Reynaers Aluminium is calling for a wider focus on sustainability, challenging the established view in the construction sector that embodied carbon is central to achieving long-term sustainability.

In a new campaign ‘Sustainability. From Every Angle’ the aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling manufacturer calls for a more holistic view to sustainable building design considering all factors through the lifetime of the building.

Embodied carbon is often central to industry discussions on sustainability, measuring the carbon footprint of the materials used in the construction of a building. However, Reynaers’ new campaign suggests this intense focus misses important complexities inherent in what makes buildings sustainable long-term.

Challenging the industry's tendency towards a myopic view of sustainability, Reynaers’ campaign looks at the bigger picture, revealing the importance of taking a wider view of sustainability, defining it as a holistic challenge that is constantly evolving.

The campaign suggests a more holistic focus is needed for decarbonisation in the long term, to support a more sustainable built environment into the future.

This includes giving greater weight to energy efficiency, resilience to climate change, durability, affordability, recyclability, circularity, eco-design and compliance with regulation at the design stage of all construction projects.

John McComb, Technical Director and UK Sustainability Champion at Reynaers Aluminium UK, said: “The view of sustainability seen through the singular lens of embodied carbon is creating a barrier to progress in how the industry frames sustainability.

“There are many dimensions and considerations in sustainable building, and low-impact construction materials are just one part of it. It is essential to understand that sustainability is evolving at a rapid pace in our industry, and this itself demands a continuous process of learning, adapting and questioning. At Reynaers we are committed to an open dialogue, challenging assumptions and asking questions that lead to long-term sustainability benefits.

“Reynaers new campaign challenges the prevailing view of what is a fundamentally complex subject and outlines that, for long-term sustainability to be achieved, the industry needs to establish a wider perspective. That is not to say discussions on embodied carbon are redundant, however, we would argue that it is vital to see the subject from every angle to ensure true sustainability of buildings long-term.

“To us, sustainability starts with asking the right questions and as our new campaign demonstrates, we are committed to opening the discussion to enable the industry to create solutions that are thoughtful, well-rounded and built to endure. By taking a collaborative approach to sustainability solutions Reynaers is leading the way – showing that ‘together’ really is ‘for better’.

Reynaers ambitious sustainability goals are guided by The Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and include reducing its entire carbon footprint by 50% by 2030.