A Key to the Solution
by Bea Hallen, Senior Sustainability Leader
This post is also available for download in Swedish
Climate change is ongoing and a big worry for many of us - but as well exciting things are happening, and it happens rather fast in some areas. Sustainability is taking a core position in the building sector, as well as in almost any other sector, in the EU. When I read the European Commission’s Renovation Wave Strategy , I see an exciting opportunity for Owens Corning to help make the building sector more sustainable.
Our Owens Corning 2030 Sustainability Goals, launched about a year ago, are well aligned to support the targets and the needs according to science and defined also in the EU Green Deal*. Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions from operations by 50% by 2030, switch to 100% renewable electricity, decrease waste to landfill to reach zero as well as advancing in recycled content and recycling solutions for customer waste – these goals mirror what is needed to be done. We will decrease the carbon embodied in our materials and put products on the market with competitive levels of sustainability performance.
As a manufacturer of insulation, we have really an important role to play - our people and our products can make a clear difference as insulation is a key to the solution. Within EU, roughly 36% of the released CO2 emissions relate to the built environment. New buildings of today are much more energy efficient compared to older ones due to the policies and regulations of today. New buildings consume only half of the energy of those built over 20 years ago. But as 85% of the buildings in EU are older than 20 years, and 85-95% of them are expected to still be standing in 2050, there is need for a massive renovation. There are actually 35 million buildings to be renovated by 2030. It’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of innovation to make that happen, and I’m happy to be part of it.
