BUILD Construction & Engineering Awards 2020 Construction & Engineering Awards 2020 BUILD 62 63 Aug20303 Sustainable Building Materials Provider of the Year 2020 he climate crisis is one that requires the whole world to play a part. This is not just at a governmental level – everyone must contribute. With a rising population, the need to ensure that buildings can be constructed in a way that causes as little damage to the environment as possible in every respect is becoming more and more important. Accsys transforms fast-growing, FSC® certified sustainable wood into building material products with characteristics that match or better those of man-made, intensely resource depleting and heavily carbon-polluting alternatives. These products don’t just compete on performance, but also benefit the circular economy, locking away carbon for years, and are sourced from completely sustainable forests. The team has achieved this by using its proprietary acetylation process. This increases the already naturally-occurring acetyl content of wood and, by doing so, reduces the ability of the wood to absorb water. As a result, the wood is more dimensionally stable and extremely durable. The solid wood product that the team manufacture is Accoya®, and it has the distinction of being Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold. This means that the product itself, and how Accsys produces it, have been examined and scored on categories including material health, material reutilisation, renewable energy & carbon management, water stewardship and social fairness. Aside from Accoya, the Accsys team also manufacture a highly innovative wood chip product. Tricoya® is made from acetylated wood chips, which are used by wood panel manufacturing partners to create ‘MDF’ type panels. These panels combine the usability and versatility of MDF with the same impressive performance qualities of Accoya®: a panel product suitable for wet and humid environments. Increasing demand for wood from Accsys could be seen as a way of using supplies that are fast depleting, but the team has taken care to ensure that both Accoya® and Tricoya® are made from fast-growing, certified responsibly sourced and managed trees. As the trees grow, they convert atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis into timber, before being felled and new trees planted in their place. As a consequence, CO2 is locked out of the natural carbon cycle during the lifespan of the wood or wood product. Typically, through eventual decay or incineration, the carbon will eventually be released again into the atmosphere. With the climate argument one of the most pressing issues of the day, it’s clear that the building industry must change to avoid a planetary catastrophe. A key part of this is the materials used on projects. The team at Accsys champion the use of wood, sourced sustainably and acetylated to create long-lasting, high-performance building products. We dig a little deeper into this astonishing company that is quite literally ‘changing wood to change the world’. T Products from Accsys have a low or sometimes even negative CO2 cost for their life cycles, don’t become a toxic or non- biodegradable waste problem, and the trees are actually renewable several times over within the products’ lifetime. By creating a more sustainable alternative to other popular materials - that still meets the demands of builders, architects, consumers and specifiers - Accsys provides a solution to those wanting to make sustainable choices for their building materials. This approach comes from a strong belief in social responsibility and the driving force that sustainability has become in the marketplace. When people choose to buy from Accsys, they make a positive impact on the world at large. This positive impact has allowed the business to grow quickly. People are interested in the work that they do and the world that they are trying to build. It’s fair to say that sustainability is in the DNA of the Accsys business. Chemistry, technology and ingenuity has been combined to create new high performance, non-toxic wood products that are extremely durable and stable, opening new opportunities for the built environment. By doing so, they give the world a choice to build sustainably. As outlined in their most recent Annual Report, Accsys have recently engaged a third-party sustainability consultancy to help the business assess and identify Accsys’ material issues and assist in developing their ESG strategy. Part of the output is the Accsys 2020 Sustainability Report which was launched at end of November. The report highlights the most relevant material issues to Accsys and their stakeholders, as well as setting out the company’s approach to each issue, strengthening their already impressive product credentials. Particularly noticeable from the report is Accsys’ contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (‘SDGs’), with strong focus towards goals 9,11,12,13 and 15. The importance of this ESG review and strategy development cannot be understated. It’s a commitment to, and sign of, the dedication that Accsys has to growth, and growth that will work sustainably. This commitment has not only been key to the firm’s expansion, but is central to Accsys’ operations, products and ambitions. It’s a regular topic at both the Executive Committee and Board levels, and is a key differentiator for products in the market. People want to buy Accsys products not only because of their high performance but also because they are sustainable. The green heart at the core of Accsys isn’t just attractive up and down the value chain, it draws in talent that other businesses of a similar size simply couldn’t bring in. Many turn to Accsys because they share their values and approach to the environment, and see the company as a way of being involved in making a true difference. One of the challenges for the growing firm has been to develop their shared culture, strategy and values across all areas of the organisation. The last year has seen good progress in that area, as the team have developed and introduced an evolved corporate identity with a shared purpose, vision and values. As the business continues to thrive, this shared vision will develop and embed further over the months and years ahead. Of course, it would be remiss to not mention the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The business has worked hard to effectively manage the impacts of COVID-19, first and foremost ensuring that its people are kept safe. New working practices and changing workspace and site workflow have all been implemented and remote working is very much part of the new normal. The business has been able to operate with agility, particularly with sales and marketing where actions were taken to mitigate disruption and target changing consumer trends. In all, Accsys offers customers something truly unique. Its products go above and beyond, looking to serve the needs of tomorrow, today. With a strong sense of purpose and a clear strategy that flows throughout the entire company, it’s no surprise that the business has made a name for itself with the world’s most sustainable, high performance wood brands. Company: Accsys Technologies PLC Contact: George Neel Web Address: https://www.accsysplc.com/ Email:
[email protected]