Reading time:
3 minSignificant carbon footprint reduction Vertex® R117 & Vertex® R131
Newly released Environmental Product Declarations confirm a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of our open meshes R117 and R131
Thanks to the switch to decarbonized electricity and the introduction of a new process and coating formulation, we have reduced the carbon footprint of our meshes by 63% for Vertex® R117 and 59% for Vertex® R131.
Their A1–A3 emissions now stand at 0.17 kg CO₂eq/m² and 0.19 kg CO₂eq/m², respectively.
Vertex® R117
A1–A3 emissions
Vertex® R131
A1–A3 emissions
According to the TechFab Europe’s LCA report published in January 2025, the average carbon footprint of an open mesh fabric produced in Europe is 0.35 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per square meter of product (A1-A3).
Download the EPDs and TechFab Report
A1-A3 emissions, kg CO₂eq/m², EPD... sounds super complicated, right? Let’s make it easy.
A1-A3 emissions
A1–A3 emissions refer to the environmental impacts associated with the first three stages of a product’s life cycle, as defined by the EN 15804 standard for Environmental Product Declarations.
Stage | Description |
| A1 - Raw material supply | Extraction and processing of raw materials used to produce the mesh. |
| A2 - Transport | Transportation of raw materials to the manufacturing site. |
| A3 - Manufacturing | Actual production of the product, including energy use and emissions. |
These stages are collectively known as the “cradle-to-gate” phase, meaning they cover everything from resource extraction up to the point the product leaves the factory.
kg CO₂eq/m²
kg | CO₂eq | /m² |
kilograms | CO2 equivalent - all greenhouse gases | for each square meter of the product |
So when we say Vertex® R117 A1 - A3 emissions = 0,17 kg CO₂eq/m², this indicates that 1 square meter of Vertex® R117 emits 0.17 kilograms of CO₂ & equivalent gases during the first 3 stages of its life cycle.
Environmental Product Declaration
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is essentially a product’s environmental ID. It’s a standardized document that outlines the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire life cycle — from raw materials to manufacturing, transport, and beyond.
Built on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), an EPD follows international standards like ISO 14025 and EN 15804+A2, ensuring consistency and comparability across products.
EPDs are:
- Verified by independent third parties
- Based on real production data
- Useful for sustainability certifications and project documentation
In short, it’s a reliable and transparent way to communicate how sustainable a product really is.
Did you know?
In line with our commitment to sustainability and transparency, Saint-Gobain aims to ensure that 100% of its products are covered by a Life Cycle Assessment and/or an Environmental Product Declaration by 2030.
