Sustainable and Responsible Business Practices
UPB has been ISO 9001 certified for more than 20 years, demonstrating that quality is a core part of our company culture.
In addition, our ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications provide confidence that our products and services are created in ways that are sustainable, safe, and efficiently managed.
We know how to reduce the environmental impact
For more than 10 years, UPB has worked with numerous, globally recognized sustainability certification systems, leading to extensive expertise in sustainable and energy efficient construction - BREEAM, LEED, Miljöbyggnad, Nordic Swan etc. One of our most sustainable projects is Hyllie Terrass, which is a part of a part of Sweden Green Building Council pilot study on NollCO2 certification. In addition to the NollCO2 certification, Hyllie Terrass will be sustainability certified according to LEED and health certified according to WELL.
In our home market Latvia, we have completed numerous projects with high energy-efficiency and sustainability requirements. For example, municipal building in Liepāja, Latvia has been awarded as the most energy-efficient public building in Latvia in 2021.
Also, UPB's precast plant in Liepaja was built with huge emphasis on sustainable solutions to achieve the most rational use of resources. For example, 500,000 euros have been invested in fresh concrete processing equipment, water treatment and recirculation systems, and a great deal of attention is also paid to each employee's working conditions and work safety. For ensuring air quality, an integrated suction and purified air recirculation system is installed.
Sustainable supply chain management
We value long-term cooperation with our partners and are putting focus on sustainable practices throughout whole supply chain. We share our expertise and incorporate feedback from those we work with.
For clients
/ CO2 footprint calculations for products
/ CO2 reduction strategies for product groups
For our partners
/ Guidance to achieve product registration
/ Product registration in evaluation databases
Some of the databases and systems we work with are ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS, BYGGVARU BEDÖMNINGEN, SUNDA HUS, COBUILDER, BASTA and others.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
We strive to reduce the consumption of resources in all areas of our operations, and continuously work to implement different and innovative environmentally friendly solutions across all our group companies. Here are some of the main activities we manage:
ENERGY EFFICIENCY and CO2 REDUCTION
• Environmental declarations of products
• Energy-efficient solutions during the engineering stage
• Electrical power from renewable energy sources
• Cogeneration station that provides heating and electricity for the production unit
• Biofuel additive for transport vehicles
• Implementation of the energy efficiency programme in accordance with the results of the energy audit (EN 16247)
EFFICIENT USE OF RESOURCES AND REDUCTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
• Product lifecycle analysis using One Click LCA software
• Material optimisation already in the engineering stage
• New, more environmentally friendly equipment at production plants
RECYCLING AND REUSE OF MATERIALS
• Sorting and recycling of waste
• Reuse of packaging
• Products from recycled raw materials – use of recycled steel and concrete in production
RESPONSIBLE OPERATION PRINCIPLES IN FULL ECONOMIC CYCLE
• Process digitalisation and automation
• Systematic maintenance of equipment and vehicle fleet
• Use of modernised, environment-friendly ferries for transport
• Trucks: Euro V and higher
We Work Safely or Do Not Work At All
We continue to develop safe working conditions at all times throughout our organization, from our production facilities to our construction sites.
Work safety is a crucial part of our organization’s culture. We manage processes and risks with a focus on responsibility towards our employees, customers, cooperation partners, and society.
