Can you briefly tell us about Wallenstam's sustainability work?
- We want to contribute to a better society, both today and for future generations. Sustainability is at the heart of our business and we believe that integrated sustainability and strong community engagement go hand in hand with long-term profitability.
To clarify our sustainability ambitions, we have chosen to link our climate targets, endorsed by the Science Based Targets initiative, to our business plan which extends to 2030.
Under these targets, we will reduce our scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030, with 2018 as the base year. We have also set a voluntary scope 3 target to reduce emissions from new construction by 55%, with 2019 as the base year.
Using Plant's tool, Wallenstam was able to calculate the outcome of various proposed changes in the project and thus guide us in which materials or changes we should prioritize.
Wallenstam significantly reduced CO2 emissions in all scoops last year. What initiatives led to that?
- Before we could set the targets, we needed to measure and calculate, to see what our actual emissions were. This is a very important first step as it is only when you know what you are starting from that you can set targets and start reducing your emissions.
Our climate targets have been adopted by both Wallenstam's Group Management and Board of Directors and are part of our business plan. This makes it clear to the whole company where the company stands on the issue and where we will go together. Collaboration within the company has been crucial. We have identified key actions and implemented them in our daily work. This has created a clear structure to gradually reduce our emissions.
How has the collaboration with Plant affected Wallenstam's sustainability work?
- Wallenstam signed a framework agreement with Plant in 2021. In 2023, we developed a climate roadmap for scope 3 in collaboration with Plant. In the roadmap, annual interim goals have been set to achieve our final goal, reducing our emissions by 55%.
In all our new productions, climate calculations are made using Plant's tools. Based on the calculations, the project manager can adjust the choice of materials and the quantities of materials to be used in the project in order to achieve the target. An example of a measure we have chosen is to choose climate-enhanced concrete. Thanks to the climate calculations, we can report our annual emissions from new construction.
Plant has been a very good partner in this work and has been responsive to our wishes regarding the design of both the process and the layout of the report.
What challenges have been encountered and how have you overcome them?
- Reducing emissions is a major challenge for Wallenstam. One of the biggest challenges has been to ensure that we invest in the measures that provide the best return on investment. With the help of Plant's tools, we have been able to analyze different scenarios and identify which materials and measures have been most effective.
Which climate projections have been most valuable?
- To get an even better handle on our emissions, we conducted a pilot project to calculate our emissions from a reuse project. Here we made great use of Plant's new Remodel tenant fit-out tool. With the help of the tool, we were able to compare the emission levels with and without reuse and thereby gain better insights for future projects.
What are Wallenstam's plans to further reduce carbon emissions and achieve the 2030 targets?
- Our climate roadmap continues to guide project managers in making environmentally friendly choices. It is also important that we are responsive to what is happening in the market and see what innovations are coming. Recently, we joined a recycling hub that we believe and hope will help the whole industry move towards a more circular economy.
