Sustainability
Sustainable Roofing Systems & Tools
Zero Waste to Landfill and Circular Economy
Industry Leading Product Development
Efficient Manufacturing and Logisitcs
Biodiversity & Responsible Procurement
Science-Based Targets & Realistic Plans
A family run business since 1984, Polyroof has been handed down through three generations of the Roberts family. We strongly believe in a sustainable future for all.
As a leader in the flat roofing industry, we are fully committed to making sustainability the centre of our business, embedded in our culture from top to bottom. We aim to lead the way on sustainability.
In 2022 we completed our Scope 1 and 2 carbon footprint and set ambitious science-based carbon emissions targets with the SBTi. We also committed to achieving Scope 1 & 2 Net Zero by 2035 at the absolute latest, and achieving full Zero by 2050 or earlier.
Polyroof also achieved zero waste to landfill in 2022 and our manufacturing operations were assessed as being highly efficient by a third party auditor.
Our Net Zero Roadmap
2022
2023
2024
2026
2027
2030
2030 - 2035
2035 - 2050
Scope 1 & 2
Scope 3
Scope 1, 2 & 3
Our Carbon Footprint
Scope 1
Emissions from Polyroof controlled vehicles and Polyroof LPG and natural gas usage.
Scope 2
Emissions from Electricity usage in Polyroof manufacturing and operations facilities.
Scope 3
Emissions from the Polyroof value chain(for example our supply chain and Approved Contractors).
Carbon Reduction Calculator
Immediate action is required if we are to limit global warming to 1.5°C and ensure a safe, liveable future. You can make a difference now by specifying Protec Evolve on your roof.
We are working with Ecologi to fund renewable energy carbon avoidance projects around the world. These rigorously verified projects all prevent a permanent, measurable quantity of carbon from being released into the atmosphere.
Find out what impact you can have through specifying Protec Evolve by inputting the size of your roof in the box below.
See how much carbon you could avoid by choosing Polyroof on your next project.
kg of CO²e prevented
Equivalent to number of Miles Driven
Benefits of Protec Evolve System
Equivalent CO²e saved from an average Household
Climate Resilience, Biodiversity and a Sustainable Future
As a family business we recognise the important role we have in enabling the development of a resilient, sustainable, and biodiverse environment for this and future generations to come.
Our Net Zero FAQ
Climate Change, Carbon Emissions, and Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse gases are essential for keeping the planet at a suitable temperature for life, but excessive emissions from human activities are causing the atmosphere to trap too much heat, resulting in global warming. As a result, the Earth is now about 1.1°C warmer than pre-industrial levels. A 1.1°C increase might not be much if you’re checking the weather outside, but it’s a huge change to our finally balanced climate. The impacts of climate change are already widespread and obvious, for example the record 40°C heatwave which hit the UK in Summer 2022, droughts, flooding, severe fires, and declining biodiversity. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that global warming must not increase beyond 1.5°C if we are to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
The vast majority of climate scientists believe that humans are responsible for climate change. One recent study concluded that there is greater than 99% consensus on human caused climate change in peer-reviewed scientific literature.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that global warming must not increase beyond 1.5°C if we are to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C will require global emissions to peak before 2025, to be reduced by 43% by 2030, and be Net Zero by 2050. The UK has pledged to reduce emissions to Net Zero by 2050; and have committed to a 68% and 78% cut in emissions by 2030 and 2035 respectively.
Greenhouse gases are commonly grouped together under the umbrella term “carbon”. A carbon footprint is the total quantity of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to a given activity, organisation, or item (e.g., a building or product). The exact definition of the term varies depending on what context it is being used, and the boundaries (e.g., time period) being considered. A carbon footprint is normally measured in CO2e.
The carbon footprint of an organisation is generally measured over the course of a year and split into Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Organisations set a baseline year, against which the emissions of future years are compared.
CO2e, or carbon dioxide equivalent, is the standard unit for measuring greenhouse gas emissions. It allows you to express the impact of each greenhouse gas in terms of the quantity of CO2 which would create the same amount of warming. This means a carbon footprint consisting of lots of different greenhouse gases can be expressed as a single quantity.
- kgCO2e – kilograms carbon dioxide equivalent.
- tCO2e – metric tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent
The electricity use of 1 average UK household creates approximately 1.701 tCO2e per year.
Scope 1 emissions are emissions from sources which a company owns or directly controls (e.g., emissions from owned HGVs). Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy (e.g., electricity from the grid). Scope 3 covers the indirect emissions that occur in the value chain of the company, both upstream and downstream (e.g., suppliers and customers). There are 15 categories of Scope 3 emissions.
Scope 3 emissions are notoriously difficult to assess and reduce as they are not under the company’s direct control. They cannot be ignored however, as they often represent the majority of a company’s carbon footprint (on average 79%).
Carbon Footprints, CO2e and Scope 1, 2 and 3 Emissions
Net Zero & Carbon Neutral
The exact meaning of Net Zero can differ slightly depending on context or organisation.
The general definition of Net Zero is a situation in which humans are no longer increasing the net quantity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This doesn’t mean that we can no longer emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, instead it means that any greenhouse gases which are emitted are fully balanced by permanent removals from the atmosphere. This recognises the fact that there are some activities which we will not be able to fully decarbonise (reduce emissions to zero). Large scale removals of greenhouse gases is, and will continue to be, very difficult, so achieving Net Zero must rely heavily on emissions reductions.
Polyroof have aligned our emissions reductions targets with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). We have formally committed to reducing our absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions 42% by 2030 from our 2021 base year. This is a science-based target which reflects the level of decarbonation required to be keep global temperature increase to 1.5°C. The SBTi have confirmed they have approved our target, and we are expecting it to be formally published in early 2023 on the SBTi website.
We are also working towards meeting the SBTi definition of Net Zero by 2050. We will be formalising this target with the SBTi in 2023 and expect to commit to a 90% reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions from our 2021 base year, with the residual emissions permanently removed from the atmosphere.
We have also set subsidiary Net Zero targets to help us better plan and evaluate our Net Zero journey. For example, achieving Net Zero Scope 1 and 2 manufacturing by 2025, at which point our manufacturing operations will not create any direct emissions, and will be fully powered by zero-emissions energy.
There is no unanimously agreed definition for Carbon Neutral, and the meaning can differ slightly depending on context or organisation.
The general definition of Carbon Neutral is that the sum of greenhouse gas emissions produced by a specific activity (or series of activities) is fully offset via emissions reduction, prevention, or removal projects. For an organisation this would most likely include all Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. For a product this may include the sum of all direct and indirect emissions across the full life of the product, or just from cradle-gate (emissions arising from raw materials extraction processes through to product manufacturing and fabrication).
We will only claim Carbon Neutral status if it is certified via trusted third-party standards and organisations (e.g., PAS 2060 or the CarbonNeutral Protocol).
Offsetting is a way to compensate for your residual greenhouse gas emissions by funding an equivalent emissions saving elsewhere. It is a useful tool in the fight against climate change, but not the answer.
Globally we emit far more greenhouse gas emissions than we could ever offset, and emissions reduction must be the priority.
Not all offsets are equal, and high-quality offsets have to fulfil a series of strict criteria and be verified by trusted third parties. A particularly important criterion is that the emissions saving would not have occurred without the funding.
We have robust plans for year-on-year emissions reduction towards 2050, but each year we will have residual emissions. Compensating for these emissions through high quality, verified, offsets will allow us to go the extra mile whilst we work towards the final goal of Net Zero in 2050.
There are currently a wide range of climate change related regulations, recommendations, and targets for UK buildings. Examples include Part L (Building Regulations), the LETI Climate Emergency Design Guide, RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge and the UKGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework. Looking ahead, a UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard is due in 2023 and updates to Part L are expected in 2025 (Future Homes / Building Standards).
Polyroof’s expert team can provide specialist advice and support to help you understand how these goals and objectives can influence, and be influenced by, your roofing proposals.
Operational carbon is the term used to describe the emissions of greenhouse gases during the day-to-day operation of a building (primarily from heating, cooling, and electricity use). Operational carbon accounted for 23% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the UK in 2019.
Polyroof can help you reduce your building’s operational carbon through improved insulation, sustainable roofing design and provision of renewable energy. Adding insulation to a flat roof is a key part of current building regulation standards. Whether refurbishing an existing roof or constructing a new one, providing optimal insulation within the correct configuration will ensure your buildings are cooler in summer and warmer in winter, keeping fuel bills to a minimum. Our expert team provide bespoke specifications and thermal calculations to ensure your roof proposals fulfil the insulation u-value requirements of Part L. The durable, seamless, and lightweight nature of Polyroof waterproof membranes also make them an ideal base for use with solar (PV) panels and living roof designs, which can further reduce operational carbon.
Embodied carbon is a term used to describe the non-operational greenhouse gas emissions from processes relating to the materials and products within a building*. The exact definition can vary depending on which stages of a given product or buildings’ lifecycle are under consideration.
Most uses of embodied carbon refer to the full cradle-to-gate embodied carbon of a product or building. This definition includes the emissions from all manufacturing, transportation, construction, usage and end of life processes relating to materials and products within a building (from raw material supply to waste disposal). Another commonly used definition is “cradle-to-gate” embodied carbon, which includes emissions from all raw material supply, transportation, and manufacturing processes through to the finished building product(s) leaving the factory. It can be helpful to think of embodied carbon as the greenhouse emissions “built in” to a product or building.
*This term can be used in relation to pretty much anything which has been manufactured or constructed (for example a car or a pencil).
Polyroof systems can help you reduce the embodied carbon of your building. For example:
- Our BBA approved, durable, long-life systems reduce the number of times you need to repair, replace, or overlay your roof over its lifetime.
- Our expert team carry out comprehensive surveys of existing roofs to ensure we only undertake targeted and necessary repair and refurbishment works.
- Our highly flexible systems can overlay virtually any roofing substrate and can be easily modified (for example the installation of future M&E).
- Towards the end of its serviceable lifespan, the Polyroof membrane can simply be overcoated or act as an AVCL for additional insulation, prolonging the life of the roof for decades further.
Our Protec and Protec Evolve Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) are due in early 2023, and will provide accurate, verified data on embodied carbon. In the meantime, we can provide bespoke assistance to help you consider our products within embodied or whole life carbon assessments.
