CARBON NEUTRAL SINCE 2012
of our electricity comes from renewable sources
Over
of our waste is recycled
of our company vehicles are either electric or hybrid
Carbon Neutral
CARBON NEUTRALITY
Independently assessed as carbon neutral since 2012
Thorlux has been officially recognised as being carbon neutral, with systems of reduction, measurement and certified offsetting in place, since 2012. This decade long status has been independently assessed by a third party in accordance with ISO 14064-1, an international standard for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. Meeting this standard provides independent assurance of the Thorlux’s long-standing commitment to sustainability across all of its operations worldwide.
What does “carbon neutral” mean?
Being carbon neutral means that Thorlux offsets the carbon dioxide emissions it generates (scopes 1 and 2 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) by its business activities.
Scope 1
All direct emissions from the activities of an organisation, including fuel combustion on site, such as in gas boilers and in its fleet of delivery and other company-owned vehicles.
Scope 2
Indirect emissions from electricity purchased and used by the organisation. These emissions are caused during the production of the electricity that is ultimately used by the organisation.
Thorlux is a carbon neutral company through a combination of measures. Company-wide initiatives such as energy use minimisation, self-generation of renewable energy through solar photovoltaic (PV) units, and procurement of renewable energy have reduced Thorlux’s carbon footprint, whilst trees in its award-winning carbon offsetting afforestation project sequesters the remaining carbon dioxide produced.
SUSTAINABILITY ACTIONS
Sustainability at Thorlux
Our commitment to sustainability and the environment.
Sustainability and the environment have been at the core of Thorlux for many years and we have always been committed to doing the right thing for both people and the planet.
We have worked hard to reduce our environmental impact of our manufacturing and selling activities, and consider carefully the implications our products have during their life and at the end of their life. Through our environmental monitoring programme, which is independently certified to the environmental management standard ISO 14001, we continually measure and improve our environmental credentials.
Thorlux has a long-standing commitment to tackling global environmental challenges, principally through its core business of manufacturing energy efficient lighting equipment. The company has a genuine desire to become a more sustainable business.
Over the last two decades, at Thorlux we have sought to address our carbon impact by working towards carbon neutrality for our manufacturing and distribution operations. It gives me huge pleasure that our hard work and ambitions have paid off in achieving our carbon neutral status both now and historically.
But our work doesn’t stop here. By assessing our carbon impact right across our manufacturing and value chain then setting science-based targets in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, our goal is ultimately to reach zero carbon status well before the UK’s target for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Watch this space.
FW Thorpe Group Chairman
SUSTAINABILITY ACTIONS
Lighting Management Systems and Energy Saving
From an environmental point of view, the greatest impact of a luminaire is during its operating phase and, more specifically, in the amount of energy it consumes.
Thorlux has made a huge investment in LED technology, including circuit-board design, software development, thermal modelling and optical lens design, ensuring its luminaires provide the optimum lighting performance with the best use of energy and minimal stray emissions. Utilising the most up to date and high-quality LEDs, based on criteria such as colour rendering, luminous flux and thermal stability, guarantees that Thorlux luminaires offer exceptional quality in terms of luminous efficacy and lifetime.
For over 25 years, Thorlux has been developing energy-saving lighting control systems to reduce energy consumption and prolong the lifetime of its luminaires. The award-winning SmartScan lighting management system combines maintained illuminance, daylight dimming and presence detection which maximises energy savings, in some instances in excess of 70%. Even during the short winter days there can be sufficient daylight for the luminaires to dim, providing energy savings throughout the year.
To learn more about energy saving visit Thorlux SmartScan.
SUSTAINABILITY ACTIONS
Manufacturing Excellence
- Thorlux is proud that 97% of its luminaires are manufactured in the UK at its facility in Redditch, Worcestershire. This allows complete control over the manufacturing process ensuring that negative environmental impacts are minimised while conserving energy and natural resources.
- A multi-million pound investment has allowed the business to modernise its manufacturing capability whilst increasing efficiency.
- A number of Thorlux employees have passed the green belt Lean Six Sigma training course. Lean Six Sigma is a method that relies on a collaborative team effort to improve performance by systematically removing waste and reducing defects or mistakes.
- Thorlux is working with WMG Business, through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, on a transformational project that will provide valuable insight into the latest academic thinking around sustainability and climate change, with the strategic aim of embedding the principles of the circular economy in all of its operations.
SUSTAINABILITY ACTIONS
Waste Management
The manufacturing process is constantly monitored to improve resource efficiency and reduce waste.
Any waste generated, including end-of-life components, is subject to ethical disposal or recycling.
- All scrap metal (stainless steel, aluminium, mild steel and copper) is collected and recycled.
- Batteries are taken away and recycled. We work with ECOBAT a leading company in the closed recycling loop for batteries.
80% of the company's waste is recycled with targets to increase this to over 90% by the summer of 2022.
SUSTAINABILITY ACTIONS
Electricity Consumption
As a part of its carbon reduction initiatives, Thorlux has installed solar photovoltaic (PV) units on the roof of our manufacturing facility.
The solar PV system is estimated to produce 224,470 kWh of electricity per annum, helping to power the plant and equipment as well as charging the company’s fleet of hybrid and electric vehicles.
Over its operational lifetime, through reduced consumption from the National Grid, the solar PV system will deliver a total CO₂ reduction of approx. 1580 tonnes.
In addition to the power generated, all purchased electricity now comes from renewable sources, making 100% of electricity usage from renewable energy.
SUSTAINABILITY ACTIONS
Packaging
Thorlux is working to eliminate plastics, increase recycled content and reduce our overall packaging.
All cardboard packaging is made from recycled sources and recycled on site. Vinyl-based packaging has also been replaced with paper-based tape.
Thorlux has moved from paper to digital installation guides, saving over 1.3 million sheets of paper per year, which is equivalent to 131 trees. By scanning a QR code on either the packaging or the product users have access to installation information for both the luminaire and the lighting control system.
All printed product literature is made of material from well-managed, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified forests and other controlled sources.
SUSTAINABILITY ACTIONS
Vehicles
Thorlux uses its own fleet of lorries and vans ensuring its deliveries are energy-efficient and low emission. The fleet all use the latest engine technology and are Euro 6 as well as ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) compliant.
In all, 40% of company cars are either hybrid or full electric vehicles (EVs). Thorlux has a proactive policy in place to increase their use.
SUSTAINABILITY ACTIONS
Carbon Offsetting
In 2009, Thorlux designed an ambitious carbon-offsetting scheme to help compensate for the carbon dioxide (CO₂) released as a results of our manufacturing and selling activities.
We chose to plant trees, because trees and other plants absorb CO₂ during photosynthesis. One tree grown to maturity in open space can absorb approximately 1 tonne of CO₂ over its lifetime. A forest covering many acres can effectively lock up CO₂, creating a ‘carbon sink’.
The Thorlux Woodland project is the first site in Wales to gain approval from the Woodland Carbon Code (WCC). WCC is an independent standard devised by a group led by the Forestry Commission to certify woodland creation projects that can measure how much carbon is captured and stored.
Thorlux has, to date, planted an incredible 165,687 trees sequestering over 41,000 tonnes of CO₂e. A further 13,725 trees will be planted by the end of 2023.
Please see the carbon offsetting page project for further information.
The site has a net capacity of 36,413 tonnes of CO₂e for offsetting of Thorlux (and FW Thorpe Plc) emissions.
Our plans for the future
Thorlux Lighting is committed to addressing the sustainability challenges of not only today, but also tomorrow. Understanding the needs of our customers and stakeholders and the expectations they have is central to ensuring that Thorlux prioritises the most critical issues and operates a responsible and sustainable business.
Our goal is to ultimately reach zero carbon emissions. To do this we need a responsible and credible plan.
Our objective for 2022 is to first to establish our baseline carbon emissions. We have partnered with an independent third-party specialist to calculate our scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 emissions include all indirect emissions from Thorlux activities, from sources that it does not own or control.
The aim is to set ambitious science-based targets aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and Thorlux ultimately becoming net zero.
We will take our share of the responsibility in reducing carbon emissions and ensure that, in the future, when asked if we did anything to help limit climate change, we can confidently say yes.
