Raising the Roof for Continued Carbon Reduction  

AS THE construction industry continues to grapple with the carbon reduction targets outlined in the Government’s Construction 2025 Strategy, roof systems manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles (RRT), is making strides to reduce its environmental impact.

The company is ahead of schedule to reach its net zero 2040 target for the third year running.

In its most recent carbon reduction report, RRT revealed that in 2024, its emissions were 6.7% below target levels, with the firm emitting 2,476.50 tonnes compared to the projected 2,655.27.

Daniel Hancox, Corporate Sustainability & Development Director

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% 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.”

Continued Carbon Reduction  

Russell Roof Tiles’ attributes its continued success on the road to net zero to its 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.

(L-R) Chris Probert of Lansing Linde and Bruce Laidlaw, Operations Director at Russell Roof Tiles

This vehicle upgrade follows the installation of solar panels at its new £18.5m upgraded plant in Burton. The new facility is the manufacturer’s largest investment to date, and across the whole operation RRT is reducing its environmental impact through energy-efficient equipment and sustainable materials, while streamlining production to keep pace with customer needs. The firm is already recruiting for new operatives for the Burton site as it boosts manufacturing output in response to demand for its products.

The installation of 165kW of solar panels and four Solis inverters is helping to power the production facility as work continues on-site, and since its introduction in late 2024 has generated over 20,000kWh of clean electricity for the factory, saving approximately 21.6 tonnes of CO₂ emissions and immediately offsetting energy costs.

Andrew Hayward, Russell Roof Tiles MD

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% more efficient production process and 40% 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.

>> Read more about RRT in the news