Doka sets an important milestone by calculating the carbon footprint of 6,000 products

International formwork and scaffolding expert Doka pledged that it will be climate-neutral by 2040 as it addresses one of the most pressing issues in the global construction industry. By focusing on decarbonization and the circular economy, the company has already made an important first step towards achieving this goal. In summer 2022, Doka introduced Product Carbon Footprint – KPIs, making it the first formwork supplier in the industry to provide transparent emissions data for 6,000 products. The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) has been generated to help customers make more environmentally responsible purchasing decisions.

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Robert Hauser, CEO Doka, says: "Sustainability and digitalization are two of the most powerful market influences and important pillars of our global growth strategy, which we are continuously implementing to enable greater efficiency and increased productivity for us, and more importantly our customers. With the calculation of the Product Carbon Footprint, we empower our sector to make environmentally conscious product selection decisions.”

Doka’s presentation of the Product Carbon Footprint data, which details each product’s CO2 emissions, reflects the company’s renewed strategy of positioning sustainability at the core of its business. Analysis of the extensive Doka portfolio was a real tour de force. The company reviewed the composition and raw material requirements for each item’s manufacturing; the delivery methods to the worldwide distribution centers and branch offices; the repair and cleaning processes, as well as end-of-life recycling. The cradle-to-grave approach allows Doka to detail each product's carbon footprint over its entire life cycle.

Valid data is key

"On request, we can provide our customers with the CO2 emissions data of our products. This enables internal product comparisons so customers can order products with a lower CO2 footprint. By providing valid data, Doka lays the groundwork for sustainable decision-making", explains Hauser. For example, the Doka floor prop Eurex 20 top 300 generates 38 kg CO2-eq., while the Doka floor prop Eurex LW 300, issues 27 kg CO2-eq. Thanks to high-strength steel and state-of-the-art production, the latter weighs significantly less than standard tubular steel props, delivers the same performance and service life but with fewer CO2 emissions. “Doka is promoting methods and materials that have a positive environmental impact, which creates a win-win-win situation for the environment, customers, and us.”

Essential building block in Doka’s sustainability strategy

By calculating the PCF, Doka can identify CO2 hotspots throughout the life cycle and optimize technology to implement targeted measures to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of its products. “Knowing the PCF enables us to develop a more climate-friendly portfolio, which not only lowers CO2 emissions but enables our customers to actively support their own sustainability pledges too. This is a key component of our climate strategy," comments Hauser. “We rent out a large proportion, over 50 percent, of our products. The Product Carbon Footprint over the entire life cycle (raw material procurement, manufacture, transport, repair and cleaning, end-of-life recycling and disposal) is related to an average useful life. This allows us to calculate the carbon footprint of each formwork on a pro-rata basis for the duration of its rental.”

By surveying and validating the PCF, Doka is aiming for increasingly low-emission product strategies and continuous improvement of its carbon footprint in the long term. The latest action builds on existing carbon-friendly strategies employed by Doka. Since 2021, Doka has stepped up the use of intermodal transport within Europe. Products transported from the headquarters in Austria to Romania, Sweden, and Turkey maximize the benefits of intermodal traffic by efficiently using a combination of truck and rail transportation. In 2021, more than 500 tons of freight were shipped in intermodal transport to the destinations mentioned, saving 39 percent of CO2 emissions. Doka is currently reviewing the possibilities presented by intermodal transport variants for other countries.