The ROCKWOOL group supports conclusive cop21 agreement

The Group believes COP21 agreement has the potential for positive long-term impact on the insulation industry.

The ROCKWOOL Group applauds the new global climate agreement, which saw governments settle on a long-term goal to keep the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. To achieve this common ambition, governments will come together every 5 years to review progress and set more ambitious targets as required by science. Although the agreement does not include any mandatory legally binding measures, 185 countries have already submitted national climate plans to the UN, and we therefore hope that countries will now start taking steps to implement these plans, wherein local political initiatives will be a vital necessity.

“We believe that this agreement will have a positive impact on the insulation industry long-term. There is huge potential for reducing carbon emissions by improving the energy efficiency of buildings. On a global level, buildings account for more than one-third of all final energy use and are responsible for approximately one-third of global carbon emissions. With expected global population growth of 2.5 billion people by 2050 and improved living standards for the world’s population, the energy consumption is set to increase dramatically,” says Susanne Dyrbøl, Public Affairs Manager at the ROCKWOOL Group.

“According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), if no action is taken to improve energy efficiency in the building sector the demand for energy is expected to increase 50% on today’s figures by 2050. However, with today’s technology this figure can already be reduced to just 10% - primarily by improving the energy efficiency of buildings,” Susanne Dyrbøl continues.

Increased focus on reducing the worlds growing energy demand is a prerequisite for a successful green transition towards fulfilling the world’s climate goals.

Short-term, the effect on the insulation market is probably limited but longer-term the impact could be substantial.