Stuart Devoil, Group Head of Marketing at James Latham outlines why its online Carbon Calculator tool will drive forward sustainability improvements for the offsite sector.
James Latham has a proud track record of only stocking responsibly sourced, ethically-produced materials, and we're keen to be at the heart of the move to a carbon neutral future. We also want to support our offsite and volumetric clients to do so too.
However, whilst it's easy to talk the talk around product sustainability, walking the walk is a harder task. I believe that anyone reading this would find it hard to argue that that timber is, without doubt, a lower carbon option than materials like concrete and steel, but we also realise that not all materials in the category are created equal.
We've already ensured we only work with partners that operate to a strict set of sustainability standards, whose products originate from sustainable and correctly managed forests, but we wanted to go further. Comprehensive information around supply chain sustainability is incredibly important and something our various audiences consistently highlight as a growing request when carbon reporting.
Always looking to go that extra mile and provide a coherent proof point for our diverse portfolio's green credentials, we embarked on an intensive period of research and development, which would eventually result in our proprietary Carbon Calculator. An online tool, developed with the Biocomposites Centre at Bangor University, the Carbon Calculator is a back-end system, designed to achieve transparency and give confidence a truly sustainable material selection is being made.
Built using official, publicly available data and manufacturer product information, the Carbon Calculator collates and aggregates the environmental impact of a chosen material, according to three criteria: carbon footprint, biogenic (stored) carbon and our confidence in the quality and availability of the data.
Once evaluated, the product receives a confidence rating from 1-4 (one being the best). The lower the score, the higher the availability and quality of data points reviewed (e.g. published EPDs). The final score, including carbon data can then be requested and published on quotations, invoices, delivery notes, and other key documentation. The ratings can also be accessed online through a dedicated portal on our website, delivering a tangible, codified proof point. This ensures a robust audit trail for the product, providing valuable information for future carbon reporting.
Essentially, the Carbon Calculator's rating is intended to highlight the quality and range of available product information, certification and documentation, highlighting if this data is based on third-party verified data or simply publicly available manufacturer's documentation. It's the latest milestone in an exciting journey towards low-carbon material selection across the entire building, construction and design community, and we hope our peers take note.
A trailblazing tool, we hope it sets a precedent for best practice. By providing a methodology through which the value of sustainability information and certification can be holistically appreciated, we feel we've achieved this. Ultimately, our goal is to increase confidence amongst offsite manufacturers, specifiers and developers, that they are making the greenest material choices possible.
For more information visit: www.lathamtimber.co.uk
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