Our Changing Environment

Hambleside Danelaw and the Environment

There now appears to be little scientific doubt that global warming is happening. People and organisations need to take action to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions which cause the global temperature to rise.

Dating back to 2001, the Hambleside group has been developing one of the most all embracing environmental strategies of any SME company. For full information on our environmental policies and targets please download our brochure by clicking here.

As the majority of its product range is manufactured from oil based materials, resins, and varying forms of plastic, Hambleside is acutely aware of the fact that it is using a finite raw material. This has been the key driver behind the Group’s approach to sustainability.

Benefit the environment – choose products carefully

The manufacturer, designer, contractor, sub contractors and the developer can now work together to ensure that a building is constructed to the highest possible environmental standard, not only at the point of hand over to the occupier, but throughout the service life of the building.

Questions you SHOULD be asking	Hambleside
Are the manufacturer’s environmental policies independently verified?
Does the manufacturer incorporate its environmental policies into a wider Corporate Social Responsibility policy?
Does the manufacturer have a greenhouse gas emission offset scheme?
Is that offset scheme independently certified and transferable to the customer?
Are the manufacturer’s carbon offset calculations independently verified?
Will the manufacturer take responsibility for products disposal at end of service life?
Does the product in use have a positive environmental impact? For example, replace lead, or provide a high degree of insulation.
Do the manufactured products have an element of sustainable or recycled materials used within their production?
Is it possible to source the products within the UK?
Can the products be traced back to the manufacturer for future reference and identification?
Do the products have a long service life built into their design to minimise replacement during the building’s service life?
Is there a clear, traceable route for the recycling of the product at end of life?

dCarbon8

As part of its corporate and social responsibilty commitment to the environment, the group has become a member of the dCarbon8 plan. Hambleside has developed strong policies to ensure that its production processes and its products during their service life minimise their impact upon the environment.

Currently the group is the only roof light manufacturer to offset its greenhouse gas emmisions to the extent of 110% making its products Planet Positive™.

For further information please click here.

Environmental Environmental issues are viewed with considerable importance and the Group’s management systems are BS EN ISO 14001: 2004 approved. It has a dynamic policy to ensure landfill waste is reduced year on year and its products are designed to be recyclable. Recent 2006 awards such as the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation and the Business Commitment to the Environment demonstrate that Group is playing an active role in encouraging environmental practices to help reduce energy costs and waste pollution.

Click here to download a PDF on our current position on greenhouse gases, reducing electricity consumption and using using renewable resources as well as recycling and waste management.

Fridge-style energy ratings for buildings from October 2008

The Government has announced that from October 2008, all buildings that are constructed, sold or rented out will need to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which will give an energy rating from A-G and recommendations on how to reduce carbon emissions. The changes are part of new regulations, implementing the EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Click here to view the full story.

Valley trough development

As part of its ongoing commitment to the environment,  the Group has recently introduced new technology allowing it to use recycled materials within the manufacturing processes of its market leading Stormforce 225 valley trough product range. 

This new sophisticated technology required an investment in excess of a quarter of a million pounds and is believed to be the first of its type within the UK.  Hambleside has also introduced facilities to be able to recycle these valleys at the end of their service life, which is part of its policy of taking environmental responsibility for the products it manufactures.

Lobbying on climate change

Hambleside Danelaw is concerned that not enough is being done to address the fact that almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions come from buildings and it has been lobbying for tax incentives to encourage the construction of energy-efficient buildings.

In 2006, the Group made submissions to the high-profile Stern review on the economics of climate change and it met a Treasury minister to discuss the case for tax incentives.  Stern was generally more supportive of punitive taxes against those who exceed regulatory limits on carbon emissions than tax incentives for those whose emissions are inside the limits. But in the case of the technology market failure in the construction industry, it agreed with Hambleside that direct financial incentives may be the answer.

Stern recognised that while architects may be knowledgeable about sustainable technologies, the lack of a coordinated approach within the industry remains a ‘key barrier’ to progress.  Hambleside Danelaw strongly supports the report’s conclusion that by paying a little more now, one will save a great deal more later.  It believes that this mitigation argument is particularly applicable to the construction industry where many builders still spurn using insulated materials that comply with the Building Regulations in order to save on costs.  The Group has proposed to the Treasury that the Industrial Buildings Allowance regime should be reformed to incentivise sustainable development in the non-domestic building sector.   

Since the start of this year, the Environmental Audit Committee in the House of Commons has taken up the issue as part of its inquiry into the Government’s response to Stern.  The Government has announced measures to encourage the building of zero-carbon new homes, but it has yet to be persuaded to provide incentives in respect of commercial and industrial buildings.  The Treasury has said however that it would welcome further representations on the matter.

Click here to read press release (dated 20.2.07).