Decarbonization Action Plan Aligns Global Building Materials Manufacturer with Sustainability Goals
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Executive Summary
SSC partnered with a global leader in building materials to translate company-wide sustainability goals into on-the-ground operational results.
The company sought to align one of its flagship manufacturing sites with its 2020 corporate targets: a 20% reduction in energy use, greenhouse gas emissions resulting from energy use, water consumption, and waste generation.
SSC led a holistic assessment of the facility’s operations, focusing on measurable, actionable strategies that reduced environmental impact while supporting long-term business value. Working closely with engaged facility leadership, SSC prioritized the highest-value opportunities through a collaborative process. Central to this approach was a broad definition of waste—any input that does not end up in the final product was considered waste, equating to lost profit. This included waste heat, energy, water, scrap product, excess raw and support materials, packaging waste, and air and water emissions. By capturing and analyzing real operational data, SSC developed a tailored decarbonization action plan grounded in feasibility and aligned with corporate climate goals.
SSC gathered comprehensive data on material use, energy consumption, water usage, and waste generation from the selected facility. A site visit allowed SSC to observe operations firsthand and identify areas of inefficiency and material loss. Using this data, SSC performed a detailed analysis to evaluate and prioritize the most feasible reduction opportunities ensuring each recommendation aligned with the company’s 2020 sustainability targets.
Results
SSC’s assessment uncovered significant opportunities for environmental and cost savings, all aligned with the client’s sustainability targets. Key outcomes included:
$1.83 million in annual cost savings identified at a single facility
Reduction opportunities across energy, water, material inputs, packaging, and waste streams
A site-specific action plan that translated corporate sustainability goals into practical next steps
Cross-functional alignment between corporate leadership and site-level management for implementation
This case study demonstrates how a structured, data-informed approach can turn high-level climate commitments into operational progress.
Approach & Core Concepts
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This manufacturing company is committed to advancing environmental sustainability by setting ambitious sustainability goals. To support these commitments, the company engaged Sustainable Solutions Corporation to investigate their flagship facility and operations site to develop a comprehensive decarbonization and waste reduction roadmap so they could hit their public 2020 sustainability goals. The opportunities identified outlined cost saving steps across operations, while hitting their greenhouse gas reduction goals, ensuring measurable progress toward a more sustainable and resilient future. By hitting their publicly stated goals, this allows the manufacturing to maintain trust and brand awareness with their investors and customers.tion text goes here
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Waste Diversion: a broad definition of waste—any input that does not end up in the final product was considered waste, equating to lost profit. This definition includes waste heat, energy, water, scrap product, excess raw and support materials, packaging waste, and air and water emissions. By capturing and analyzing material and energy costs in addition to waste disposal fees, this provides a more holistic impact on waste management and waste diversion.
Scope 1 Emissions: Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that come from sources owned or controlled by an organization. These emissions result from activities that release GHGs directly into the atmosphere, typically through on-site operations. This category is defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
Scope 2 Emissions: Scope 2 emissions are indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that result from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, or cooling that a company consumes. While the organization does not directly produce these emissions, it is responsible for them because it uses the energy. This category is defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
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Sustainability Action Plans are a strategic, data-driven roadmap designed to help organizations reduce their environmental impact while improving operational efficiency and cost savings.
These plans are tailored to address specific sustainability goals across key operational areas, including energy, carbon emissions, water usage, and waste management.
Learn More -
Energy Audits: Comprehensive assessments of energy consumption to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for reducing energy use and costs.
Decarbonization Master Planning: Strategic roadmaps that outline actionable steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across operations, supply chains, and energy usage.
Water Audits: Detailed evaluations of water usage patterns to uncover opportunities for conservation, reuse, and cost savings.
Waste Characterization: Analysis and quantification of material flows and waste streams to understand current waste management practices and identify areas for improvement.
Waste Diversion and Zero Waste Strategies: Development of waste diversion roadmaps and implementation of procedures to minimize landfill contributions and promote sustainable waste handling practices.
SSC in Action: Decarbonization Action Plan
CAPABILITIES LEVERAGED:
“This company’s leadership recognized that sustainability success requires a clear, actionable roadmap embedded in business strategy. By developing a focused Sustainability Action Plan, they’ve turned high-level commitments into measurable results that provide significant ROI, reduce risk, strengthen their market position, and create long-term value. This example clearly shows the business value of sustainability.”
TAD RADZINSKI, PRESIDENT
Sustainable Solutions Corporation
Resources
white paper
More information on decarbonization in manufacturing
podcast
Understanding Science-Based Targets
PODCAST
SSC Operations Manager, Lora Urbaniak, discusses Sustainability Action Plans.
