Armacell has introduced a calculation model to quantify the avoided emissions associated with its ArmaFlex and ArmaGel insulation products across their assumed service lives. An independent study commissioned by the company estimates that ArmaFlex products used in commercial and residential applications avoid 2.7 tCO2e per m³, while ArmaGel products used in industrial applications avoid 114.5 tCO2e per m³. The figures are based on 2025 net sales and compare Armacell’s products with an equivalent mineral wool reference scenario. The work gives customers product-level data intended to support energy efficiency and decarbonisation decisions.
A Lifetime Based Assessment
The study examines emissions associated with insulation performance during use, rather than treating the products solely as manufactured materials. It applies a heat transfer-based methodology to estimate greenhouse gas emissions linked to heat loss in heating pipework and heat gain in cooling and industrial pipework where Armacell insulation is installed.
Calculations were made on a forward-looking basis over the products’ assumed service lives. The approach considers product-specific thermal conductivity, insulation thickness, lifetime assumptions, representative pipe dimensions, operating temperatures, heating and cooling days, operating hours and relevant emission factors.
This focus on operational performance is particularly relevant to technical insulation, where material selection can influence the energy required to maintain temperatures in building services and industrial systems. By setting out a consistent model, Armacell is seeking to make the climate value associated with insulation performance more transparent for its customers.
Comparison With Mineral Wool
Avoided emissions were calculated against an equivalent insulation scenario using mineral wool, identified in the study as one of the dominant insulation materials globally and a major part of the building insulation market. The comparison is designed to show the difference between estimated use-phase emissions from Armacell products and those of the reference material.
For ArmaFlex, the estimate relates to commercial and residential applications. For ArmaGel, it addresses industrial applications, where the 114.5 tCO2e per m³ figure reflects the modelled performance over the product’s assumed lifetime. The notable difference between the two figures reflects the distinct applications assessed by the study rather than a direct like-for-like product comparison.
The results give specifiers and asset owners a clearer basis for considering insulation as part of wider emissions-reduction programmes. They also bring greater visibility to avoided emissions, a category that is often discussed separately from an organisation’s own operational and value-chain footprint.
Scope Four Reporting
Armacell reports avoided emissions separately from its Scope 1 to 3 greenhouse gas inventory. They are not netted against, offset against or expressed as a ratio of the Group’s inventory emissions, preserving a distinction between the company’s reported footprint and the estimated benefits associated with customers’ use of its products.
The methodology is aligned with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Guidance on Avoided Emissions. That alignment provides an established reference point for presenting results that depend on assumptions about product use, operating conditions and service life.
Laurent Musy, President and CEO at Armacell, said:
“In 2025, we further advanced our understanding of our environmental impact by quantifying Scope 4 emissions. The emissions avoided by one cubic metre of ArmaGel, for example, are estimated to be equivalent to what 25 medium-sized passenger cars would emit in a whole year”
Supporting Customer Decisions
Armacell develops thermal and mechanical insulation solutions for technical equipment, alongside engineered foams, recycled PET products, aerogel technology and passive fire protection systems. Its insulation portfolio is used in commercial, residential and industrial settings, where reducing unwanted heat transfer can lower energy demand associated with heating, cooling and process operations.
The new model positions avoided-emissions data alongside the company’s broader efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations and value chain. For customers pursuing decarbonisation targets, the calculation offers a way to consider insulation’s contribution over the lifetime of an installation, rather than only at the point of purchase.
Armacell’s approach is a constructive step towards more transparent product-performance data in the insulation market. By quantifying the estimated emissions avoided through use and clearly separating those figures from its Scope 1 to 3 inventory, the company has created a more defined basis for customers to assess the energy-efficiency contribution of ArmaFlex and ArmaGel solutions.
