Reducing operational emissions by two-thirds: Achievement by a major player in the building materials industry
In a notable stride towards sustainability, Kingspan, a leading building materials company based in Ireland, has announced a 40% absolute reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2023. This reduction comes as a result of the company's concerted efforts to transition towards renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, and reduce the carbon footprint of its operations and products.
Almost half of Kingspan's wholly owned sites now boast solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, increasing on-site renewable energy generation by 6.8 megawatts (MW) in 2023. This brings Kingspan's total solar power capacity to 42MW. The company's commitment to renewable energy is evident, as it aims to substantially increase renewable energy consumption, targeting 60% renewable energy use by 2030, up from about 20% in 2020.
Bianca Wong, the global head of sustainability at Kingspan Group, stated that the company is committed to absolute emissions reductions and making tangible progress in the short- to medium-term through its Planet Passionate programme. Planet Passionate, now entering its fifth year, is a comprehensive programme focusing on energy efficiency, renewable energy adoption, enhanced material recycling, and operational waste reduction.
Kingspan's headline targets for emissions are a 90% absolute operational emissions reduction by 2030, against a 2019 baseline, and net-zero emissions thereafter. To achieve these ambitious goals, the company has outlined specific strategies. These include expanding Solar PV installations on all wholly owned sites, targeting 57% coverage by 2030 compared to 20.7% in 2020.
Additionally, Kingspan aims to implement ISO 50001 energy management certifications for large sites, targeting 46% certification by 2030 to systematize energy efficiency improvements. The company also plans to reduce carbon intensity from raw materials by 15% by 2030 and drive product takeback and recycling schemes, facilitating 20 schemes by 2030.
In 2023, Kingspan launched its first bio-based hemp insulation product, HemKor, and introduced lower embodied carbon ranges across its flooring, ceiling, and insulated panel product lines. The speaker expressed pride in the achievements made by Kingspan's team in reducing emissions over the past four years and anticipation for further progress towards Kingspan's targets.
The speaker also acknowledged that there is still a lot of work to be done in reducing emissions, particularly in the construction sector, which contributes to 40% of the world's emissions. The government's recent announcement of plans to introduce a timber roadmap to boost construction and reduce emissions is a welcome step in this direction.
The goal is to keep global temperature rises within the 1.5°C limit, and Kingspan's efforts are a significant contribution towards this goal. The speaker expressed the need for continued refocusing and responding as the business grows and evolves. These actions form part of Kingspan's broader “Planet Passionate” program and sustainability commitments, reflecting a comprehensive approach combining energy transition, carbon footprint reduction in materials, and systemic environmental management.
