Keystone has picked up an impressive 12 industry award wins in the past six months, resulting in a record-breaking year for the Group. Keystone Group brands Keystone Lintels, Keylite Roof Windows, IG Lintels and Keyfix have all come away victorious at recent industry award events, with multiple nominations and shortlist
Reynaers has launched an updated RIBA approved CPD on sustainability to reflect changes in legislation and increasing requirements for better thermal efficiency. Drawing on the company’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, Reynaers Act, the updated CPD ‘Sustainability and its Implications for Specifying Aluminium Systems’ provides architects, specifiers and contractors with the most
The Chief Executive Officer of Ibstock plc has been recognised for championing sustainability at this year’s East Midlands Leaders Awards (EMLA). The EMLA category of Green Leader recognises regional business figures who are committed to being a ‘force for good’ and use their position to respond positively to climate change
City Electrical Factors, Huws Gray, Jewson, NMBS, Travis Perkins and Wolseley are among 13 merchants to have secured spots on a large-scale materials framework for UK housing associations and local authorities, worth up to £1.42bn over four years. Launched by Procurement for Housing (PfH), the sixth generation of this framework
As an employment trends survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reveals three-quarters of UK businesses are experiencing difficulties filling vacancies, Kent-based drainage system company Polypipe Building Services is celebrating strong staff retention figures with several workers holding 40-years of service – or more. Among them is Keith Goodhew
Leading sustainable construction innovators, Dura Products, has announced that its pioneering recycled plastic kerbing solution Durakerb, has been installed in a range of projects by Fife Council in Scotland. The construction work, part of the Council’s sustainable energy and climate action plan, involved the installation of 4km of Durakerb on
Leeds-based ACS Stainless Steel Limited has announced eight promotions across its team – the result of a six-figure investment in its workforce this past year. The company is a leading manufacturer and designer of structural building components, providing patented innovative solutions, including masonry support and brick panel solutions – essential
THE UK’s leading concrete batching plant equipment and spare parts supplier, ConSpare, has published its first industry white paper, focusing on the need for a more sustainable concrete production process and the route to getting there. “Why Sustainability is a Concrete Matter: Reducing Carbon and Cost from Concrete Batching Plant
Using its unique RoofBloxx blue roof attenuation system, ACO Building Drainage has combined with Aquality to retrofit a blue roof on an extended building in the middle of London where it was initially thought not possible. Featuring a cobbled walkway and a grand archway and combined with its status as
Kingspan Group, the global leader in high performance insulation and building envelope solutions, has today released its third annual report for its 10-year sustainability programme, Planet Passionate. 2022 marked another milestone year for the programme, as Kingspan unveiled a 26% reduction in absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions relative
Keystone has picked up an impressive 12 industry award wins in the past six months, resulting in a record-breaking year for the Group. Keystone Group brands Keystone Lintels, Keylite Roof Windows, IG Lintels and Keyfix have all come away victorious at recent industry award events, with multiple nominations and shortlist successes in addition to the wins. Keystone Lintels In recognition of its outstanding customer service, Keystone Lintels was delighted to be awarded ‘Supplier of the Year’ by Buildbase for the second year in a row; an accolade that has never been achieved before in the history of the Buildbase Supplier Awards. The award win came shortly after the brand’s success at the BMJ Industry Awards, where Keystone Lintels was crowned ‘Heavyside Supplier of the Year’ by builders’ merchants across the UK and at the Builders’ Merchants Awards where the brand was shortlisted as one of three finalists for ‘Supplier of Year’ alongside Keylite. More recently, Keystone’s customer excellence has been celebrated at the Fortis Supplier Awards, where the company was honoured with the title of ‘Civils and Groundworks Supplier of the Year’. Keylite Roof Windows In December, Keylite triumphed at the BMJ Industry Awards, picking up ‘Roofing Supplier of the Year’ for the fourth consecutive year. This was shortly followed by the brand’s unique Integrated Expanding Thermal Collar being crowned ‘Best Roofing System or Product’ at the 2021 Build It Awards. Keylite also came away victorious at this year’s Builders’ Merchants Awards, taking home the title of ‘Supplier of the Year’ at the 20th-anniversary event. Then in the 2022 Housebuilder Product Awards, the brand was awarded ‘Best Building Fabric Product’ for its Integrated Expanding Thermal Collar. Most recently, Keylite was crowned ‘Joinery Supplier of the Year’ at the Fortis Building & Timber Conference Supplier Awards, which are designed to recognise excellence within the Fortis supplier base. Keylite was also selected as a finalist in the 2022 Irish Construction Excellence (ICE) Awards, for its Integrated Expanding Thermal Collar in the ‘Product Innovation’ category. IG Lintels IG Lintels took home the coveted title of ‘Supplier of the Year’ at the Bradfords Awards for Excellence 2022, demonstrating its outstanding professionalism and commitment to its customers. Keyfix Celebrating excellence in the provision of products and services to the housebuilding industry, Keyfix has been awarded ‘Best Site Product’ in the Housebuilder Product Awards and is also a finalist for Housebuilder’s 2022 ‘Product of the Year’ award. Just this month, Keyfix was delighted to have been awarded ‘Manufacturing Innovation’ by the Made in Northern Ireland Awards and the ‘Construction Product Innovation’ award at the ICE Awards for its Non-combustible Cavity Tray system. IG Masonry Support IG Masonry Support was also shortlisted in the ‘Product Innovation’ category at this year’s Irish Construction Excellence Awards. Up against both Keylite and Keyfix, the brand’s B.O.S.S. A1 solution was a successful finalist. Sean Og Coyle, Keystone Group Commercial Director, said: “For over 30 years, Keystone Group has been synonymous with excellent customer service and has put its partners at the heart of the Group’s ethos. We are absolutely thrilled that our dedication to forming strong customer bonds has been rewarded with a staggering amount of recent award wins. “As well as prioritising service, we are continuously investing in research and development to provide our customers with sector-leading solutions. It’s fantastic to see our product innovations being recognised and celebrated by the industry as a whole.” For more information on the Keystone Group and its award-winning brands, please visit www.keystonegroup.co.uk, call 028 8676 2184 or email Info@TheKeystoneGroup.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Reynaers has launched an updated RIBA approved CPD on sustainability to reflect changes in legislation and increasing requirements for better thermal efficiency. Drawing on the company’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, Reynaers Act, the updated CPD ‘Sustainability and its Implications for Specifying Aluminium Systems’ provides architects, specifiers and contractors with the most up to date information in relation to key sustainability criteria that is essential when specifying aluminium systems. The CPD builds on the company’s commitment to take a leading stance on sustainability within the glazing industry, and in the build-up to further changes to regulations being introduced in 2025 to continue to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment. In particular, the CPD looks at the evolution of window design and thermal performance, considering the impact on design and manufacture the need for lower U-values has had, and how this is incorporated into aluminium frames. Ultimately the CPD supports the correct specification of frames to achieve optimal thermal performance, providing an insight into developments in the design of aluminium frames that help to trap in heat and maintain a comfortable living environment to cut energy emissions. Head of Marketing Samantha Hill said: “Reynaers recognises the important role that CPDs play in supporting high standards in the industry and we welcome the opportunity to share our expertise in the manufacture and application of aluminium systems. “Sustainability is an important consideration across the entire value chain in the built environment and we take our role extremely seriously in ensuring we can meet our own environmental targets. We’re also committed to demonstrating and supporting best practice in relation to thermal efficiency targets, and through sharing the specialist knowledge that supports that – so we can equip specifiers with the right information when choosing aluminium systems. “Reynaers’ technical teams are invested in cutting carbon across our operations, and in our products and the buildings they are used in. As innovations and targets continue to change to support sustainable practices, clarity into product performance and what to look for is essential, including ensuring that CPDs focused on sustainability are frequently updated to capture the latest changes.” The update follows the introduction of three additional RIBA CPDs last year, all of which are available as seminars or can be accessed online: Reynaers now offers seven RIBA approved CPDs, all of which meet core curriculum criteria. In the last year more than 95 companies have participated in the CPD accredited training – with members of Reynaers’ project consult team going out to deliver training directly to architects in their offices, as well as providing the option to host training at the company headquarters in Birmingham. Further RIBA CPDs available from Reynaers are: An Introduction to Specifying Aluminium Curtain Walling, Accessible Solutions for Aluminium Windows and Doors, Specifying Fire Resistant Aluminium and Steel Systems. To find out more about the CPDs offered by Reynaers go to www.reynaers.co.uk/inspiration/stories/reynaers-cpd Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Chief Executive Officer of Ibstock plc has been recognised for championing sustainability at this year’s East Midlands Leaders Awards (EMLA). The EMLA category of Green Leader recognises regional business figures who are committed to being a ‘force for good’ and use their position to respond positively to climate change and environmental issues. Joe Hudson was rewarded for his demonstration of leadership on the green agenda as well as his encouragement of positive change within Ibstock’s supply chain and the wider construction industry. Having worked for the leading building products manufacturer since 2018, Joe Hudson has taken Ibstock on a journey towards greater sustainability, ensuring it evolves responsibly. Judges noted Mr Hudson’s role in driving change at Ibstock and the contribution this makes to minimising the environmental impacts of the construction sector as a whole. The award also recognises the many steps he has taken to build a sustainable future for the business. Under Joe Hudson’s leadership as CEO of the FTSE250 listed Ibstock business, the company has benefited from a significant investment programme. This has resulted in the successful delivery of several significant decarbonisation projects. These projects have led to production efficiencies and the adoption of new technologies that will accelerate Ibstock’s path to Net Zero. With Mr Hudson at the helm, Ibstock achieved its Sustainability Roadmap to 2025 ahead of time. As such, the company published its ESG 2030 Strategy in 2022, which has defined a new era of responsible business and serves as an important accelerator in speeding up the pace of positive change. Over the last 5 years, the company has been widely credited for its commitment to raising the bar for sustainable performance across its sector. As such, Ibstock can claim several ‘industry firsts’ and transformational investment projects including: Under Joe’s leadership, Ibstock is now widely credited as leading the way in sustainability within the construction products industry. Emily Landsborough, Head of ESG at Ibstock PLC, commented: “We are all absolutely delighted about this award win for our CEO Joe Hudson. The East Midlands Leaders Award for ‘Green Leader’ is all about strong leadership and the ways in which businesses can act as a ‘force for good’ – this resonates precisely with the way Joe leads Ibstock. Although Joe would be the first to say that this award would not be possible without the wider Ibstock team we all know – and recognise – the enormous role he has played on an individual basis. He has worked so hard to lead different groups of people and inspire others to share his vision for a more sustainable, decarbonised future. “I know that Joe would want to make a particular mention of our long serving Group Sustainability Manager Michael McGowan who retires, after 47 years in the industry, at the end of this week. Michael has pushed relentlessly and worked tirelessly on the green agenda finally finding, with Joe’s leadership, that the business can move quickly to make the changes we need to make positive, transformational change to address climate change. Leadership comes from many places, and we have been lucky at Ibstock to have both Michael and Joe banging the drum!” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
City Electrical Factors, Huws Gray, Jewson, NMBS, Travis Perkins and Wolseley are among 13 merchants to have secured spots on a large-scale materials framework for UK housing associations and local authorities, worth up to £1.42bn over four years. Launched by Procurement for Housing (PfH), the sixth generation of this framework sees a complete restructure with sixteen different lots allowing housing providers to procure plumbing, heating and gas, electrical and building materials, aids and adaptations, through either specialist merchants, managed stores (set up for their sole use) or branch networks. The framework has a number of regional lots, enabling Scottish and Welsh housing providers to procure from suppliers local to them and it also offers self-serve options, so operatives can pick up materials even when branches are closed. An ‘on-demand’ category enables housing associations and councils to use merchant branch networks for ad hoc purchases, when needed. Social landlords can also procure a tech platform that allows direct labour organisations (DLOs) and subcontractors to manage van stock, source products locally and have oversight of all spend across the framework. The framework links with PfH’s widespread support for social landlords around asset management, which includes spend analytics reporting and a range of procurement insights delivered through its customer portal. For a significant proportion of the social housing sector, buying materials for repairs, planned maintenance and retrofit accounts for over half their total spend. More than 450 housing providers used PfH’s previous materials framework. Judy Ashcroft, materials category manager at PfH said: “Rising costs and severe shortages have made the last few years pretty turbulent for social landlords procuring materials. The cost of living crisis is compounding this with housing associations and councils seeing a spike both in demand for homes and their own costs. More than ever, certainty is needed so the sector can meet tough targets on improving stock, but social landlords also need flexible, forward-thinking ways to source materials and deliver insights so they can manage their spend effectively.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
As an employment trends survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reveals three-quarters of UK businesses are experiencing difficulties filling vacancies, Kent-based drainage system company Polypipe Building Services is celebrating strong staff retention figures with several workers holding 40-years of service – or more. Among them is Keith Goodhew who began at Polypipe Building Services as an engineering apprentice 37 years ago and has worked in several parts of the business from production to technical as a CAD operator, before taking up his current post as an engineer and health and safety representative within fabrication. “I’d wanted to become an engineer since I left school in the 80s and decided to do an apprenticeship scheme, and I’ve made a lot of friends. “There are lots of people here I’ve known since I started so they’re like family to me, and we’ve always had social things going on and it’s things like that and the fact my role has kept changing which is why I really enjoy working here.” Rashmihant Desai has just taken retirement having worked at Polypipe Building Services for 47 years where he was an assembly team leader. Originally from Tanzania, he joined after family members already working at the company alerted him to a vacancy. “I came for interview, and they asked if he could start right away,” he says, “and I joined as a machine operator before going to work in mixing then in injection moulding where I worked as a cell leader overseeing seven machines. “While I was there a manager asked if I could help in assembly, and they were so impressed by my work that when that manager left, I was asked to stay and run the whole department. “I’m 67 now and I stayed because they treat people well, like if your health isn’t good the team are 100% behind you and if people are treating you well then why would you leave? I also do a lot of charity work helping supply food to children in places like Thailand and India and the company always supported me with that.” Clare Hawkes, Head of Human Resources at Polypipe Building Services, said more than 10 per cent of their workforce have been with the company for 10 years or more, and believes this high rate of retention is due to the investment in people’s continuous learning and development which allows staff to progress throughout the business, together with a workplace culture of teamwork embedded in a series of staff social events. She said: “We work very hard to make sure people here feel valued and supported in their roles, and that there is a clear structure of development and training opportunities so people can develop into new roles if they want to. “Our managers and leaders take time to develop relationships with their teams, and these elements combined with ensuring we have things like Mental Health First Aiders present in all areas of the business, charity days and family social events, all help to create a workplace where people want to work and to stay.” For more information about careers at Polypipe Building Services go to https://www.polypipe.com/careers-hub Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading sustainable construction innovators, Dura Products, has announced that its pioneering recycled plastic kerbing solution Durakerb, has been installed in a range of projects by Fife Council in Scotland. The construction work, part of the Council’s sustainable energy and climate action plan, involved the installation of 4km of Durakerb on the A909 Fife Highway, Cowdenbeath. Made from 88% recycled polymers, Durakerb offers a lightweight solution providing a safer, greener and faster method of kerbing. The use of Durakerb by Fife Council has saved over 120,000kg of embodied carbon entering the environment. Over recent years, Dura Products has been selected for a range of construction projects on a residential and regional scale by Fife Council. In 2020, 1km of Durakerb was installed in Kirkcaldy and Rosyth, as part of residential pavement upgrades, and in 2022, 4km of Durakerb was supplied to the A909 project, as well as residential upgrades on Dewar Drive, Leven. For two decades, Dura Products has supplied its green innovations to a range of projects to increase sustainability credentials and lower the impact of construction on the environment. Durakerb is designed as a sustainable alternative to traditional kerbing methods, which do not offer the same environmental benefits. Every 6kg unit of Durakerb has the potential to be reclaimed, reused or recycled at the demolition stage. Fife Council is leading the way by choosing SME’s that focus on green construction to reduce carbon emissions. The Council has implemented a Low Carbon Sustainability Checklist to facilitate sustainable construction, to reach the Scottish goal of net zero emissions by 2045. To meet environmental targets embedded within legislation, adopting low carbon solutions with high recycled content makes a significant difference to the environment. Steve Bennett, Managing Director at Dura Products, commented: “Since 2003 we have worked hard to deliver over 500,000 units of our pioneering project, Durakerb. We would like to thank Fife Council for the widespread installation of Durakerb, and for leading the way in sustainable construction on a regional scale. We hope to work with more and more local authorities looking to plan and action similar strategies regarding energy and climate change.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leeds-based ACS Stainless Steel Limited has announced eight promotions across its team – the result of a six-figure investment in its workforce this past year. The company is a leading manufacturer and designer of structural building components, providing patented innovative solutions, including masonry support and brick panel solutions – essential construction components used in construction of the largest modern-day projects in the UK. Eight of the firm’s 118 colleagues will now take on new roles to help future growth, including newly-appointed Strategic Specification Director Paul Ruding, who moves on from his incumbent position as Head of Strategic Specification; Paul is also studying for a BA in Fire Safety Engineering – something that is being funded by ACS. Colleague Andrew Spencer is also promoted from Technical Engineer to Head of Research and Development, while Jason Hedge is promoted to Specification and Design Director. ACS Commercial Director Gareth Twohey explained: “Investing in the future of this industry is a priority for ACS right now; we hope we are seen as the vanguard of new ideas, with products that will help developers, architects and contractors create safer and more sustainable structures. “We achieve this by reinvesting huge percentages of our profits back into the business – that includes investing in colleagues like Paul, Jason and Andrew – each of whom is spearheading new ideas that support and educate clients.” Other promotions include Sales Operation Manager Tony Richman who becomes Operational Sales Director, with Richard Mathers, Sarah Cox and Robert Parkinson all promoted to Regional Director. Kate Robertson Hart who joined the team as Marketing Manager in 2022, is also promoted to Head of Marketing in an expanded brief that sees her collaborating with technical colleagues to amplify the work of ACS and the resources and training it is offering to the industry. Added Gareth: “These brilliant colleagues enable our ambitious plans for the future; their collective experience and passion for the sector is helping us reach more corners of the industry and I am supremely proud to call them colleagues.” Find out more about ACS here: https://acsstainless.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
THE UK’s leading concrete batching plant equipment and spare parts supplier, ConSpare, has published its first industry white paper, focusing on the need for a more sustainable concrete production process and the route to getting there. “Why Sustainability is a Concrete Matter: Reducing Carbon and Cost from Concrete Batching Plant Operations” addresses how inefficiencies in the plant and process lead to wasted materials, unnecessary energy expenditure and increased maintenance interventions – which ultimately result in avoidable carbon and higher operating cost. Combining commentary from sustainability expert Dr Miles Watkins, client case study testimonials and industry statistics, the new white paper was first launched at the UK Concrete Show by James Bullock, managing director at ConSpare. James said: “Concrete production currently accounts for 1.5% of the UK’s carbon footprint, and with construction output expected to grow by 42% by 2030 – the challenge of reducing carbon emissions from the concrete production process poses a significant problem for the environment. “The industry has made great strides in implementing more sustainable solutions. With our expertise in concrete batch plant technology and the production process we want to play our part, complementing the good work already taking place and providing an opportunity to forge a new path. “If you view the production process through the lens of cutting carbon, targeted investment decisions can be made to ensure that concrete plant operators achieve maximum benefit. This is where our white paper aims to inform and support the industry to make small, seemingly insignificant changes to processes that compound over time into wholesale improvements.” Dr Miles Watkins, said: “Sustainability is changing society. Sea levels are rising, we have more droughts and heatwaves than in any time in human history, and Arctic ice is on course to disappear in our lifetimes. This is having a massively impactful change and businesses need to understand how society is moving and move with it, or risk getting left behind. “There has been a considerable effort by our industry to tackle this problem, but we’ve only just begun – we’re about to embark on a journey and everyone will need to throw their hat in the ring and take part. ConSpare is instrumental in providing help to organisations who are struggling to find a solution, and is playing a critical role in helping its customers achieve their goal of reducing their carbon footprint.” James concluded: “Ultimately, long-term economic growth should not come at the cost of the planet and this new white paper aims to facilitate discussion in raising awareness of the carbon and cost reduction opportunity our industry has. “Every batch of concrete should be treated with caution and care, which includes working together to drive as much carbon as possible out of the concrete production process. By working together, we know this can be achieved and look forward to leaving a responsible legacy by making smarter choices today.” For more information and to download “Why Sustainability is a Concrete Matter: Reducing Carbon and Cost from Concrete Batching Plant Operations” visit www.conspare.com/sustainability Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Using its unique RoofBloxx blue roof attenuation system, ACO Building Drainage has combined with Aquality to retrofit a blue roof on an extended building in the middle of London where it was initially thought not possible. Featuring a cobbled walkway and a grand archway and combined with its status as part of Kensington’s ‘Queen’s Gate’ conservation area, Queen’s Gate Place Mews is one of London’s most sought-after and prestigious places to live. Tucked away off a busy high street, the mews is a collection of quaint residential and commercial properties, with many of the buildings boasting lavish, luxury interiors alongside their retained, quintessentially London façades. Part of that collection at Queen’s Gate Place Mews is The Lodge. Recently revamped and extended with a new mansard roof to allow for a second storey, one of the key challenges of the project was meeting the SuDS (sustainable urban drainage system) requirement and managing the water runoff from the roof, as set out by the planning committee from The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC). To meet the demand, principal contractors Keystone Construction worked with Aquality and ACO Building Drainage to design and install a unique blue roof attenuation system that sits separately above the roof construction, without adding any risk of water leaking onto the mansard roof itself. Doing what no others can With sustainable drainage as a vital factor of the extension being granted approval by the planning committee, Keystone consulted with a number of blue roof manufacturers and roofing contractors to look at how this could be achieved for this unique project. However, all the suppliers Keystone approached had refused the project and stated that it would be impossible, given the small roof area and the necessity of holding the water on the roof’s surface while controlling the rate at which it runs off. This is where Aquality and ACO stepped in with an approach that no other manufacturers could offer. Using ACO’s innovative patented RoofBloxx attenuation system, this was adapted into a free-standing retrofit application. Martin Durham, Managing Director and Owner of Keystone Construction said: “We were faced with a very tricky challenge set by the authorities. On one hand, to achieve planning permission, we had to comply by controlling the runoff to prevent flood risks and overwhelming the sewer. However, we couldn’t go forward with a typical blue roof, as holding water on top of a conventional roof invariably adds risk and goes against best practice of roof construction. Water will eventually seep into the roof layers and compromise the structure. “This was a key reason for choosing to work with Aquality and ACO – as their solution was unlike anybody else’s. By being a standalone system, we could install it on top of the roof build up and it works independently of the roof. Alongside the ingenuity of the system itself, we were very pleased with the design service as well as the ease of the installation too.” Designed to Last To help specify the blue roof, Neill Robinson-Welsh, consultant at ACO, worked with Aquality on the hydraulic design of the tank. With a footprint of 13m² and with two layers measuring 30mm each, ACO’s RoofBloxx cell is designed to withstand the ‘once in every 100 years’ extreme rainfall events. It is also intended to account for a 40% climate change and to control runoff at 0.07 litres per second. The system comprises a free draining edge upstand, the inside of which has a drainage layer placed directly on the gradient roof and on the inside of the upstand. A geotextile membrane was then installed on the top of this layer and the roof fall built out to create a level invert for the open tank that forms part of the ACO patented system. A geomembrane was then placed inside and detailed at the edges and around the soil pipe, and ACO RoofBloxx Cell units placed inside the liner to create the attenuation void. A further geotextile was placed over top to prevent fine sediment entering the open tank and then cobble ballast was placed on top. For any rainfall event, water discharges from the tank at the base through the system’s flow restrictor at a controlled rate. The water then runs across and down the sides of the mansard roof into the gutter and away to the sewer system. Easy Installation, Simple Maintenance Installation was completed in under a day thanks to the lightweight yet robust ACO RoofBloxx units that can be manually handled and interlocked in a bonded structure. As well as meeting the SuDS principles, ACO had to ensure the system would be easy to maintain, as with only a 10mm outlet where the surface water drains to, debris could end up blocking the outlet. ACO overcame this challenge by creating an access point to the attenuation tank for regular cleaning and clear out. Robinson-Welsh said: “When we were approached by Keystone and Aquality, we knew that only our ACO RoofBloxx system would meet the brief. Although the roof area is small, the project has been hugely rewarding and satisfying. This project goes to show how versatile the ACO RoofBloxx attenuation system is.” For more about ACO Building Drainage and the ACO RoofBloxx system, please visit: https://www.aco.co.uk/products/roofbloxx Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Kingspan Group, the global leader in high performance insulation and building envelope solutions, has today released its third annual report for its 10-year sustainability programme, Planet Passionate. 2022 marked another milestone year for the programme, as Kingspan unveiled a 26% reduction in absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions relative to its 2020 base year marking significant progress against its target of a 90% reduction by 2030, that it had completed over 100 Planet Passionate projects in 2022, and that, as of January 2023, it has implemented an internal carbon charge of 70€/tCO₂e.[2] In addition, the estimated emissions savings benefit from Kingspan insulation systems sold in 2022 is 173 milliontonnes of CO2e, enough to power a major airline for 15 years.[3] Other key highlights: The Group also continues to make efforts to progress towards its verified science-based target to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 42% by 2030, as it continues to pursue its decarbonisation strategy for its key raw materials from its upstream supply chain. By collaborating with suppliers on absolute carbon reductions across its value chain, Kingspan aims to reduce the carbon intensity of its key products and make progress towards its target of a 50% reduction in product CO₂e intensity from its primary supply partners by 2030. As Kingspan looks to put absolute carbon reductions at the centre of its Planet Passionate programme, the Group has introduced an internal carbon charge across its global business as of January 2023. The starting price will be 70€/tCO₂e (scope 1&2 GHG emissions, excluding process and biogenic emissions). The incorporation of Derbigum into the Kingspan Group, as part of the new Roofing and Waterproofing Division, is a notable highlight as the Group looks to lead the way in circularity in roofing and waterproofing. Derbigum’s “No Roof to Waste” enables the collection and recycling not only of production waste and cut-offs, but of old roofs, which are fully recycled; an exciting scheme which aligns with Kingspan’s portfolio of Planet Passionate programmes. The Group also completed the acquisition of Troldtekt in March 2022, a Danish producer of acoustic insulation containing wood fibre, marking Kingspan’s first significant step into the ‘bio-based insulation’ category. As in the two previous editions of the Planet Passionate Report, the Group has demonstrated substantial progress against the majority of the programme’s targets in carbon, energy, water and circularity. These include: Energy: An increase in the direct use of renewable energy from 19.5% to 33.4% relative to the 2020 base year as the Group aims to meet its target of 60% direct renewable energy by 2030. In 2022, the Group also implemented an increase in the percentage of wholly-owned facilities with solar PV up to 35.2% from 21.7% in the 2020 base year. Carbon: Significant investment in the reduction of embodied carbon in the Insulated Panels division following the launch of Quadcore LEC, a product which demonstrates a circa 17% reduction in embodied carbon (in life cycle modules A-C) when compared with the existing product. Quadcore LEC will be formally launched in the first-quarter of 2023. The Group has also seen an increase in the percentage of conversions to zero emissions company cars from 11% in the 2020 base year to 58% in 2022. Circularity: A reduction in company waste to landfill of 7,814 tonnes, as well as recycling 803 million PET bottles into its manufacturing processes in 2022 as the Group makes significant inroads into its target of 1 billion annually by 2025. Water: In 2022, the Group announced its third partnership project with clean tech start-up ClearbotTM, as it remains on track to complete five ocean clean-up projects by 2025. The Group also harvested 26.1 million litres of rainwater in 2022, an increase of 25.9% relative to the 2020 base year, as it remains on track to harvest 100 million litres annually by 2030, to help reduce the Group’s impact on local water supplies. Gene Murtagh, CEO of Kingspan Group, said: ‘As a Group, Kingspan remains steadfast in our commitment to help accelerate progress towards a net zero emissions future. In 2022, we again made significant progress towards most of our Planet Passionate targets. Since 2020, we have reduced our absolute scope 1 &2 GHG emissions by 26%, doubled our rainwater harvesting capacity and reduced our landfill waste by 42%. I am immensely proud to see our Planet Passionate programme evolving and maturing and I am confident that our talented and passionate teams across our business will do their utmost to help Kingspan play a key role in the transition to a net-zero emissions built environment.” Bianca Wong, Head of Sustainability of Kingspan Group, said: ‘As we conclude the third year of the programme, it’s fantastic to see the wholehearted commitment of our all across the Group to help achieve continued annual progress towards our ambitious Planet Passionate targets. It’s a testament to the enduring efforts of our colleagues that we completed over 100 projects in 2022. We will continue to build on our progress to date and aim to further accelerate our strategies in the coming years.’ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
