Owens Corning’s GHG emissions rose in 2007 by 300,000 tons from the year, primarily due to an increase in the production of foam products that currently use HCFC blowing agents. The increase was partially offset by reductions in energy use over the period, according to its 2007 Sustainability Report (PDF).
The company says that its new blowing agent technology will reduce GHG emissions by approximately 70 percent at the foam facilities that will be converting.
But reductions were seen in other emissions from Owens Corning, according to the report. The company, for instance, reduced its NOx emission by a thousand tons, VOCs by 900 tons, and particulate matter by 900 tons. Owens Corning also says it has proposed reducing its GHG emissions by 25 percent by 2012.
Actions the company is already taking include replacing the fleet of its sales force vehicles with the Ford Taurus X, which it says will produce 20 percent fewer GHG emissions.
The company also consumed a half-a-million fewer MWH of energy, reduced its water use by 100M gallons, and reduced the amount of non-hazardous waste than it did in 2006, according to the report.