Sustainability

Building for generations

Our generation faces the huge responsibility of leaving our grandchildren with a liveable planet. At Knauf, we have embraced this challenge and have set about being an industry leader in sustainable construction.

Almost 100 years ago, two brothers laid the foundations for Knauf. The same family has made the organisation the global leader it is today. Along this journey, we have fostered values of responsible entrepreneurship: For nature, when we recultivate quarries, we take care of how we leave a place after our intervention. For our employees, whose wellbeing and development we put first in more than the 90 countries where we operate. For communities, partners, and future customers - by offering training and taking responsibility for the social and environmental conditions in our supply chain.

Our products

Knauf plasterboard is durable, long lasting, and is infinitely recyclable.

The same is true of our metal systems, built to last and recyclable.

We work with our customer to reduce their on-site waste and increase their recycling through our Take Back Scheme Partnership.

Thinking in generations and working sustainably has been a key attribute of our family business from the very start. We are free to make bold decisions, whose benefits will only be felt by our children and grandchildren.

Our Goal

Our goal is to reach net-zero carbon five years ahead of the Paris agreement, by 2045. We will cut directly controlled (Scope 1 and 2) CO₂ emissions in half, in less than ten years from now, when we celebrate Knauf's 100th birthday in 2032.

By that time, we will also have reduced our water withdrawals by a fifth and ceased to produce any waste to disposal from our plants, quarries, and mines.

Beyond our targets, we are integrating sustainability into our culture, our operations, and our solutions. The Knauf family of businesses goes beyond providing construction materials. Our sustainable solutions live in homes and workplaces; the places people call 'home'.

The Knauf Group has set ambitious global goals for each of the Knauf businesses worldwide to follow to help us collectively make a change to our world.

Product range

Our XPS laminates provide energy saving through enhanced performance (with a thermal conductivity rating of 0.033W/mK).
Gypsum is infinitely recyclable, and Knauf offers a Take Back Scheme for enhanced recycling options.
AQUAPANEL® prevents tile failures and associated waste from damaged materials
Airless Finish is a ready-mixed alternative to traditional gypsum plastering for reduced water to be added on site, with less than 1% waste, reduced working at height risks and trace silica and VOC's (<0.01%).
Brio dry screed boards reduce the ongoing energy usage of a building by improving the efficiency of underfloor heating systems
Our high performance plasterboards reduce the number of layers of plasterboard needed for a given performance, which reduces raw material and resources in production and transportation.

Our factories

Our efficient factories in Sittingbourne and Immingham are continuing to investigate and invest in ways to reduce our impact on the environment, through water reduction in production, more efficient use of raw materials, and heat recovery systems to minimise energy wastage.

Factory efficiency

Insulated with energy-efficient lighting throughout
Production equipment designed for energy efficiency, utilising waste heat from combustion processes wherever possible
We are assessing and evaluating alternative energy supplies and low carbon fuels
Our management systems are certified to ISO 14001 at both of our sites, and we hold accreditation for responsible sourcing with BES 6001

Knauf UK Accreditations

ISO 14001 Certified

Both of our production sites are ISO 14001 certified for our Environmental Management Systems. This internationally recognised ISO standard shows we are taking proactive measures to minimise our environmental footprint (through efficient use of resources and reduction of waste), comply with legal requirements, and achieve our environmental objectives, demonstrating our commitment to sustainability.

BES 6001 Certified

We hold BES 6001 certification for responsible sourcing, demonstrating our supply chain management and product stewardship.

Supply Chain Sustainability School Gold

Knauf are proud to be accredited with the gold badge from the Supply Chain Sustainability School, showing our commitment to educating our colleagues and working in partnership with our supply chain on topics within sustainability.

Planet Mark Emissions & Social Value certification

Since 2021, we have had our Scope 1 & Scope 2 emissions, and our social value data externally validated by Planet Mark, who help us to measure and monitor our progress.

Our highlights for our 2023 report are:

Scope 1 & 2 carbon reduction of 10,205 tCO2e (-9.2%) vs 2022

Social value £2,888,977 (+85% vs 2022)

You can find our latest certification here:

Download Our Planet Mark Certification

Useful Resources

You can find all of our company certification here