Thomas K. Pedersen
Sustainability Manager and Certified Advisor
ESG strategy and accountability
ESG strategy & accountability
We take the climate seriously. We see this as our duty—especially because construction and the overall building stock are responsible for approx. 40% of total CO2 emissions, energy consumption and waste generation, not only in Denmark but also across the rest of the world.
Our DNA
We believe that every small action matters. That is why we actively work to reduce as much as possible of the negative impact we have on the climate and nature.
To succeed in developing and continuing to reduce our climate footprint, this also means that we continuously review and replace the materials used in our production if we find better alternatives.
This is a process that requires significant resources, as we constantly scan the market for new technology, new materials, and better products. We analyse and assess potential products and materials based on EPDs and incorporate them only if the manufacturer can document that the product’s environmental impact is lower than that of what we are seeking to phase out of our production.
In addition, we do our best to support local biodiversity. When we took over our headquarters in Engesvang, a large part of the area was asphalted—too large a part in our view. Therefore, we removed 3,000 square metres of asphalt and paving, which has instead been planted with a wildflower meadow of native plants and supplemented with a rainwater retention basin.
When we took over the headquarters, it was also heated with natural gas, which did not align with our values. Instead, we have installed a woodchip-fired heating system. This allows us to make better use of our resources, as the woodchips consist, among other things, of surplus timber and wood offcuts from our own production, as well as woodchips purchased from one of the other local companies.
We have also installed a large solar PV system on the roof of our head office in Engesvang, which covers at least 20% of our total electricity consumption.
All of the above initiatives are part of our process to address the construction industry’s major climate impact. We are well aware that Rome was not
built in a day. Therefore, we are constantly seeking to improve and do our part so that one day we achieve a circular construction industry.
Circularity and Design for Disassembly
For us, reuse is deeply embedded in our construction method and business model. We reuse as large a share of our building materials as possible—until they reach the end of their service life.
That is why we build our modules based on the principle of design for disassembly, which means that buildings can be moved, modified and the parts reused if and when your needs change or cease altogether.
We work according to the principle that it should be easy for future generations to dismantle the buildings, sort the building materials for recycling and reuse as much as possible.
Already, our rental modules are part of a circular cycle in which sections, modules and even entire buildings are reused and refurbished so they can be incorporated into new projects again and again. The same applies to our permanent buildings: they will be dismantled, separated and the parts reused when they have fulfilled their original purpose many years from now.
Certification and eco-labelling
It is important to us to build with healthy materials, provide good working conditions, and minimise our impact on the world around us. That is why it comes naturally to us to offer environmental certification for our buildings.
There are many good reasons and benefits to having your building environmentally certified with either the Nordic Swan Ecolabel or DGNB. With a certification, you can be sure of a well-considered project, as the certification serves as a tool that measures the building’s performance against a range of relevant criteria, such as environmental impact, energy consumption, and indoor climate. In this way, the benefits of certification will quickly outweigh the costs incurred in connection with the certification itself.
With a certification, you therefore get a building project where environmental requirements and climate considerations are systematised, and where, through an independent third party, you can be confident that the high requirements set by the certifications—among other things regarding the climate impact of materials—are met.
Design for disassembly
Read more about how we work with design for disassembly, and how the principle helps us ensure as much reuse as possible in our construction.
The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals
Here you can find information about our work with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals—both strategically and in practice—as well as which goals we have chosen to focus our efforts on.
LCC and LCA calculations
We actively work with LCA and LCC calculations as part of our design process and as documentation in accordance with the Building Regulations.
Would you like to know more about our work with ESG and accountability?