Norbord now holds a net carbon negative status across all its products and operations, locking up more CO2 than it emits. Leading the way in tackling the issue of climate change, the company’s four European sites and three product ranges sequester a total of 1.1m tonnes of carbon annually.
While carbon neutrality means that an activity releases net zero carbon emissions into the atmosphere, carbon negativity signifies that an activity goes beyond achieving net zero carbon emissions. This creates an environmental benefit by not releasing carbon dioxide that would ordinarily be released into the atmosphere.
As timber is the main component of Norbord’s products, carbon is sequestered and locked up for the life of the board.
The confirmation of Norbord’s carbon negative status comes after more than a year of analysis and independent verification, although it is evident that many Norbord products have been carbon negative for significantly longer.
All Norbord products have Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). These independently verified and registered documents communicate transparent and comparable information about the product’s lifecycle environmental impact. The lifecycle analysis accounts for all stages from forest to merchant, including harvesting, production, sales and logistics.
Steve Roebuck, director, EHS, Norbord Europe, believes “carbon dioxide emissions are one of the most significant drivers of climate change and there is an urgent need for products and businesses to achieve carbon neutrality in order to meet the UK’s aim to be carbon neutral by 2050. Norbord’s carbon negative status means we’ve not only already achieved this goal but have gone significantly further, clearly demonstrating our determination to be a market leader in sustainable, climate-friendly products”.
