Reynaers Group Acting On Best Sustainability Targets

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The Reynaers Group has paved the way to outperform construction industry sustainability targets. Reynaers Act, is the firm’s sustainability strategy report that reveals a set of ambitious goals to  be achieved by its 60th anniversary in 2025.

The broad aim is for Reynaers, a European provider of architectural aluminium and steel products – particularly in fenestration, to do its bit to help limit the increase in global average temperatures to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels by 2030.

 

Doing the U

The company intends to modify how it acts (hence the report name) in order to improve energy and carbon levels in its manufacturing while also improving the efficiency of its products to cut energy in use. For example, its largest subsidiary, Reynaers Aluminium, has been improving the insulation levels of its products from 6.5W/m²K in 1965, to 4W/m²K for its first insulated system, and U-values of less than 0.8W/m²K in 2022.

 

Here are the goals

Building the sustainable way - as buildings account for 35% of the global use of energy, Reynaers Group plans to reduce that consumption level by developing products that allow customers to choose sustainable, energy-efficient solutions for all their building projects. To this end, the company will expand its range of Passive House certified systems and achieving other certifications on thermal performance.

Next, by integrating sustainability data in its digital tools, Reynaers Group will offer its business partners easy access to all the information they need to design sustainable buildings. For example, the firm is expanding its cloud-based Building Information Modelling (BIM) software to introduce a Digital Passport which will contain all the necessary sustainability information of every product included in BIM.

 

Holistic approach

In 2023, Reynaers Group plans to guide its customers and partners towards holistic sustainability, every day. Detailed simulations will help them quantify, calculate and demonstrate the impact of Reynaers aluminium products on the energy efficiency of any building. By considering parameters such as local climate, orientation or building type, trained staff will advise clients on how to take optimal advantage of thermal insulation, solar gains and natural ventilation.

 

Designing product solutions for sustainable architecture

Construction materials account for 47% of the EU’s overall consumption of materials by weight. Increasing the circularity of materials can significantly reduce their environmental impact. The most cost-effective strategy to reduce embodied emissions in the built environment is to increase utilisation of shared floor space and to reduce construction waste.

Reynaers Group’s ambition is to certify nine more aluminium systems to Cradle to Cradle Bronze Level certification by 2024, increasing its share of certified circular products to 60% of its aluminium product turnover.

Also by 2024, the company expects to deliver product passports that contain all relevant product information, such as (dis)assembly and maintenance instructions, material composition and sustainable system properties.

To maximise the volume of recyclable material at the end of a building’s lifetime, Reynaers optimises the end-of-life processes by identifying and avoiding components that have a negative impact on those processes.

 

Renewable energy

In 2019, Reynaers Group activities generated an ecological footprint of 280,000 tonnes of CO₂. The company plans to reduce carbon emissions in its operations by shifting its electricity consumption to renewable energy and by reviewing the designs of its company buildings, its vehicle fleet and its production processes.

 

People

Reynaers has grown from 100 employees in 1986 to over 2,650 in 2021, spread across more than 70 countries. The company now offers its employees various lifelong learning and personal growth opportunities. In-depth product training sessions as well as soft-skill courses help people develop on a personal level.

 Safety at work is considered a number one priority and is accordingly treated as a top management responsibility.

 

 

 “The UK became the first major economy in the world to pass laws to end its contribution to global warming by 2050. The target requires that the UK brings all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.”

– Richard Hall 

Managing director, Reynaers Aluminium UK

 

Act

Hall was speaking prior to the appointment of fracking fan Liz Truss as Prime Minister. He continues: “To this end, we are delighted that Reynaers Group has signed up to the science based target initiative - SBTi – and will endeavour to continue to do our part in the UK.;

“We are already operating to ISO 14001 Environmental Standards as well as ISO 50001 Energy Management Standards at our UK site and signing up to these ambitious science-based targets further demonstrates our commitment to Act differently by looking at the decisions at every level of the business.”

Picture: Richard Hall, MD at Reynaers Aluminium UK.

www.reynaers.co.uk/sustainability

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
13th October 2022

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