AGC Glass Europe

AGC Glass Europe uses large quantities of energy and emits CO₂ from the use of fossil fuels and carbonate raw material due to its heavy melting process. However, most of the products marketed by AGC have a positive impact on the environment because they save energy and CO₂ emissions over their lifetime as a whole (insulating glass units, solar control glass, photovoltaic glass, etc).

Calculating AGC’s carbon footprint is therefore an appropriate way to consider the total impact, taking into account on the one hand the CO₂ emitted by all activities of AGC Glass Europe and on the other the savings achieved through the use of these products during their lifetime.

These products include:

• insulating glass : AGC has developed a full range of high performance double and triple glazing, for use both in residential and in commercial buildings. Depending on the product and the geographical region (Figure 1), these glazings help to keep the heat inside (so reducing the need for heating) or to keep it outside (so reducing the need for cooling). Both heating and cooling consume energy (and thus lead to CO₂ emissions), so reducing these needs makes it possible to avoid CO₂ emissions.
• solar glass :  AGC produces high performance glass panels used in photovoltaic panels, building-integrated photovoltaic glass, solar mirrors etc. Our glass is used to generate “green” electricity, so reducing the consumption of standard electricity (generated from gas, coal etc.). Thus production of green electricity makes it possible to avoid CO₂ emissions.
• IRIS car windshields : AGC has developed a special coating for windshields that keeps out some of the solar heat, thus reducing the need for air conditioning. This saving in air conditioning means a consequent saving in fuel, so further avoiding CO₂ emissions.

All these products are described in detail in the chapter Environment-friendly products of this report.

Figure 1. For the purposes of calculating energy savings afforded by glazing, Europe is divided into seven climate zones.

On the other hand AGC glass Europe is also responsible for CO₂ emissions (to produce all products, and not only the ones leading to CO₂ savings). For instance (Figure 2):

• Energy consumed on sites: heavy oil, natural gas, light oil, electricity etc. All these forms of energy cause CO₂ emissions during their production and use.
• Carbonate raw materials that release CO₂ when they are melted to form glass.
• Transport of raw materials from suppliers to AGC sites (by truck, train or boat).
• Transport of the products to the customers or internally from plant to plant (by truck, train or boat).
• Transport of AGC employees (between home and work, or for business trips).
• Transport and disposal of waste sent to landfill or incinerated.
• Product end-of-life (transport and disposal of products at end of life).
• Energy needed to produce/extract raw materials and energy used on sites. 

Figure 2. System boundary of the CO₂ footprint. Click on the image to enlarge it

 

 

 

Calculating both emissions and savings leads to a final result of 9:1, meaning that for each tonne of CO₂ emitted by AGC Europe activities, 9 tonnes of CO₂ is saved thanks to the use of the products!    
This of course is a very encouraging result, showing that even a “heavy” industry such as ours can have large overall benefits for society!

Figure 3. Illustration of the total carbon balance