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Sustainable Roofing Systems, Products & Tools
Science Based Carbon Reduction Targets & Net Zero Roadmap
Industry Leading Product Development and UK Manufacturing
Focus on Recycled Material, Circular Economy, and Waste Reduction
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Contractor Support
Green Roofs, Blue Roofs and Solar Solutions
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.
Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, and we are fully committed to doing our part to help reduce greenhouse gas (carbon) emissions and reach Net Zero. Our comprehensive roadmap to Net Zero, backed up by market leading science-based targets, is underpinned by a commitment to continuous measurement and improvement that will ensure we are at the forefront of sustainable roofing and manufacturing for years to come.
Sustainability is not just carbon emissions though, and we recognise the key part our operations and roofing systems have to play in meeting the many other environmental challenges we face globally. Read on to see how we are tackling complex issues such as waste reduction, resource scarcity and loss of biodiversity.
Whatever the challenge, whatever the roof, when specifying or installing Polyroof systems you can rest assured you are making the sustainable choice for your project.
Keep up to date with the latest sustainability news from Polyroof.
Emissions from Polyroof controlled vehicles and Polyroof LPG and natural gas usage.
Emissions from Electricity usage in Polyroof manufacturing and operations facilities.
Emissions from the Polyroof value chain(for example our supply chain and Approved Contractors).
An EPD is a document which transparently communicates the environmental impact of a construction product over its lifetime (e.g., embodied carbon). Specifying products with EPD can offer a wide range of benefits for your project, and careful comparison of EPD can help you ensure you make the sustainable choice.
Understanding and comparing EPD can be difficult, contact us now or check out one of our CPDs for expert advice on how to make the sustainable choice through EPD.
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
Polyroof offer a wide range of market leading sustainable roofing solutions and tools, all backed up by innovative UK based R&D and manufacturing. Whatever your sustainability goals are; however far along on your sustainability journey you may be; we can help.
Our Group Sustainability Manager, Andrew Roberts, answers some of the key questions relating to Sustainability and Net Zero. Contact Andrew on sustainability@polyroof.co.uk if you want to learn more.
Greenhouse gases absorb and trap heat from the sun in the atmosphere. Some occur naturally, while others are emitted through human activities such as burning fossil fuels. There are seven greenhouse gases contributing to climate change, the most important of which is Carbon Dioxide (CO2). For ease of communication, these seven gases are commonly grouped together under the umbrella term “carbon”. Excessive carbon emissions from human activities are causing the atmosphere to hold too much heat, leading to global warming and climate change. The impacts of climate change are already apparent and will only get worse if emissions are not reduced.
Scientists have agreed that we need to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change. In order to achieve this, we will likely need to reduce global emissions by 43% by 2030 and achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. The science is however always changing, and the goalposts shift as the evidence base grows. The message is clear though, we need to dramatically reduce carbon emissions as quickly as possible in order to safeguard our planet for future generations.
A carbon footprint represents the total carbon emissions associated with an activity, organisation, or item (such as a roofing membrane). It is generally measured in units of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e); which is a simple way of accounting for the varying impacts of the different greenhouse gases. For example, one metric tonne of methane is 29.8 times worse than carbon dioxide (based on its potential to cause global warming), and therefore equates to 29.8 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (29.8 tCO2e).
Scopes 1, 2 and 3 are an accounting method for measuring the carbon footprint of an organisation. Scope 1 covers direct emissions from sources a company owns or controls, like fuel use in vehicles or natural gas use for heating. Scope 2 covers direct emissions from purchased energy (primarily electricity for most organisations). Scope 3 is basically everything else within an organisations’ value chain, for example the emissions associated with raw materials extraction, transport of raw materials to the factory and disposal of the product at the end of life.
Scope 1 and 2 emissions are easy enough to measure and reduce; and we regularly provide guidance to our Contractors on how to do this through our “How working sustainably can help grow your business” training seminars. Scope 3 emissions are much harder to measure and reduce but cannot be ignored as they often represent the majority of an organisation’s footprint (79% on average). Check out our Net Zero roadmap to learn how we plan to measure and reduce our Scope 3 footprint.
Net Zero is a term which is often misused or misunderstood; it also has a wide range of meanings depending on the context. When we discuss Net Zero, we are aiming to follow the science and definitions of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) wherever possible.
Net Zero is best defined as a situation in which human generated greenhouse gas emissions are fully balanced by human generated removals. The science is complicated, but it is generally accepted that we need to reach this point globally by 2050 in order to stabilise global temperature increase and avoid the worst effects of climate change.
Wide scale removal of carbon emissions from the atmosphere is however very difficult to achieve, and indications are that this will not change in the future. We thus need to rely heavily on carbon emissions reduction, most likely to the tune of 90% in most cases.
Sustainability is a fast-changing, ever evolving landscape, and it is worth pointing out that many respected organisations utilise the term Net Zero in different ways to the SBTi. A good example is the upcoming UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, which is aiming to clarify what Net Zero means for buildings.
A crucial step on the path to limiting temperature increase to 1.5 °C is the worldwide reduction of carbon emissions by 43% by 2030. This is by no means an easy goal for any organisation, but Polyroof are fully committed to doing our part.
We have set an ambitious science-based Scope 1 and 2 carbon reduction target of 42% by 2030 with the SBTi; and look forward to following this with Scope 3 targets in 2024. These targets are backed up by a comprehensive carbon reduction strategy, the highlights of which can be seen in our Net Zero roadmap.
Another widely misused or misunderstood term, carbon neutral is often used interchangeably with Net Zero; however, the two terms are not the same. Carbon neutral is generally used to describe a situation in which an organisation or products’ carbon footprint (or a portion of said footprint) is being counterbalanced by carbon offsets. Used incorrectly, it can conceal the need for the deep emissions reductions required to achieve Net Zero. However, used correctly, carbon neutrality and offsetting can complement the journey to Net Zero; offering an immediate way for organisations to measurably reduce global carbon emissions whilst they ramp up their own decarbonization efforts.
We take extra care to ensure that any offsetting projects funded by Polyroof are rigorously third party vetted and make a measurable, meaningful difference to both global carbon emissions and local communities. Find out more by checking out our Ecologi page.
Building and product carbon footprints are accounted for in a different manner to organisations; the science is the same, but the Scope 1, 2 and 3 methodology is not used. Instead, building and product carbon information is generally described in terms of Whole Life Carbon, Embodied Carbon, and Operational Carbon.
Operational carbon is the easiest to understand and refers to the carbon emissions associated with operating the building (powering, heating, and cooling the building).
Embodied carbon refers to the carbon emitted through the lifecycle of the building or product. The term will generally encompass all the emissions associated with the manufacturing, transportation, use and disposal of the product (or products within a building).
Whole Life Carbon considers both the operational and embodied carbon associated with the building across its whole lifecycle. Understanding Whole Life Carbon is critical for understanding the true impact of a building.
An EPD is a document which transparently communicates the environmental impact of a construction product over its lifetime (e.g., embodied carbon). Specifying products with EPD can offer a wide range of benefits for your project, and careful comparison of EPD can help you ensure you make the sustainable choice.
Understanding and comparing EPD can be difficult, contact us now or check out our CPD for expert advice on how to make the sustainable choice through EPD.
The leading UK manufacturer of cold-applied liquid roofing systems.
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