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The way water moves from the earth’s surface, into the atmosphere, and back to earth again is called the hydrologic cycle. As technology evolves how we manage and harness water at each stage of this cycle provides us with the solutions to make better use of water and moisture throughout the built environment.
Solutions that work with nature
The hydrologic cycle illustrates how nature deals with rainfall. It is a continuous cycle whereby precipitation becomes surface run off, surface run off goes through the process of evaporation or transpiration, then becoming condensation and the cycle repeats.
At Genuit Group, our products, systems and services are designed to intercept, harness, or manage water at different points of the hydrologic cycle for the benefit of all.
These range from small scale blue-green roofs and tree pits to large storage tanks used for surface water runoff and water management, through to market-leading ventilation systems that manage the progress and effect of moisture in commercial and residential settings. Our solutions aim to provide storage and/or routes for excess water, which can then be released into the environment in the most beneficial way.
Our systems are also designed to enhance the impact of the hydrologic cycle by encouraging biodiversity in built up city environments through water retention systems, or managing the rate of water flow back into natural watercourses to reduce the risk of river flooding.
How Genuit Group systems manage water in all forms
1 . Precipitation
We often experience excessive and unpredictable rain fall and storm weather in the UK, which is only increasing as a result of climate change.
The Permavoid system involves the installation of a tank or network underground. This provides stormwater retention, attenuation, or infiltration. This solution not only provides storage, but also ensures that the water which is fed back into the atmosphere is filtered of any pollutants it has encountered when passing through ground level.
2 . Evaporation/Transpiration
Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation provide a tree root solution, ArborRaft. The solution aims to address the issues often seen in city centres whereby tree roots break through the surface of the road and compromise nearby infrastructure due to lack of space for a healthy root to grow.
ArborRaft serves to reinforce the ground above the root, reserves root growth space, and provides water to surrounding greenery. This protects the natural cycle of water absorption through the root, leading eventually to ‘leaf stomata’ – the release of water as gas.
On a larger scale, Polypipe Civils are expert in creating blue/green roof technology, very popular for office and residential buildings.
While allowing for the natural renewal of water to occur through effective drainage, and encouraging biodiversity, the roof also has some natural heating and cooling properties. This is an important consideration especially amidst the hiking up of utility prices, and recent heatwaves.
3 . Condensation
Condensation within homes and other buildings typically affects kitchens and bathrooms, rooms that involve the use of heated water.
Condensation causes damp. At best, some staining, peeling of wallpaper, cracking of paint will occur. At worst, damp causes harmful mould to grow on walls, ceilings and floors which can cause respiratory issues to the users and structural damage to the building. It also makes the sale of the property difficult.
Adequate ventilation systems are required to eliminate this risk. While opening a window will provide some ventilation, it is not as effective at eliminating condensation as heating solutions for the entire property. When vapourised water does not encounter cold surfaces, condensation will not form.
The most effective and sustainable solution would be MVHR (mechanical ventilation and heat recovery) such as the solutions provided by Nuaire.
These ventilation systems work by taking the hot evaporated air produced in bathrooms and kitchens, combining this with cool air, and dispersing around the house. This provides a more sustainable method of heating or cooling the property whilst preventing against condensation simultaneously.
Genuit Group continue to invest in sustainable innovations which allow us to continue to develop and progress in modern ways, without compromising the environment. We continue to use water management to protect nature, and to provide solutions for infrastructure, for both commercial and domestic use.
For more information about our products and systems, our efforts towards sustainability targets, and to find out about our unique and innovative businesses, visit: https://www.genuitgroup.com/business/
Research shows that 63 of the largest cities and towns in the UK generate 45% of all carbon emissions in the country.
At Genuit, we want to explore the concept of ‘Sustainable Cities’ and what type of investment is needed to ensure that we meet carbon net-zero targets, and consistent with our own Net Zero commitment.
The objective of the national Net Zero strategy, published in 2021, is for the UK to lead the world in carbon reduction, and to slow the effects of climate change – which is a particular problem for large urban areas.
Cities are centres of carbon production, with many aspects of modern living contributing to this, including the lack of green space and the concentrated population. There are efforts under way to reduce these pressures and sustainable building is one of the top priorities.
Sustainability in construction
Sustainable building is at the heart of what Genuit businesses do and there are many ongoing initiatives across the Genuit Group that contribute to reducing carbon emissions.
With many innovations aiming to limit the embodied carbon, Genuit businesses have taken steps to become more sustainable and are also working hard to create solutions to existing problems.
Ineffective water management is a major issue arising from the ever-expanding nature of the city, and of growing urban populations.
The damaging effects of this come when green spaces are replaced with buildings and infrastructure which is not designed to effectively deal with surface water. This results in water run-off, which adds strain to sewer systems, increases temperature and starves the green life in our cities of water and clean air.
Polypipe Civils and Green Urbanisation works with planners, developers and landscape architects to bring green spaces back to urban centres – including providing green roof technology which encourages thriving ecosystems.
Green roofs have been cited as ‘a key to mitigating climate change’. The main benefits are:
• Reducing energy consumption
• Insulating buildings during colder months
• Absorbing heat during hotter months
• Using surface water to encourage eco-systems
Polypipe Civils has taken this one step further with their Blue Green Roof technology. While still ensuring irrigation and drainage, Blue Green roofs focus on water storage, and the intelligent release of water.
Managing urban water
Another solution from within the Genuit Group is Permavoid. This is a solution designed to deal with stormwater in already built-up urban locations.
While permeable paving absorbs surface water, it does not account for where the water will go once it has sunk beneath the paving.
The Permavoid solution involves installing both a tank, and a filtration system beneath the paving, where silt and debris will be filtered out before the water is fed into the storage tank. The water is then released at a manageable rate into the most viable or beneficial destination – whether this be river, sewer, or used for nearby trees and other plants that line the streets.
Also contributing to the future of sustainable cities is the ArborRaft system. This is a geocellular raft system that aims to provide adequate space for tree roots to grow in hard landscapes.
A lot of pressure is often put on existing tree roots to reinforce the manmade structures around them. This often results in compaction of the soil surrounding the root, leaving no space for growth.
The ArborRaft system prevents damage to the root structure, by absorbing the pressure of the load placed upon them. This permits root growth of both existing and newly planted trees.
Businesses across the Genuit Group are developing innovations that will create a positive impact on the environment while also promoting economic growth.
Research published in April 2022 from the University of the Basque Country shows that the European construction sector was responsible for 38% of greenhouse gas emissions and that, from these emissions, 11% is calculated to be currently embodied in building materials.
The construction industry in the UK has made steps forward in recent years to address the two main factors of these emissions – particularly with regard to carbon which is the most common greenhouse gas emitted.
The main factors influencing the carbon emissions are the manufacturing of materials and heating and cooling of finished buildings.
Current techniques for manufacturing legacy construction materials such as steel and concrete produce considerable carbon emissions – and the UK’s heat supply, will require a radical shift from carbon-based to renewable and other lower carbon forms of energy.
Heat and buildings
The UK government published its Heat and buildings strategy in 2021. This strategy "sets out how the UK will decarbonise our homes, and our commercial, industrial and public sector buildings".
It states that heating the 30 million buildings in the UK contributes to almost a quarter of UK emissions. The government plans to address the carbon emissions produced in heating and powering our homes, workplaces and public buildings.
One pillar of the strategy is enabling buildings to be heated using renewable and low carbon electricity.
Designers and developers are looking to low carbon heating technologies such as heat pumps, heat networks and underfloor heating.
Designers are also incorporating more creative low carbon design features into new buildings such as green roofs and walls that can absorb carbon dioxide and excess rainwater.
Retrofitting current buildings to improve energy efficiency is also a key factor. Improving insulation, LED lighting and efficient glazing can have a big impact on reducing the carbon footprint of existing buildings, as well as ensuring their sustainability in the future.
Digital technologies
Construction is not alone as most heavy industry faces challenges in meeting net zero targets. Construction's particular challenges come from the fact that it is a heavy carbon emitter and is in the public eye.
To tackle this, UK construction companies have taken measures to reduce carbon emissions. Many businesses are adopting digital technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and the creation of digital twins of physical buildings.
BIM can help the construction industry in achieving sustainability goals by creating a virtual 3D model with data that performs energy-usage calculations; compares building materials to find what best fulfils sustainable requirements; develops and tests site logistic plans, and analyses water and lighting for best optimisation.
By adapting to the latest technology, Genuit has reduced like-for-like carbon intensity by 44% during 2021. This is excellent progress toward our 2025 goal of a 66% reduction. We have also signed up to the ambitious 1.5 degree warming target as part of our Pledge to Net Zero, and are submitting our Science Based Targets and milestones this summer.
Operating sustainably is now deeply embedded across our businesses and within our culture.
To read more about our record on sustainability and reducing carbon see our 2021 Annual Report.
One of the key solutions to addressing the factors contributing to the climate crisis is a transition to Circular Economy.
Converting to an approach relying on goods that naturally eliminate waste, circulate materials and regenerate nature can help to solve a number of interlinked environmental crises. This includes biodiversity loss and food waste and the over-extraction of natural resources.
We need to adapt and use the technology and knowledge at our disposal to build a better system. We need to move away from the unsustainable and linear ‘take, make and waste’ model. A model that has been at the heart of human production and consumption for generations.
Currently the extraction, production and end-of-life management of resources accounts for more than two-thirds of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. (Source)
Construction industry
Across the Genuit Group, our businesses are endeavouring to lead the plastics and construction products industry in recycling and waste management by becoming a zero-to-waste operation, to advance this transition to the Circular Economy.
We are a signatory of the Operation Clean Sweep initiative, led in the UK by the British Plastics Federation. We are committed to ensure that plastic pellets, flakes and powders that pass through manufacturing facilities in the UK are effectively stored and managed to prevent escape into waterways and the wider environment.
Reducing waste
As part of our commitment to the transition to a circular economy, 46% of our processed polymer comes from recycled sources. But - our ambition is to reach 62% of tonnage from recycled plastics by 2025, as well as become a fully zero-to-landfill operation across all businesses in the group.
According to the Centre for International Environment Law, emissions from plastics production and incineration could account to 56 billion tons of carbon between now and 2050. This equates to between 10-13 percent of the entire remaining carbon budget identified by leading international expertise.
The role of manufacturers such as those found across the group should be to take single use and short-term use plastic products (such as bottles and packaging) to transform this resource into something with a useful carbon life of hundreds of years.
Turning otherwise wasted material back into a useful resource with higher societal value. This in turn reduces the amount of fresh material that needs to be manufactured to meet demand.
Circular construction
We are working with influential industry partners and trade organisations to help shape the regulatory agenda to enable more recycled product to be used in innovative ways.
The challenge is critical, but the opportunity is clear: by keeping plastic materials in a closed loop and enabling the plastic to stay at a high enough quality to be reused. This greatly reduces the need to produce new polymer material.
The environmental impact could be huge. Ensuring less raw material needs to be extracted means a potential 39% reduction in greenhouse gases.
It is also a responsible policy to ensure the future stability and prosperity of the construction sector and wider manufacturing.
The economy is seen as the ‘flywheel’ for positive change. And by harnessing the power of international economy and interlinked interests, we can strive to fix the climate.
Recent reports suggest embodied carbon will form more than half of all built environment emissions by 2035. To tackle this, the UK Government announced that all new buildings must reduce their carbon emissions by a third. [Source]
Building Regulations were amended to enforce a 30% cut on emissions from new homes and a 27% cut on other buildings. The new rules will come into force in June 2022. [Source]
Embodied Carbon Vs Operational Carbon
Carbon dioxide in construction can come from various sources. These sources are more than just the energy required to provide heating, lighting, cooling and ventilation throughout the life of the completed building.
These operational emissions are important. But there is increasing focus on the embodied emissions associated with all the non-operational aspects of a building. This includes those from the extraction, manufacture and assembly of a building’s materials and components, repair and maintenance.
The carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere contributing to the greenhouse effect and consequently climate change. It is for this reason that Genuit is committed to the objective of achieving a low-carbon construction economy.
Across the Genuit Group we are striving to improve sustainability in the construction world with activities to reduce embedded carbon. As well as signing up to Science Based Targets 1.5°C pledge - we have ambitious targets that we aim to hit by 2025.
We are holding ourselves accountable by setting a clear strategy and measuring progress against the targets which include ensuring 62 per cent of our plastic products (by tonnage) are made from recycled plastics; the carbon content of products using recycled polymer is a fraction of products made from virgin materials.
We have also committed to a 66 per cent reduction on carbon dioxide emissions by 2025 as part of our pledge to net zero carbon.
Genuit Group businesses are looking at the lifecycle of products - how many years will that product work before being replaced, and can the product be recycled or reused?
We have also been taking action with regard to manufacturing processes. Moving to low carbon methods through renewable energy, with supply chains established more locally.
Recycle and Reuse
Polypipe Civils and Green Urbanisation, for example, has invested heavily and optimised its own recycling and polymer processing plant. The Group is now the largest recycler within the European piping industry.
We have not wavered in our commitment to reducing operational carbon either. Nu-Heat, UFCM and Polypipe Building Products are encouraging customers to switch to renewable sources for heating systems as they manufacture and install low-carbon, low-energy underfloor heating in homes and businesses across the nation. Adey are the market leaders in magnetic filters, which ensure energy efficient operation of water based heating systems. Adey filters are a low cost option for retro fitting and reducing the carbon impact of existing systems.
This can have a direct impact on reducing carbon footprint of customers. It demonstrates that Genuit Group is taking a holistic view to reduce carbon in the construction industry. From manufacture - to supply chain - to the operation and life of the building.
To find out more about how Genuit is supporting the transition to low carbon construction, get in touch.
The increasing effects of climate change are testing the limits of our infrastructure, including drainage systems. Within the built environment sector, it has been a matter of national debate that the country’s drainage networks are facing challenges as the intensity of rainfall increases and a demand for new housing continues to rise.
It’s vital to adapt to the changing situation before us and discover sustainable methods of reducing the pressure on the sewerage network. At the Genuit Group, we are committed to helping the built environment sector achieve these goals and make a difference.
What is happening to our drainage system?
More adverse weather events are beginning to push the boundaries of what conventional drainage and sewerage systems can handle. Increased surface water runoff is contributing to overloaded sewers and more pollutants entering our rivers and streams. Designers are obliged to consider what were considered extreme and unlikely events, as being probable, and with increased impact.
As areas become more populated, urban and residential water management and drainage is going to become more important and is now a key focus for the Government. Studies from the Met Office show that from 2010-2019, summers in the UK were 13% wetter than the period of 1961-1990. Solid evidence that as the effects of climate change have greater impact on society, urgent action needs to be taken to combat these risks at ground level.
If water drains into our water courses, rather than being absorbed by the ground, the likes of river flooding is much more likely. What’s more, surface water flooding is more likely when rainfall sits on the surface rather than running away through the right drainage systems. It’s particularly common in urban areas, where there are more impermeable surfaces like concrete or tarmac.
What are the solutions?
Innovative flood water drainage systems can help to mitigate the effects of climate change, allowing us to adapt and make sustainable changes to the infrastructure of our cities and towns. These systems must be created to better cope with a warmer and wetter world.
Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) can allow rainwater to be absorbed by the ground through features like ponds, rather than flowing into the sewer network. Previously, one of the major obstructions in creating SuDS has been uncertainty around long-term maintenance of the systems, but this is changing.
There are also emerging geocellular systems that can help with water storage and alleviation of localised flooding and surface water management. Geocellular structures are designed to store excess water when there is heavy rainfall and the excessive flowing water cannot immediately drain into sewers or off-site drainage.
Solutions from Polypipe Civils and Green Urbanisation, Permavoid and Plura Innovations have been created to offer sustainable water management and drainage. Permavoid helps to create a circular, nature based solution for sustainable management in metropolitan areas, while solutions from Polypipe Civils and Green Urbanisation offer a range of solutions for different needs, including surface water retention, infiltration, surface water treatment and flow control devices.
The increase in green urbanisation
As the pressures increase on our urban areas, the value of green spaces becomes even more important. Green urbanisation can provide a way of integrating solution to improve air quality, wellbeing and water management for the chance to adapt our cities and mitigate the effects of climate change.
The right green urbanisation solutions can be utilised to better control the flow of water and reduce any excessive surface water, while also sustainably storing necessary water supplies. In time, this allows us to create a more sustainable place to live.
Water is the world’s most valuable resource, with many sources of water having the responsibility of sustaining life. Creating on-site solutions for sustainable water management is just one step in making sure our communities are playing their role in reducing the effects of climate change. To find out more about how Genuit are making this a reality, get in touch.
Statistics from the following sources:
In June 2019, the UK became the first major economy to pass a net zero carbon emissions law, with a target to bring all greenhouse emissions to net zero by 2050. The net zero target is one of the most ambitious in the world, and will require balancing emissions with schemes to offset the equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, including planting trees or carbon capture and storage methods.
COP26 aimed to coordinate global parties in order to accelerate action towards reducing these nations’ impact of climate change on the planet.
In the wake of the government announcing its Net Zero strategy and with COP26 complete, the Genuit Group is committed to reaching the government’s carbon reduction target by 2030 and is setting course for achieving net zero carbon emissions in the next thirty years.
The group is one of the largest construction products manufacturers to make the commitment under the Business Ambition 1.5°C campaign.
The Business Ambition 1.5°C initiative is seen as the international gold standard of environmental target setting. It aims to get companies to set carbon emission reduction targets that are in line with the latest scientific guidance.
It is so important for major UK construction manufacturers to take the lead in transforming the way we build and influence how we live to secure a better future for our environment. Here's why:
The carbon impact of the built environment
The built environment is a major source of carbon emissions, both in its production and the overall building lifecycle. In fact, this industry contributes around 27% of the UK’s total carbon footprint1. Half of this comes from energy used in buildings and infrastructure. What’s more, the way buildings are heated results in around 10% of the nation’s carbon footprint, due to burning fossil fuels for electricity and heat. To achieve the target of net zero emissions, it’s important to change the way buildings are heated and continue to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.
There is a growing recognition that it is more sustainable to refit and repurpose existing buildings and assets than opt for demolition, and if the scale moves towards retrofit over new-build, an increasing volume of carbon will remained captured in place.
Retrofitting will become a much larger sector, with more than 270,000 homes needing to be upgraded in the North of England alone by 2035 to contribute towards UK’s net zero ambition2.
Renewable technologies for heating systems
Heat pumps, both ground, and air source versions, and solar water heating, are just some examples of renewable technologies that can be used to reduce carbon emissions from households. These avenues can provide a way for the built environment to offer low carbon heating solutions.
Heat pumps typically use less fossil fuels than most other systems, working by absorbing heat from a source and transferring it to a fluid. The heat is usually transferred from fluid to water, which is then used to provide heating typically via underfloor heating systems, and hot water.
Solar water heating works by taking advantage of solar panels fitted to the roof. The panels collect the heat from the sun to heat the water in a hot water cylinder. This is a renewable heating system and can provide hot water throughout the year. However, you may still need a boiler or immersion heater to boost the temperature during the winter.
The key to success is in developing the skills base to undertake this work. This means retraining contractors and heating engineers. Despite the daunting scale of the task, demand for learning the skills is high. One scheme – the People Powered Retrofit project in Manchester – is hosting webinars with 1,000 people signing in to find out how they can get to work.
Incentives and support schemes
The Government has proposed a number of schemes to provide financial incentives to switch to low carbon heating solutions. The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) will provide quarterly payments over 15 years, based on the amount of biomethane that is injected into the gas grid. This will help to increase the proportion of green gas in the grid, leading to lower carbon emissions.
Similarly, the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) means many homeowners could claim for biomass boilers, solar water heating and heat pumps. Payments are based on the amount of renewable heat made by the heating system.
The UK Green Building Council (UKBGC) is also bullish about the prospect of achieving net zero. The UKBGC launched the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap which has modelled the emissions reduction potential for a wide range of future actions. It is encouraging that the calculations demonstrate that achieving net zero is possible, but it will only be delivered through robust policy and regulation.
In terms of finance, the tide is turning with more and more capital being directly linked to sustainability targets and action. Currently more than 100 equity issuers, including Genuit Group, listed on the London Stock Exchange hold the Green Economy Mark. This recognises issuers that generate more than 50% of revenues from green products and services3. This emphasises the direction many businesses are taking, as they aim to change to low carbon business models moving forward.
To find out more about what the Genuit Group is doing to reduce its global impact, get in touch.
1 UK Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap data published in Building magazine (15.10.21)
2Retrofitting: why carbon-reducing renovations are going to be big business published in The Guardian(18.08.21)
3 https://www.londonstockexchange.com/raise-finance/equity/green-economy-mark
One of the largest risks to public health is poor air quality. In fact, the health impacts of air pollution have been the catalyst for a major improvement in air quality in the UK, even prior to the pandemic.
Understanding the air pollutants that are present and the effects of short and long-term exposure can help to further drive the importance of delivering clean, healthy air. We take a look at this in more detail, and what can be done to tackle poor air quality.
The presence of air pollutants
Air pollution is a complex combination of particles and gases, which can be both natural and of human origin. The two major components of urban air pollution in particular are particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide.
The main sources of particulate matter include the combustion of fuels, tyre and brake wear, fires involving burning vegetation and sea spray particles. Nitrogen dioxide is also produced by combustion processes. Some of the largest sources include diesel emissions from vehicles, power generation and domestic heating.
The presence of these air pollutants are known to have a negative impact on public health, with long term exposure leading to a variety of illnesses. If something isn’t done to tackle air pollution, it could lead to huge consequences for future generations. That is why we set about to develop our Growth Drivers, more of which can be found in our sustainable solutions section of the site.
The importance of air quality in a post-Covid world
The impact of the pandemic has had far-reaching consequences in many aspects of our lives, particularly when it comes to ventilation and clean air. There are now urgent calls for buildings to have improved ventilation, in order to reduce the risk of transmission.
Moving forward it’s clear that more emphasis will be placed on how buildings can ventilate and circulate air, with the idea of getting fresh air from outside and removing used air inside the building.
Effects of air pollutants on human health
Air pollutants generally have a negative effect on the eyes, nose and throat, lungs and respiratory system and the heart. This can cause serious illnesses include respiratory conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. There is emerging evidence that air pollution may also contribute to dementia, low birth weight and Type 2 diabetes.
In terms of hard hitting facts, Public Health England has estimated that long-term exposure to man-made air pollution has an annual effect equivalent to 28,000-36,000 deaths in the UK.
Whilst we rightly try to address the sources of pollution, the construction and built environments sectors have a responsibility to discover new products and systems that can mitigate and adapt to the effects of air pollution, in order to create a healthier and happier world. Developing ventilation and heating systems that can help to produce cleaner air is key in promoting positive health benefits in the long term.
Improving the UK’s air quality
In October 2020, data revealed that 75% of reporting zones across the UK still had illegal levels of air pollution. However, it has also been revealed that even a small reduction in fine particulate air pollution in England could prevent thousands of cases of coronary heart disease, strokes, asthma and lung cancers over an 18-year period.
Reducing fine particulate air pollution can be achieved by switching to greener alternatives for heat and ventilation, reducing harmful exposure inside buildings. Installing systems that provide an efficient filtration system can remove up to 75% of harmful particulate matter, instead delivering cleaner, filtered air into both commercial and domestic buildings.
With that in mind, improving air quality is vital in reducing health impacts, helping people to live longer and healthier lives. Everyone has a role to play, and there are now increasingly accessible solutions that can provide filtration systems for homes, offices and schools. Nuaire, part of the Genuit Group, have been leading the way in this area for decades.
From building design to road traffic management, it’s important that we now begin to design healthier environments within urban areas, creating more greener spaces for us now and for future generations.
To find out more about how Genuit is making this a reality, get in touch.
Statistics taken from the following sources:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-air-pollution/health-matters-air-pollution
