Embodied carbon and circular economy will become the key to make decisions for future building projects
Rimantas Staknevicius, Sales Manager for WICONA Baltics, has been working for Hydro Building Systems since 2004, but he has been in the aluminium industry since 1997. With a lot of experience and years of knowledge in his backpack, his expertise and know-how are shared, not only within the company, but for a lot of people in the building sector. With his clear focus to support customers and architects with durable façade solutions connected to high technical expertise and design, he always enjoying the working days of meeting people and to learn more. As we today facing a lot of regulations at the same time we need to follow the global UN goals, we asked Rimantas, what it really means by saying word such as sustainable today.
“Sustainability has been used by many of us very much often and in many aspects. However, it’s clear that it’s not only a nice talk about how we can improve and lower CO2 footprint from our business as well as our private actions. Sustainability to me is much more. It’s our society response of being successful in reaching a challenging goal to prevent a global climate change. As the construction industry is the largest consumer of energy, it´s no doubt that we all need to be a part of the sustainable action plan. Nearly all contractors and investors are looking in new processes and materials to reduce embodied carbon footprints”, says Rimantas.
As embodied carbon consists of all the emissions associated with buildings and construction, including those from transporting, manufacturing, and installing building materials on site, as well as the operational and end-of-life emissions associated with those materials. We need to use circular materials that last longer and using efficient processes that helps to reduce the footprint. Rimantas continue to explain how WICONA contribute for getting a durable future and beyond.
“WICONA have a clear and documented strategy and further development when it comes to sustainability, circular economy, and social responsibility. No doubt this is big differentiator which puts WICONA on a leading position in the market. It´s one of our company pillars and we always strive for being more sustainable, not only in terms of circular and recycled facades, windows, and doors. During all phases and steps, we need to ensure that we have all on board even if you´re talking about more ecofriendly transports, our approach towards circular materials, respect to your colleagues or well-being in offices – we all need to walk the same line for a complete sustainable success and durable future. I think WICONA are there with a clear focus today”.
Rimantas continue to explain the importance of using documentation when talking about sustainability, material, and buildings. It is important to really showcase what you are doing in practice, not only a nice talk that easily ends up in green washing or lost trust. We need to show in practice what we really are about to do for building beyond tomorrow.
"WICONA are clearly heading to 100% recycling content in our products and it’s also about avoiding plastics in products, offer dynamic EPD’s and third-party certificates. WICONA has over last year’s clearly indicate its unique position to be a strong leader on the market when it comes to circular material. We go beyond simply world-class low-carbon materials, to run every part of our business as sustainably as possible”.
Rimantas put the spot light on the importance of using dynamic EPD. An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is not only limited to products, such as a window, but can also be applied to materials (an aluminium billet), assembly parts of products or even for services (like maintenance). In summary, an EPD is a scientific and transparent document that is used for many different applications, including:
- Public procurement
- Green building rating schemes (i.e. BREEAM, LEED, DGNB)
- Customer requests on environmental data for the products or components that are delivered to them
- Used by specialists to include the products in their further LCA calculations (products, buildings, ...)
- Used by the companies themselves, to strive improving the environmental footprint of their products
With WICONA software WICTOP, regardless of the size of your project - a whole building or a single system - you can assess its environmental impact on our planet. Based on your selection, we know which materials are used and can create a life cycle assessment (LCA) for your project or product. The results of the LCA study are summarized in the EPD report, which shows the impact on various environmental aspects for each stage of the life cycle (production, transport, use, disposal and reuse).
“WICONA offer the right products with dynamic EPD’s which is verified by an independent third party (DNV-GL). I think this is the most important tool when we communicate this out to the market and let both Investors and Contractors to choose”, says Rimantas.
When it comes to the future and thoughts about that connected to the word sustainable, Rimantas have a clear mind. Already from now the whole construction industry prioritize the environmental and sustainability goals in their new projects. Architects are specifying materials with the lowest embodied carbon footprint and the highest recyclable content. I believe this is the future for all of us. Embodied carbon and circular economy are the key point to make decisions for the future projects. The whole industry will change, not only the construction section, who is the largest consumer of all energy in the globe.
"If we can use the word “revolution” here, so it’s already started”.
Caroline Jonson
Communication Manager
076 113 97 98
caroline.jonson@hydro.com
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Over the last few decades the brand name of WICONA has developed into a synonym for aluminium profile systems that meet the highest standards. The high technological standards, rigorous system considerations and quality processing of the products, as well as comprehensive services and consultation, all make a significant contribution to the success of the brand. WICONA belongs to the Norwegian company Hydro, a fully integrated aluminium company with 35,000 employees in 40 countries on all continents, combining local expertise, worldwide reach and unmatched capabilities in R&D.
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