As the industry continues to grapple with the carbon reduction targets outlined in the Government’s Construction 2025 Strategy, leading roof systems manufacturer, Russell Roof Tiles, remains a pioneer with continued innovation.
The strategy, published in 2013 to align with the UK’s broader Net Zero ambition, calls for a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across the built environment by 2025. Now, as the deadline looms, the construction sector is facing significant obstacles in meeting this target, from the use of high-emission materials to a lack of carbon transparency from manufacturers.
As a leading player, Russell Roof Tiles has a responsibility to support the wider building industry in its efforts to reduce carbon output, announcing its ambitious Net Zero 2040 target in 2022, a decade ahead of the UK.
Since then, Russell Roof Tiles has made huge strides in reducing its environmental impact, remaining ahead of schedule on the road to Net Zero for the third year running. Its most recent carbon reduction report revealed that in 2024 its emissions were 6.7 per cent below target levels, with the firm emitting 2,476.50 tonnes compared to the projected 2,655.27.
Daniel Hancox, Corporate Sustainability and Development Director, comments: “We pride ourselves in our philosophy of reducing our carbon footprint, and after verifying the data, we are pleased to report that we remain well ahead of our reduction target. Since we began tracking our output in 2021, we have achieved an overall 13.6 per cent decrease in carbon emissions, thanks to major investments and ongoing upgrades across our three sites in Burton and Lochmaben.
“With a firm goal of reaching Net Zero by 2040, we are embedding sustainability throughout every department to further benefit and offer transparency to our customers and are exploring ways to engage our entire supply chain in the journey.”
Russell Roof Tiles’ continued success on the road to Net Zero is thanks to its strategic site upgrades and product development. Most recently, the manufacturer strengthened its electric vehicle fleet company-wide with the acquisition of three new Lansing Linde electric forklift trucks. Three years after first investing in electric forklifts as part of its sustainability efforts, this brings the manufacturer’s fleet to 12 in total, replacing old diesel forklift trucks to cut emissions and boost efficiency.
This vehicle upgrade follows the installation of solar panels at its new £18.5m upgraded midlands plant. The new facility is the manufacturer’s largest investment to date, and across the whole operation Russell Roof Tiles is reducing its environmental impact through energy-efficient equipment and sustainable materials, while streamlining production to keep pace with customer needs.
The new facility will also house the manufacturing line of Russell Roof Tiles’ revolutionary concrete roof tile, Bute3®. The first of its kind in the UK, the all-new triple tile has the strength and characteristics of a regular large format tile, speeding up installation time and helping to reduce the carbon output of future projects.
Andrew Hayward, Managing Director at Russell Roof Tiles said: “Another year of outstanding results highlights the powerful impact of our continued efforts to reduce our carbon emissions. We’re focusing not just on our manufacturing impact but also on the influence of our products, which is why we are pleased to be bringing innovations like our Bute3® triple interlocking multipurpose roof tile to the market. With a 20 per cent more efficient production process and 40 per cent fewer deliveries required to site, we’re significantly reducing the environmental impact of our products.”
The manufacturer has been working with external accreditation agency Planet Mark to verify and measure its carbon and social data since the announcement of its Net Zero 2040 target three years ago. This external certification assures customers that the business is taking active steps forward to tackle climate change and reduce carbon emissions in the supply chain. The roof tile manufacturer places a major focus on direct emissions (Scope 1 & 2) through projects such as fossil fuel reduction, energy efficiency, maximising renewables and procuring green energy.
Russell Roof Tiles is a leading independent concrete roof tile manufacturer supplying products for national housebuilders and high-profile social housing and commercial projects. The company produces hundreds of thousands of tiles and related fittings and accessories every week that are used on pitched roofing across the UK.
