Kingspan Insulated Panels North America today releases its
Sustainability Report, which recaps its North American project
milestones for 2023. This marked the second annual report
documenting the third year of Kingspan’s Planet Passionate journey.
Planet Passionate is the company’s 10-year sustainability
commitment. It seeks to have a positive impact on three global
challenges: climate change, circularity and the protection of the
natural world. In 2023, Kingspan Insulated Panels North America
made strong strides toward its energy and carbon efficiency,
circularity and water targets.
Energy + Carbon Efficiency
Last year was Earth’s warmest year yet – ocean temperatures
across the globe reached record warm temperatures for nine
consecutive months. From extreme wildfires to devastating droughts
and flooding events, the impacts of climate change were evident in
2023.
The building and construction industry accounts for roughly 37%
of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is the largest
emitting sector. As a global manufacturer, Kingspan recognizes its
role in limiting GHG emissions throughout the life cycle of its
products.
To achieve Kingspan’s goal of becoming net-zero carbon by 2030,
the company continued to focus on minimizing its footprint by
generating onsite renewable energy and purchasing direct renewable
energy.
In 2023, Kingspan completed a 1.1 MW photovoltaic (PV) system in
DeLand, Florida. Now, 100% of the company’s owned facilities are
utilizing on-site solar PV. Because of these efforts, 2023 was the
first year Kingspan saw a considerable reduction in emissions from
the 2020 baseline.
Kingspan remained committed to producing low embodied carbon
products. Kingspan’s QuadCore® panels continued to have the lowest
global warming potential across the product category in North
America, and Kingspan continued to offer site-specific,
supplier-specific environmental product declarations to provide
customers with clear and transparent granular data on products.
Some key data points from 2023 include:
- 3,037 tCO2e scope 1 and 2 emissions, a 5% reduction from 2020
baseline
- 5.95 GWh total direct renewable energy utilized
- 1.68 GWh total direct renewable energy generated onsite
Improving Circularity
The construction industry uses almost 50% of global materials
extracted annually and is responsible for an estimated 30% of all
waste-to-landfill globally, contributing to a significant portion
of global GHG emissions. Kingspan is committed to investing in
circular processes and practices to support industry stakeholders
in transitioning to a circular economy.
Last year, Kingspan continued its partnership with Atlanta-based
Belter Tech, a manufacturer of sustainable building materials made
from reclaimed waste products, to help divert polyisocyanurate
(PIR) foam from landfills. In 2023 alone, Kingspan’s DeLand
facility sent more than 100,000 pounds of foam waste to Belter
Tech.
Kingspan’s Caledon, Ontario, facility became Kingspan’s first
zero-waste-to-landfill site in 2023, diverting 395 metric tons of
material. New opportunities were identified to donate panels to
support the local community. At Caledon, for example, panels were
donated to local animal shelters to create outdoor homes for
cats.
Mineral fiber foam waste represents both a challenge and
opportunity as it accounts for roughly 17% of divisional waste. At
Kingspan’s Langley, British Columbia, plant, the team installed
equipment onsite to granulate mineral fiber waste. The new process
enabled Kingspan to send almost all waste material back to the
supplier for reuse.
Some key data points from 2023 include:
- 4,996 metric tons of waste diverted from landfill
- 38% reduction from waste to landfill compared to 2020
- 71% waste diversion rate across all sites
- One zero-waste-to-landfill site (Caledon, Ontario)
Water Consumption
This past year, climate change shaped water issues across the
U.S. in many ways – from persistent drought conditions creating
water scarcity issues to increased flood risks due to large
storms.
This led Kingspan to re-assess its locations in 2023 to identify
any changes in water risks. Any effort to reduce consumption and
recycle water was critical, as most of the company’s North American
sites are in water stressed communities.
As a result of Kingspan’s water efficiency program, divisional
water usage decreased by more than 573,000 gallons from 2022. In
addition, harvested rainwater accounted for approximately 27% of
water usage at Kingspan’s DeLand plant and at least 6.4% of
divisional consumption. There are plans to expand rainwater
harvesting at the Modesto, California, facility and DeLand’s office
headquarters.
In Monterrey, Mexico, persistent drought conditions triggered
water rations in 2023. The team reduced consumption by more than
50% from 2022 through water conservation strategies like collecting
water condensing on air handling units and cooling coils.
Some key data points from 2023 include:
- 184,920 gallons of rainwater harvested
- 6.4% of total water usage from rainwater
"Planet Passionate is something recognized by Kingspan’s
leadership and employees, and now even by the building owners,
contractors and installers we work with – it’s transforming the
business on all levels,” said Brent Trenga, Director of
Sustainability for Kingspan Insulated Panels North America.
“Kingspan made significant progress toward its goals in 2023, even
with high production growth across our facilities. We are proud of
our accomplishments in 2023 and are working hard in 2024 to achieve
new milestones.”
To view the full 2023 Sustainability Report, click here.
For more information on Kingspan Insulated Panels North America,
visit www.kingspanpanels.us.
About Kingspan Insulated Panels – North America
Kingspan Insulated Panels – North America is a business unit of
Kingspan, a global company operating in more than 80 countries,
with over 200 manufacturing facilities. Kingspan Insulated Panels –
North America manufactures and markets three groups of products at
its U.S., Canadian and Mexican facilities: insulated metal wall and
roof panel systems for commercial/industrial construction;
insulated architectural panel and façade systems for design-driven
projects; and controlled environment panels for cold-storage and
climate-controlled warehousing. In addition to its commitment to
quality and innovation, the company is on the leading edge of the
sustainability movement, offering best-of-class products produced
in state-of-the-art facilities which apply a range of
sustainability measures. To learn more
visit www.kingspanpanels.us
About Kingspan Group Kingspan Group is the
global leader in high-performance insulation and building envelope
solutions. Kingspan’s mission is to accelerate a net zero emissions
future built environment with the wellbeing of people and planet at
its heart.
The Group’s five operating divisions manufacture a range of
high-performance products for energy efficient, low carbon and
healthy buildings, enabling savings in energy, carbon and water
usage in buildings, supporting better performance and value for
those who own, work and live in them.
Kingspan is dedicated to continuous innovation to drive the
decarbonisation of the built environment, which is responsible for
39% of energy-related carbon emissions globally. Kingspan invests
in constant innovation in advanced materials and digitalisation to
solve the sustainability challenges of the future.
The Group’s ambitious 10-year Planet Passionate sustainability
program aims to have a positive impact on three big global
challenges: climate change, circularity and the protection of the
natural world. As part of this programme, Kingspan is targeting a
100% carbon emissions reduction within its operations and a 50%
reduction in the CO2 intensity of its primary supply chain partners
by 2030[1]; alongside other ambitious goals.
The Group employs over 22,000 people globally, with over 210
manufacturing sites and a presence in over 80 countries
worldwide.
[1]When compared with a 2020 base year
Media ContactBrianna EdwardsUproar PR for
Kingspan Insulated Panels North
America321-236-0102bedwards@uproarpr.com