Junckers launches Carbon Calculator tool
9/2/2022
A quick and easy way to calculate the carbon footprint of different floor types.
We are launching a new tool to help customers and specifiers select the most environmentally friendly flooring solution. The Carbon Calculator is a quick and easy way to compare the global warming potential (GWP) and embodied carbon levels of several commonly specified floor types, including Junckers’ solid hardwood plank and two-strip flooring.
Easy to use
Using the Carbon Calculator is straight-forward and requires no previous knowledge of GWP and CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent). By entering the total floor area into the tool, the results show how some flooring products cause an increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, whereas others reduce it. Products that reduce CO2 are referred to as carbon negative. The figures clearly show how influential the choice of flooring is.
Wood absorbs carbon
The results of the Carbon Calculator show how wood provides the greatest reduction in CO2 levels. This is because wood acts as a carbon sink, absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere as trees grow, and continuing to store it when it is made into a product e.g., flooring. As a solid hardwood floor can last for many, many decades, there is a substantial benefit to the environment.
Action required
The carbon calculator is part of Junckers’ drive to promote sustainable design and construction. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and climate scientists advise the annual level of CO2 emission must be reduced globally as a matter of urgency. To achieve these targets, collective as well as individual consumption habits must change.
How the results are calculated
Junckers has used publicly available data based on Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) to calculate the carbon footprint for each floor type. An EPD is an independently verified and registered document that includes data on greenhouse gases generated by extracting, transporting, and processing of raw materials, as well as manufacturing to determine the product’s environmental impact. The product’s GWP figures are used to calculate the CO2e, which forms the basis of Junckers’ Carbon Calculator.
Try our Carbon Calculator and find the most environmentally friendly flooring solution.