Kingspan Light + Air Leading the Industry in Green Design for a Better Tomorrow
Lake Forest, IL:(April 15, 2022) - Climate change is the single most important issue facing the world today. To protect our planet, the UN Emissions Gap 2019 Report highlighted that we need to prevent a 1.5 degree rise in global temperatures by cutting carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. The construction sector is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions globally. Reports show that the construction and operation of buildings account for 36% of global energy use and 39% of energy-related CO2; emissions when upstream power generation is included. The construction industry is also responsible for 30% of all waste in landfills globally.
With the ambition to create a positive legacy and a better world, Kingspan Light + Air (KLA), a leading provider of daylighting products and division of Kingspan Group PLC, are playing their part this Earth Day, and every day, in managing the earth's resources more sustainability to accelerate a net-zero emissions future and protect our natural environment.
"We believe our most important contribution in supporting climate action will come from helping our customers to reduce the whole life carbon of their buildings around the world," says Tom Larwa, Vice President, Customer Experience for Kingspan Light + Air North America.
Architects, designers and building owners have all recognized the many benefits of green design, including daylighting, which is a significant cost-and-energy-saver for new structures and retrofit projects. Green buildings provide the foundation for a range of global goals, such as addressing climate change, creating sustainable and thriving communities and stimulating economic growth. KLA products have been used in numerous LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified projects and are specified in dozens of other buildings awaiting certification, in the design or construction phases. Additionally, the effective use of the company's daylighting products plays a significant role in achieving energy efficiency and successfully nurtures the occupants within.
To tackle climate change even further, Kingspan Light + Air launched a 10-year strategy in 2019 to help reduce the world's carbon emissions by 45% by 2030, as determined in the Paris Agreement. The Planet Passionate sustainability program is made up of 12 ambitious targets, addressing the impact of KLA's business operations and manufacturing on the four critical areas of energy, carbon, circularity and water by 2030.
"We are proud to have achieved a 5.2% reduction in our carbon emissions in the first year of our Planet Passionate program," adds Larwa. "Additionally, in 2021, we reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 4.3% compared to 2020. We are very excited about the progress made these past two years as these are important steps towards our target of net-zero carbon manufacturing by 2030."
The team at Kingspan Light + Air is excited about the possibilities of green design as it becomes the global standard. KLA continues to push the industry to innovate and create green buildings which are supportive of the health, well-being and productivity of the people within them, while also protecting the planet. The objective is to take the values of Earth Day and implement them every day.
About Earth Day Network
Earth Day Network mobilizes over one billion people in 192 countries through year-round advocacy, education, public policy and consumer campaigns to protect the environment. For more information, visit www.earthday.org.
About Kingspan Light + Air:
Kingspan Light + Air was established in 2016 to bring to life Kingspan Group's vision of providing truly holistic building envelope solutions. By combining decades of industry expertise with core competencies in daylighting, natural ventilation and smoke management solutions, the division supports the creation of healthy and sustainable built environments in the education, commercial, industrial, retail, leisure, residential, healthcare and infrastructure sectors.
In the years since it was launched, Kingspan Light + Air has expanded both geographically and in terms of its solutions offering. With operations across the globe, Kingspan Light + Air is serving its customers' ever-growing needs, delivering solutions for complex building projects around the globe.
The division currently employs over 3,000 people worldwide. To find out more, visit www.kingspanlightandair.us.