T&I Net-Zero Carbon by 2030

Initiative Outline

Our Company’s philosophy is “proactive not reactive”. T&I sees sustainability as the future of all companies, and aims to lead this change. As an industry, and a country we must have an adaptive mindset in order to produce a green legacy. This conviction is now driving our policies in creating a roadmap to achieving Net-Zero Carbon by 2030.

A crucial step on our path to achieving Net-Zero Carbon by 2030, was the establishment of T&I Carbon Neutral as a division of the company in 2019. T&I Carbon Neutral was established to procure, plant and manage sustainable, biodiverse, hardwood forestry. At the point of publication, we have planted 160 acres of hardwood forestry, in a mixture of traditional hardwoods and poplars. We are expanding hardwood forestry plantations each year to offset a portion of our Carbon Footprint.

It is estimated each acre of forestry planted sequesters 2.6 Tonnes of Carbon annually. Each Fit Out project will be allocated a proportion of this forestry. This dedicated allocation will then be maintained for the lifetime of that Fit Out, thus offsetting Carbon Emissions now and offsetting the Embodied Carbon of these Fit Outs into the future.

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Energy

T&I have partnered with Enerpower to achieve Net-Zero Carbon at our Head Office in Kildare. Through the adoption of solar panels, wind power, and other technologies and practices we are a carbon neutral energy user.

This initiative also involves the installation of 2nr Electric Car Charging points at our facilities, powered through sustainable PV Solar Panels. Our aim is to ensure that our whole motor fleet is completely electric by the end of 2022. Our Electric Car Charging facilities are made available free of charge to our staff, in a bid to help them to fully participate in our renewable transformation. Additionally, the Electric Forklifts in our warehouse are recharged by Wind Turbines. These are just some of the steps we have taken to ensure a green tomorrow for T&I, and everyone we touch as a company.

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Sustainable Materials/Upcycling

T&I promote the use of natural and sustainable products at all stages on all of our projects. Before we appoint joiners, we ensure that their wood is SFM (Sustainable Forestry Management) compliant. On every project we focus on Lifecycle Costing and Energy Usage to ensure our clients can see not only the environmental advantages of using sustainable materials today but also the cost benefits tomorrow. T&I procures goods from local suppliers wherever possible and maintains a local workforce thus cutting the travel distance for all staff and reducing our Carbon Footprint.

Most importantly, when given the opportunity to propose a product to a client or architect, T&I leans heavily into sustainable / upcycled products. See examples below:

  • The use of Sonaspray as an acoustic ceiling finish (made from recycled cellulose fibre).

  • The use of Autex as an acoustic wall lining (made from sustainably farmed cassava / corn / beets)

  • The Upcycling & Re-purposing of existing materials where possible.

  • The Re-use of existing building elements / structure and incorporating them into the design rather than cladding them in high carbon finishes.

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Waste

T&I Fitout’s strategy to deliver a Net-Zero Carbon Head Office and yard has already delivered a range of solutions. We harvest rainwater for our toilet and wash facilities for our vehicles and equipment. We employ solar and wind power, including air to heat pumps, LED Lights and car charging points. We initiated a landfill diversion programme in November 2018, starting a compost heap which now provides fresh compost for our wildflower pollinator patch. At our Head Office we replaced all single-use items with compostable alternatives. We only use compostable cups in our office which has a knock-on effect of reducing the use of heavy dishwashing facilities, thus further reducing our water usage.

On our sites we strive for a recycling percentage of 92% through a rigid waste management strategy and segregation of waste streams on site.

Commitment

With our Roadmap in place T&I is now positioned to become Net-Zero Carbon by 2030. Although we will encounter the inevitable bumps in the road on this journey, we must adapt and evolve to these challenges as we are committed to fulfilling these goals.

Member of the Irish Green Building Council