Stone wool insulation offers two-prong solution for meeting decarbonization goals

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[["images-card",{"images":[{"url":"http:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dpcbzfiye\/image\/upload\/v1669919621\/renpkvk9qq61qs2wvdbb.jpg","id":"6572624"}],"caption":"Manufacturing stone wool insulation."}]],"markups":[["a",["href","https:\/\/worldgbc.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/22123951\/WorldGBC_Bringing_Embodied_Carbon_Upfront.pdf","target","_blank"]],["sub"],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.rockwool.com\/north-america\/about-us\/sustainability\/","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.insulationadvocacy.org\/_files\/ugd\/bb658f_fa77af9cf52e4329bbcfd28cc1c20a35.pdf","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.rockwoolgroup.com\/about-us\/sustainability\/a-net-positive-carbon-impact\/","target","_blank"]],["i"],["a",["href","https:\/\/p-cdn.rockwool.com\/globalassets\/sustainability\/sustainability-report\/rockwool-sustainability-report-2021_final.pdf","target","_blank"]],["em"]],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"AIA partner ROCKWOOL explains how stone wool supports decarbonization efforts in both its manufacturing and use in energy-efficient buildings."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Buildings are a regular target for decarbonization efforts, particularly amid intensifying urbanization. New high-performance building construction and deep-energy retrofits have the potential to significantly lower energy demand. Yet, to alter the trajectory of global warming going forward, it is essential that project plans address both operational carbon and the embodied carbon of each building. One way design professionals can support decarbonization efforts by working with manufacturers to specify materials that are built on a model of promoting and prioritizing global sustainability."]]],[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"Prong #1\u2014when sustainability is the business strategy, not just a stand-alone policy"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The building materials industry has come a long way when it comes to embodied carbon, and sustainability more generally, but the reality is that more needs to be done. Currently, "],[0,[0],1,"buildings account for approximately 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions"],[0,[],0,"\u201428% from operations and 11% from embodied carbon. Yet, with the building industry is poised to add 230 billion square meters of new construction worldwide by 2060 (equivalent to building one New York City each month for 40 years), it\u2019s estimated that embodied carbon could account for roughly half of total new construction emissions between now and 2050. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Manufacturers must also do their part to move toward decarbonization such as aligning themselves with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), committing to measurable Science-based target initiatives (SBTIs), innovating materials and processes to offer more CO"],[0,[1],1,"2"],[0,[],0,"-neutral materials with a longer lifecycle, and embracing circularity. For example, ROCKWOOL is supporting 10 out of 17 UN SDGs and setting clear, "],[0,[2],1,"auditable SBTi goals"],[0,[],0," identified in our 2021 Sustainability Report. ROCKWOOL also invests in strategies that reduce our factories\u2019 direct emissions, such as flex-fuel technology at our facilities in Ranson, West Virginia, and Marshall County, Mississippi. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Simultaneously, it is critical for manufacturers to track the embodied carbon of their building products and publish third-party verified environmental product declarations (EPDs). EPDs communicate information about the lifecycle environmental impact of products during all phases of construction. There are different types of EPDs available in the market, including industry-average, product-specific (such as that available from ROCKWOOL), and facility-specific EPDs. Even at the design stage it is important to refer to product-specific data to capture the most accurate life cycle performance for the project. "]]],[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"Prong #2\u2014the products themselves contribute to carbon reduction"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Reducing operational carbon is a critical component of the total decarbonization effort, and adequately insulating buildings can play a significant role by increasing energy efficiency, reducing energy demand and thereby lowering GhG emissions. Therefore, insulation is a primary building material that can directly reduce the operational carbon of buildings over their lifetime. "],[0,[3],1,"The August 2022 Insulation Industry Opportunity Study"],[0,[],0," by ICF International found that applying simple insulation measures to existing single-family homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities would be equivalent to increasing current wind production by 135% or offsetting emissions from 40% of all natural gas-fired generation in the United States. It also found that retrofit activity in residential homes alone could prevent roughly 10 billion tons of carbon emissions over a 50-year period (the minimum useful life of building insulation). On a manufacturer level, "],[0,[4],1,"ROCKWOOL reports"],[0,[],0," that the building insulation it sold in 2021 will save 100 times the energy consumed and carbon emitted during its production."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In addition, the thermal properties and dimensional stability of stone wool products do not change over time. "]]],[1,"p",[]],[10,0],[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"Why stone wool? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"For architects and builders, specifying stone wool insulation materials offers many benefits and contributes to multiple project goals. These include protection from temperature extremes, fire, noise, and moisture, each of which can adversely affect the integrity of the building\u2019s structure, its long-term durability, as well as the health and well-being of its occupants. In addition, they can contribute to decarbonization by selecting materials that can help reduce both the operational and embodied carbon of buildings, combined with the ability to simultaneously satisfy various code requirements and maintain design freedom. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[5],1,"When planning your next new building or retrofit project, consider stone wool insulation for its flexibility in myriad applications as well as its impact in addressing the challenges of climate change. Learn more about "],[0,[],0,"ROCKWOOL"],[0,[5],0,", "],[0,[6],1,"which authentically demonstrates a deep investment in sustainability and circularity"],[0,[],1,"."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[7],1,"AIA does not sponsor or endorse any enterprise, whether \npublic or private, operated for profit. Further, no AIA officer, \ndirector, committee member, or employee, or any of its component \norganizations in his or her official capacity, is permitted to approve, \nsponsor, endorse, or do anything that may be deemed or construed to be \nan approval, sponsorship, or endorsement of any material of construction\n or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in\n any material or product."]]]]}