Determined to be carbon neutral
COP 27 held in Egypt in November this year confirmed what most already knew, namely that it’s more important than ever before to tackle climate change. Altaterra has always been mindful of the impact their activities have on the environment, as well as their carbon footprint and social responsibilities. Altaterra is also very aware that it operates as part of an industry that generates high levels of CO2 emissions. As a result, the company is determined to create a greener, more sustainable industry and with this in mind, this year saw the release of the new Altaterra WeCare Sustainability Strategy.
The WeCare Sustainability Strategy goals
The overarching goal of the strategy is to create a sustainable business that is carbon neutral by 2030 by becoming a 100% carbon neutral company (scope 1 and 2) and by cutting carbon emissions by 50% across the supply chain (scope 3).
The science-based approach
In order to develop an effective sustainability strategy, the VELUX Group has worked with the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi). The SBTi is a coalition of expert organizations founded by the World Resources Institute, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and the United Nations Global Compact that helps private companies to set science backed climate goals. They estimate that the construction industry accounts for 37% of greenhouse gas emissions globally and have released guidelines for the construction sector to help bring about change and achieve net-zero emissions in the sector. Businesses working with the SBTi are required to continuously monitor their activities, undergo independent carbon accounting, and publicly report results.
A roadmap to success
As part of the VELUX Group, Altaterra signed up for the SBTi programme. This enabled Altaterra to identify the areas where change is most needed. As a result, the Sustainability Strategy focuses on three key areas, namely operations, products and business practices.
Significant changes are going to be needed in all these areas, and work has already begun. This work, amongst other things, includes the elimination of plastic in packaging and marketing materials, changing production processes to use materials with a lower carbon footprint, reducing production waste (and ultimately working towards Zero Waste), reducing emissions from travel and logistics, and reducing paper consumption. Another significant aspect of the strategy is to create and promote a responsible business by driving awareness of and engagement amongst employees and engaging with B2B customers and partners to help them achieve their own sustainability targets.
A word from the CEO
Speaking about the strategy, Altaterra CEO, Krzysztof Dudek explained:
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