Improving energy efficiency and performance in buildings is an essential component of the Advancing Net Zero project, which aims for every single building – both new and existing – to operate at zero carbon emissions by 2050, or sooner. Kingspan is committed to promoting an envelope first approach and supporting the industry’s development of innovative solutions towards decarbonisation. This will require systemic change in the way products are manufactured, used and transported around the world.

In conjunction with providing high performance building envelopes that save more energy and therefore carbon, Kingspan has recently announced Planet Passionate. This is Kingspan’s major 10-year global sustainability programme, developed to play its part in reducing the world’s carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 and the strategy falls in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Planet Passionate comprises 12 ambitious targets, focussing on four key areas of energy, carbon, circularity and water. Through this effort, Kingspan aims to contribute to the world’s renewable energy mix, reduce their carbon emissions, divert waste from landfill, conserve water, provide upcycling solutions for plastic waste, and help clean the world’s oceans and protect biodiversity.

As well as sponsoring the Advancing Net Zero Project, Kingspan was also announced as a signatory to WorldGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment in September 2019, an invitation issued to businesses, cities, governments and industry. The commitment challenges signatories to achieve net zero on all operational emissions for their building portfolio by 2030 and advocates for all buildings globally to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Cristina Gamboa, CEO of the World Green Building Council, said: “Our Advancing Net Zero project is expanding its international impact, driving towards full decarbonisation of buildings and construction. The support of leading companies such as Kingspan demonstrates how industry are willing to meet their obligations towards responsible business operations, and be prepared for the bolder and more ambitious regulation we hope to see from policymakers. Our global network of Green Building Councils is committed to developing the solutions needed to radically change the way our industry operates into a more circular, responsible and restorative sector.”

Gene Murtagh, CEO of Kingspan, said: “We are excited to be part of the WGBC’s Advancing Net Zero project as the aims of this work perfectly align with our own Planet Passionate strategy - making this partnership a natural fit and further focusing us on decarbonising the built environment. Alongside this, the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment is a critically important programme that is helping the industry move towards a more sustainable future and we’re honoured to be on board as a signatory. We are always looking for opportunities to collaborate with others to make the industry more sustainable and to encourage others to do the same.”

World GBC will publish a status report in June 2020 highlighting the action businesses, governments and NGOs (including Green Building Councils) are taking in order to achieve full decarbonisation across the building lifecycle.

Advancing Net Zero launched in 2016 and works with national Green Building Councils to develop tools and resources to build industry capacity to deliver net zero carbon buildings.