choices as well as providing training discounts. My City Plumbing Rewards members will have access to new educational content, from training videos and quick fixes to frequently asked questions. In addition, customers will be able to donate their points to charity using our Points with Purpose option – either to City Plumbing’s official charity, the Teenage Cancer Trust, or one of a number of local charities. To find out more about My City Plumbing Rewards and how to register, go to: https://www.cityplumbing.co.uk/content/city-plumbing-rewards Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
By Simon Blackham, Senior Technical Manager at Recticel Here at Recticel, we know what it takes to deliver products to a consistently high standard. We are also aware of our responsibility in terms of industry standards, particularly in relation to health, safety and the environment. It’s why, with each of our high-performance PIR solutions, we assure their ability to enhance levels of comfort and sustainability in buildings of all types. We are also committed to securing the highest grade of certification as an industry-approved hallmark of their quality. To achieve this, we subject each of our products to rigorous, regular testing and evaluation to uphold their quality and safety. In this respect, it’s not enough for our products’ performance to meet the approval of our expert internal auditors. Hence, we enlist the service of external parties for their guidance whilst working alongside industry-renowned certification bodies. These include: BBA – expert-led assessment The British Board of Agrément (BBA) is a UKAS-accredited certification body. BBA certification is recognised throughout the construction industry as a symbol of quality and reassurance that the associated product has passed a series of rigorous, comprehensive assessments. To gain this prestigious hallmark of approval laboratory tests, on-site evaluations, quality management checks and inspections of production are among methods carried out during the expert-led assessment process. Recticel products that carry BBA certification include, but are not restricted to, Eurothane® Eurodeck, Eurothane® PL, Eurowall®+, Eurowall® Cavity, Powerdeck® F, Eurothane® GP, and Powerdeck® U. PEFC – promoting environmentally-friendly forest management Three products from our high-performance thermal insulation range have been awarded the revered PEFC (the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) label. Based in Switzerland, PEFC is a leading alliance of national forest certification systems. The non-profit organisation is committed to promoting environmentally-friendly forest management that is socially beneficial and economically viable through independent third-party certification. Its award of the PEFC label to the three Recticel products – Recticel Eurothane® GP, Eurothane® Eurodeck and Eurowall® Cavity – signifies that each product’s multilayer paper facings are made from wood fibres sourced from PEFC-certified and sustainably-managed forests. We are the first PIR manufacturer authorised to use this environmental label. Transparent and reliable through ISO certificate International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is an international organisation that develops standards. For example, the ISO 9001 standard is an international quality management system and evaluates the company-wide quality system, such as the vision, staff training and procedures. Our production facilities are all ISO 9001 certified. In addition, many production facilities have ISO 14001 certification. The ISO 14001 standard looks at environmental aspects and the related objectives, and is therefore an environmental management system. Recticel has implemented an environmental management system for this purpose, and we regularly undergo audits to revalidate the ISO certificates. Environmental impact with EPD label Recticel communicate transparently about sustainability aspects, opting for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDS) on some of our insulation products. Containing information about the ecological impact of construction products, these voluntary declarations take the form of a report. The content of an EPD is based on the results of a lifecycle assessment (LCA). An LCA calculates the impact of the raw materials, the production process and the transport during the different life phases of the product – production, installation, use phase and end of life. A third party verifies the declarations to ensure they are correct. No compromise on performance The various industry accreditations afforded to Recticel products are proof of their all-round quality – there is no compromise with any aspect of their performance. With our PIR solutions, the highest levels of safety, usability and thermal capability are assured. This dedication to innovating solutions that are built with the installer and end-user in mind will be crucial to delivering energy-smart homes and a healthier environment for future generations to enjoy.
Powerday has set out the company’s latest sustainability targets in our new ambitious Sustainability and Wellness Manifesto for 2023. The Manifesto sets out clear objectives under all five pillars – our employees, communities, carbon management, clients, and procurement. As well as these challenging targets, the Manifesto plots our roadmap to net zero in line with our recently announced net zero target for Scopes 1 and 2 and shares this and our other successes for 2022. We are particularly delighted with our progress against our carbon management pillar, not only in the setting of our net zero target but in the carbon reduction measures we have taken to date. We are also proud of our initial steps on the journey to improve gender equality at Powerday, and the big wins delivered through Powerday Foundation. With the support of our many partners, we delivered activities to over 3,000 young Londoners last year, exceeding our target by 20% in the second year of our five-year strategy. You can read more about all these achievements in the report. Michael Crossan, Chairman says: “I am hugely proud of what Powerday has achieved in 2022 in collaboration with our employees, clients, suppliers, communities and other partners. I am confident that together our continued efforts will enable us to deliver against our new sustainability commitments and have a positive impact on both people and the planet.” Edward Crossan, CEO says: “There remains much to do to meet our sustainability goals, so we are excited to continue our journey with challenging targets across all our five pillars for 2023. We have a particular focus on fairness in the workplace and community, training and development, net zero carbon, and the health and wellbeing of young Londoners, and look forward to updating you on all our progress in the year ahead.” Powerday published its first Manifesto in 2020 and we have continued to do so annually since then to help us achieve our ambitions and track our progress. The freely available report addresses our sustainability priorities under our five pillars, sharing our progress against the previous year’s plan and setting out new objectives for the coming year. Download Powerday’s Sustainability and Wellness Manifesto 2023 here.