2021 Planet Passionate report published today Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions reduced 4.3% versus 2020 29% reduction in carbon intensity achieved Insulation systems sold in 2021 will save an estimated 193 million tonnes of carbon in their lifetime Kingspan Group, the global leader in advanced insulation and building solutions,
Introducing a lively debate on Building a Safer Future at the Firex International event held on June 18, 2019 in the ExCel centre in London Michael Harper, who became the Federation’s chairman last year, welcomed the progress made whilst expressing the frustration professionals and residents have concerning the lack of
Wakefield-based manufacturer of steel construction connectors, BPC Building Products Ltd, has joined Vista Engineering, in a move which sees the group strengthen its position in the UK market and significantly enhance the product range offered to its customers. “There is a tremendous amount of synergy between BPC and Vista, and
2021 Planet Passionate report published today Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions reduced 4.3% versus 2020 29% reduction in carbon intensity achieved Insulation systems sold in 2021 will save an estimated 193 million tonnes of carbon in their lifetime Kingspan Group, the global leader in advanced insulation and building solutions, has released its second annual report for its 10-year sustainability programme, Planet Passionate. Highlights include a 4.3% reduction (1) in scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and a 29% reduction in carbon intensity (2) year-on-year, against a background of 42% total revenue growth for the period. For the second year running, the Group has made absolute reductions towards its 2030 net zero carbon manufacturing goal. This is underpinned by a verified SBTi (3) target to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 90% by 2030, from a 2020 base year. Achieving this will require the decarbonisation of Kingspan’s energy sources and processes across its existing 198 manufacturing sites (up from 166 in 2020), while supporting newly acquired businesses to decarbonise as quickly as possible. To accelerate the Group’s decarbonisation strategy, the report has announced the introduction of an internal carbon charge of €70 per tonne of CO2e, which will be implemented throughout the business in 2023. The 2021 Planet Passionate report illustrates the positive progress made to date against the majority of the programme’s 12 measurable targets in carbon, energy, water, and circularity. Notable achievements include: Energy: An increase in the direct use of renewable energy from 19.5% to 26.1%, and an increase in the percentage of wholly-owned facilities with solar PV from 21.7% to 28.4%. The Group also achieved a 15% reduction in energy intensity (4) year-on-year. Carbon: An increase in the percentage of zero emissions company funded cars from 11% to 29%. Circularity: A reduction in company waste to landfill of 13%, as well as 843 million PET bottles recycled into our processes. Water: The Group announced its second ocean cleanup project: a partnership with cleantech startup SeabinTM, to deploy their unique technology first in Sydney Harbour followed by LA later in 2022. This follows a three-year partnership with the ECOALF Foundation which works with a network of 2,000 artisan fishermen to remove around 150 tonnes of marine debris each year from the Mediterranean. In addition, Kingspan’s science-based targets were updated in 2021 and are now in line with a 1.5°C future. Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C means that the world must achieve a 45% reduction in global CO2 emissions versus 2010 levels by 2030 (5). While Kingspan did not make progress in 2021 against its target to halve the product CO2e intensity from its primary supply partners by 2030, the report highlights ongoing collaboration with suppliers to this end. Moreover, during the year Kingspan invested in H2 Green Steel, a company pioneering new production methods for lower-impact steel manufacturing using green hydrogen. Use of lower-emissions steel could help Kingspan reduce the embodied carbon of its insulated panel products by up to 45%. The report also presents the impact of Kingspan products sold during 2021. The built environment is responsible for roughly 39% of global carbon emissions (6), and high-performance insulation is one of the most important ways to increase energy-efficiency in buildings. The insulation systems Kingspan sold during 2021 are projected to save 193 million tCO2e (7) during their lifetime. That’s equivalent to the emissions from 42 million passenger vehicles in a year (8). In addition, Kingspan announced a new initiative called Planet Passionate Communities, a programme that will support people and communities around the world. The report unveils the programme’s flagship project: a five-year partnership with GOAL, the international humanitarian response agency, to support them in their transformative work in areas of most need. Gene Murtagh, CEO of Kingspan Group, said: “The climate crisis, the pandemic, and now recent global events all serve to concentrate the mind on the need to build a more resilient and equitable world while ensuring energy security. Planet Passionate is our contribution to a future that uses resources efficiently, protects the natural world and delivers high-performance, energy-efficient products and solutions to our customers and global communities.” Bianca Wong, Head of Sustainability of Kingspan Group, said: “Delivering a programme of this scale against a background of rapid business growth takes huge effort and determination and I would like to thank and commend the incredible efforts of our people across the world to achieve positive progress against the majority of our targets for the second year in a row.”
Introducing a lively debate on Building a Safer Future at the Firex International event held on June 18, 2019 in the ExCel centre in London Michael Harper, who became the Federation’s chairman last year, welcomed the progress made whilst expressing the frustration professionals and residents have concerning the lack of positive actions taken to stop another catastrophic fire. He told the audience of well over 100 that the Fire Sector Federation (FSF) along with many others inside and outside government had been trying to address the myriad of issues in a building system that so clearly failed while also trying to identify the products that can and cannot be used in circumstances like high-rise or high risk buildings. Observing “this has not been an easy or indeed fast task, and in fact it has at times been frustrating and painfully slow”, he added the caveat that “it does of course have to be thorough and meticulous”. Part recalling Churchill’s ‘this may be the end of the beginning’ Michael Harper also emphasised the clear wish to see the public inquiry move quickly into its investigative second phase and for the government’s current building safety consultation to bring into fruition the “bedrock change” of a better building control system. One that “chased down the whole culture and competency of a construction industry that had somehow become complacent if not, in some cases, positively indifferent about fire safety”. Outlining that the Federation had joined with many others to implement 100% of Dame Judith Hackitt’s final report to stop cherry picking or conversely avoid the “too difficult” issues and very recently had also backed the Inside Building campaign to have public finance allocated to assist private tenants remove the cladding from their buildings, Michael pointed out this was no sudden call to action. Indeed, for a number of years FSF members had, he said, argued for a review of building regulations; pressed the case for defining competency; suggested strongly that third party installers offer assured quality; promoted sprinklers and alarms to protect the vulnerable; and argued for better building protection. And this was not because of vested commercial interest but because all FSF members share a common commitment to improve fire safety in the UK. Organisations like FSF often had a difficult task in bringing the diverse views of their members together but he closed his comments by saying he was pleased that on many issues that common commitment had allowed FSF to agree “a common denominator” position in a number of fire safety concerns. Immediately after the introduction to Building a Safer Future a panel of FSF lead officers addressed issues relating to fire strategy, competency, active and passive fire protection. The concern that two years after Grenfell little change had actually happened in regulation, products and practices was raised and debated. The underlying belief that few people really understood fire from a risk perspective, knew how to recognise companies and people who were competent and third party assured, and were unprepared to support a socially responsible industry simply because it cost more to have that quality, were all explored by the panel and their questioners.
Wakefield-based manufacturer of steel construction connectors, BPC Building Products Ltd, has joined Vista Engineering, in a move which sees the group strengthen its position in the UK market and significantly enhance the product range offered to its customers. “There is a tremendous amount of synergy between BPC and Vista, and bringing the two companies closer together will generate additional benefits for both sets of customers,” explains BPC Managing Director, Gareth Simister. “This is great news for customers of both businesses. The acquisition will allow access to a wider range of products together with improved technical support and customer service levels.” “We’re delighted to welcome BPC as part of the expanding Vista group,” adds Vista managing director, Phil Travis. “We have worked together as distribution partners for many years, and look forward to strengthening the relationship we’ve already established. “Vista is a proudly British company which offers high quality products. We combine the best quality raw materials and state-of-the-art technology with over 40 years of experience, and would only ever consider forging a closer relationship with a company like BPC which shares our high standards and aims for the future.” For more details please visit either www.vistaeng.co.uk, email sales@vistaeng.co.uk or call 01663 736700 or www.bpcfixings.com, email sales@bpcfixings.com or call 01924 364794.
