Sustainability and Products

The NSG Group has identified Environment as one of the key material aspects, which is an important issue for both medium and long-term sustainable corporate growth, as well as contributing to the realization of a sustainable society. Through the timely provision of our unique and valuable products and services, we aim to contribute to solving important social issues such as climate change and biodiversity.

Architectural Products

Our Architectural Products play a vital role in improving energy efficiency and reducing CO₂ emissions. They also offer other advanced functionality, protecting against fire, insulating against noise, safety and security, privacy, decoration and even self-cleaning properties.

Please refer to the "Architectural" website.

Through their superior performance, our glass helps to play a crucial role in supporting these environmental and societal issues by improving the energy efficiency of buildings and helping to reduce CO₂ emissions and we feel this is an important business opportunity for us. To facilitate this activity, we have now launched a new sustainability communications platform, makechange™, which helps us to communicate our passion and commitment for positive change to support the business in sharing our sustainability messages.

Here are some examples of our environmentally friendly products that we offer.

NSG Group online coating capacity expansion

To meet the growing global demand for First Solar solar panels and NSG Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) glass, the Group successfully completed the conversion of its float glass production line in Johor Bahru, Malaysia during the 3rd quarter of FY2024/3. The facility was converted from the production of architectural and automotive products to TCO coated glass.

The conversion of another Group line at Rossford, Ohio, USA from architectural and automotive float glass production to a solar TCO line began in September 2023 and is progressing, with an expected completion date in the first quarter of calendar year 2025.

These projects further support NSG’s ongoing efforts to reduce the amount of carbon in our environment by enabling additional clean solar energy generated by First Solar’s solar panels. A key consideration in these projects is proximity to the customer’s facility, to reduce carbon impact related to transportation of our product.

Sustainable Cities and Communities

At NSG Group we design and develop products that help our customers and end users boost their environmental performance.

By incorporating our solar control glass range, customers can help reduce unwanted heat gain to avoid unnecessary energy consumption for air conditioning as well as helping to save excessive heat loss and CO₂ with our low emissivity insulating products.

Unwanted heat gain

NSG offers a wide range of products for solar control benefit, for example:

Pilkington Solar-E™ is a range of good solar control performance on-line coated glasses offering low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), low reflectivity, reduced glare and low-emissivity.

The Pilkington Suncool™ Range comprises our highest performing off-line coated, solar control and low-emissivity glass products.

Insulating low emissivity products

Our products also help to improve the energy efficiency of domestic and commercial buildings around the globe, for example:

NSG Spacia™ is NSG's unique Insulating Glass Unit, which has more than twice the thermal insulation performance than ordinary double-glazing glass. In addition, because of its slim design, it can be used as-is with only the glass replaced, even in the sashes of existing houses and buildings with narrow grooves.

The Pilkington Optitherm™ Range are high performance, off-line coated low-e glass products specially developed for use in Insulating Glass Units (IGUs) to help with energy saving.

At NSG we innovate for environmental gains to offer our customers a product offering to address future challenges.

Every home can be even more comfortable and smarter with the right glass solution. The innovative glass of HomeComfort helps create an atmosphere to suit every need. Enjoy a warm and pleasant temperature sustainably, exclude noise, keep unwanted elements outdoors or choose between light or dark. We connect the inside and outside world. See, feel and experience the serenity of smart luxury. HomeComfort. Innovators of ambiance.

The HomeComfort family offers the ultimate solutions for homeowners. Choose LuxComfort to allow you to effortlessly adjust the ambiance of your space, providing both intense sunlight and soothing shade as desired or DynamicComfort; a sustainable low energy solution offering on demand shading to significantly reduce unwanted heat in your living space.

Of course at NSG we are working hard to accelerate our decarbonisation actions to transform our business to produce products in a more sustainable way.

Following the world’s first successful trials of hydrogen and biofuel as sustainable alternatives to natural gas at one of our UK manufacturing sites in 2022 we subsequently introduced a new low carbon glass range offering a verified 52% less embodied carbon^* which represents the lowest carbon product of its kind on the façade market today. Pilkington Mirai™ is just one step in our commitment to sustainability.

NSG Group recently invested in conjunction with Glass Futures and a Government Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IEFT) Grant, to update a glass furnace with two lines to produce rolled and float glass simultaneously in the UK. By producing all glass out of the upgraded furnace instead of running two lines, the carbon emission savings are the equivalent of removing 8,800 cars off the road each year.

Throughout our decarbonization journey, our makechange™ philosophy helps to guide us to continually embrace a culture of inclusivity, whilst designing products that address environmental challenges and at the same time deliver improved manufacturing processes, all to spur on innovation and drive us towards a sustainable future.

^* compared to our standard float glass

Biodiversity conservation

Against the background of recent climate change, the conservation and promotion of biodiversity has become an even more important global theme. Among other things, bird collisions on glass are now a worldwide problem and bird protection is a key social issue in many countries, including Germany. In Germany, bird-friendly construction is requested more and more and is even required in tenders for public spaces. We developed and designed an innovative glass solution; Pilkington AviSafe™, which greatly reduces the number of bird collisions with glass. The glass is fully transparent, with a unique patterned coating which reflects ultraviolet spectrum to ensure both safety for birds and an unobscured view for the human eye. Pilkington AviSafe™ has also been successfully tested by external third parties. Using our technology, we aim to create a society where humans and animals can coexist.

Decarbonizing the built environment

Designing Architectural products that contribute to the decarbonization of the built environment is at the heart of what we do. Coating technology has revolutionized the design of modern buildings enabling extensive use of glazing which combines functionality, stunning aesthetics with sustainability.

As a global leader in advanced glass and glazing solutions we continually develop products to meet an ever-increasing focus on low-energy performance and 'green-building' initiatives.

Inspired by Brazilian architecture, the organic and dynamic residential building Berenberg Tower "Ipanema" was designed in a wave-like form by KBNK Architects, in the northeast of Hamburg, Germany. Approximately 6000 m² of Pilkington Suncool™ triple Insulting Glass Units were installed in the innovative façade using an optimal combination of high-performance solar control and low-e glass. With the growing use of glass in architecture, Pilkington Suncool™ Range can also help to reduce capital outlay and running costs of air-conditioning, as well as reducing the carbon emissions of a building the whole year round taking this smart building to a new level.

Lowest embodied carbon glass on the market

In October 23 we successfully launched a new architectural glass product, Pilkington Mirai™, which has since been independently verified as having 52% less CO₂e^*; the lowest on the glass façade market today. We arrived at Pilkington Mirai™ through a series of technical world firsts, exceptional cross functional collaboration combined with a holistic approach to sustainability. Pilkington Mirai™ offers a product range for future challenges: a simple, more sustainable alternative that enables building designers to make immediate improvements on the carbon impact of their projects as we move towards a sustainable future. The Z2 project by Züblin, one of the largest construction companies in Germany and a valued partner, is a milestone project. By specifying Pilkington Mirai™ on their HQ, they exemplify their commitment to sustainable construction. Bringing forward solutions like our new low carbon glass range is central to the mission of NSG Group of changing our surroundings while improving our world.

^*(vs our standard glass product) via an Environmental Product Declaration

renew:glass

In 2023 we also launched makechange™; our strategic platform to help us communicate our passion and commitment for positive change to support the business in sharing our sustainability messages.

makechange™; consists of three Pillars: Embrace Change, Design for Change, Deliver Change. These three Pillars help us to organize our many sustainability activities and initiatives across all functions in a cohesive manner for our internal stakeholders and external audiences.

This year we further enhance our sustainability credentials by offering customers and partners the opportunity to recycle their glass with us under a new makechange™ initiative called renew:glass.

Recycling 1 tonne of end-of-life glass saves approximately 700kg of CO₂ emissions, yet less than 1% of float glass in the world is recycled^**.

We can makechange™ and support the transition to a circular glass economy and reduce the amount of glass ending up in landfill.

Under the renew:glass initiative, together with our partners, our goal is to increase the amount of float glass being responsibly recycled and give it new life. Our renew:glass initiative further reinforces our commitment to environmental responsibility and marks a significant step towards a sustainable future.

^**World economic forum: circularity in the build environment: maximizing CO₂ abatement & business opportunities

Automotive Products

In recent years, the automotive industry has seen an increase in the importance of eco-cars, which are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through electrification. In parallel, automotive glazed areas continue to increase in size, driven by the design, safety and styling benefits of fluid shapes, enhanced external visibility, lighter interiors and a greater desire for occupant interaction with the environment.

NSG Group's superior press bending glass shaping technology and solar control products are fully capable of meeting the major changes in vehicle design brought about by this shift to an electrified powertrain, and are aiding the world's drive towards clean mobility.

Please refer to the "Automotive" website.

Recycling initiatives for automotive glass

In recent years, the automotive industry has seen an increase in the importance of recycling and striving towards a circular economy to meet the environmental challenges linked to carbon neutrality targets.

Automotive Glazing do account for a non negligeable amount of a vehicle carbon footprint from cradle to gate (5-6%) and therefore OEMs have started to set target to glass manufacturers with regards to recyclability and decarbonization to achieve their own decarbonization roadmap as well as being able to meet changes in legislation in particular in Europe but expected to be followed in other regions in the future.

NSG in line with our Decarbonization strategy (one of the 4 pillars of our medium-term plan) has been undertaking an increasing number of initiatives to meet the requirements set by our automotive customers when it comes to decarbonization and recyclability and use of materials with high recycled content.

High Recycled content materials:

NSG is working closely with suppliers to provide materials with higher recycled content with dual benefits of lower carbon footprint and reducing the amount of virgin materials used. We have already validated some materials which we use to encapsulate our glasses such as rear quarters and backlite. We are in the process of validation of finishers for windscreens which aid the OEMs to assemble the windscreen on the vehicle. These materials have a recycled content of more than 50% in mass and are expected to reduce the carbon footprint of the components by potentially as much as 20%. It is paramount that these materials do meet the same criteria in terms of functionality, durability and aesthetics as per the current materials while remaining affordable.

End-of-Life Glass recycling:

With regards to what is referred as post-consumer cullet (cullet generated after the end of life of the glazing/vehicle), NSG has launched various initiatives in multiple regions either independently or with the support of OEMs to find sources of cullet coming from end-of-life windscreens that can be fed in our float to produce new automotive glazing. Due to the high-quality requirements of automotive float, it is imperative that the cullet we use have undergone a very stringent check with regards to "cleanliness". Our R&D team has set up detailed specification on what makes cullet "clean" and therefore acceptable for NSG to use in our float lines to achieve the automotive float optical quality and have no detrimental impact on our production or equipment.

^*2：considering cullet process/logistics. For maximum benefit with regards to reducing carbon footprint, it is therefore critical to have source of cullet as close as possible to our float.

Low-Emissivity online coated glass

In recent years, CO₂ reduction has become an even more important issue in order to comply with carbon neutrality regulations in each country. As a result, the market needs for HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) are expanding and there is a need to improve fuel and electricity consumption. The heat of the sun is transmitted to the inside of the car in the hot summer through the front door glass and the temperature in the room rises and the load on the air conditioner will increase. In order to solve this problem, NSG offers a unique coating technology which has got a high heat-shielding performance. This eco-friendly product contributes to reducing the amount of air conditioner used even in the harsh environment of summer and increases the energy efficiency of vehicles.

It also cuts more than 99% of ultraviolet rays and can further suppress the deterioration of interior parts such as instrument panels and seats, making it an environment-friendly product. In addition, our products have one of the highest durability in the market and can be used for a long time without maintenance without the need for glass replacement.

CONSERVING ENERGY THROUGH GLASS TECHNOLOGY

Electric vehicles produce no exhaust emissions so they are able to offer our world a cleaner means of transportation. NSG's solar control and Low-E glass are already used extensively in buildings to improve energy efficiency, and we can offer the same benefits for vehicles. Our vehicle-glazings can provide advanced solar control properties by absorbing or reflecting infra-red energy from the sun. Control of heat energy entering vehicles directly impacts air-conditioning usage leading to reduced energy consumption and CO₂ output.

Low-Emissivity online coated glass

Battery-electric vehicles, for which demand has been increasing in recent years, often use large-area roof glazings to secure head space inside the vehicle and to enjoy panoramic vision, as the heavy battery is placed under the floor of the vehicle body. The perceived Achilles heel of using large glazed areas is the accompanying heat loading associated with a material that both transmits the suns heat, but also radiates heat that it has absorbed. The solution for a roof glazing is to utilize a low-emissivity coating as this has been proven to provide both high heat shielding and thermal insulation. These properties are ideal to both enhance passenger comfort and improve the energy efficiency of the climate control inside the vehicle. The low-emissivity coating is formed on the glass by NSG's proprietary online Chemical Vapor Deposition float glass coating technology.

Over the years, NSG has developed the APBL (Advanced Press Bending Lamination) glass shaping process (which is suitable for high-precision windscreens and large-area roof glazings) and utilizes this process in combination with our low-emissivity coating. This capability allows NSG to provide large area low-emissivity roof glazings, with superior dimensional shape control for fitment to the vehicle, and high quality reflective optical properties.

Glazing with integrated antenna

As mobile communications, data processing and display systems rapidly evolve, the driving experience is increasingly being connected to both the local and global environment, with glazing becoming a natural medium and platform for this evolution. As the design of electronic communication systems advances, different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum continue to be developed and utilized. Besides its natural visible transmission, glass is also transparent to the frequencies for radio wave type communication. This electronic compatibility of glazing was first utilized by NSG antenna engineers as far back as 1970, when AM/FM was designed into windscreens in Japan. The desire to build more systems seamlessly into the vehicle as technology advanced has led to analogue TV, telephone, XM satellite radio, digital TV and DAB being designed in or on to glazings - which has allowed more aerodynamic designs, less assembled parts and lower component costs. NSG has antenna design capability and facilities in Japan and Germany to service and compliment future customer requirements.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

The future developments of on-glass antenna systems for Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) wireless sensors and Vehicle-to-Network (V2N) 5G antennae will support the evolution of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Connectivity between vehicles and their surroundings is primarily aimed at avoiding crashes, and developments in this field are being underpinned by legislation around the world. Increasing combinations of precise positioning, radar (long range, low light scenarios), cameras (to interpret objects), Lidar (medium range assessment) and ultrasonics (short range) coupled with increased computational power will enable the maturity of ADAS.

As these safety systems inside vehicles evolve to higher levels of assisted driving functions, glazing increasingly plays a key role due to its transparency at the key frequencies for operation. Features such as lane keep assistance, intelligent speed assistance and object recognition can be provided by camera systems mounted to the windscreen, which provides an optimal field of view, and is the ideal location choice. The design of the camera vision window, the precision shaping and bracket bonding are core NSG competencies and allow full capability to access this growing market requirement.

Infra-Red Reflective Glazing

NSG coated windshields reflect more than 30 percent of the sun's energy which is more than five times that of a standard glass. This particularly benefits the new generation of vehicles that are commonly designed with larger glass areas.

In addition to infra-red reflective coatings for windscreens, this type of coating can also be employed in combination with a low emissivity coating for roof light applications, which provide further comfort and energy efficiency improvements for the vehicle. NSG has awarded business that employs this dual coating combination.

NSG Technology Features World's First Full AR HUD + Solar Reflective Technology in the Luxury Class

The NSG Group was proud to announce their partnership with Mercedes-Benz AG to showcase their Augmented Reality Head Up Display technology on the Mercedes Benz S-Class model. As an additional innovation, solar reflecting technology that de-ices the windscreen using invisible heating was developed to work in tandem with the Augmented Reality display.

Another industry first has been the development and introduction of an Advanced Driver Assistance Camera System as part of the rear glass, to further enhance the mobile experience.

NSG's continuous investment in advanced glass technologies have positioned the group to respond to expanding customer needs generated by the rapidly advancing technology for driving assistance systems. The launch of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class model is just one example of NSG Group's global effort to meet current and future customer demands in the automotive glass market.

Lightweight Glazing

Weight saving in vehicles helps them to achieve their CO₂ emissions targets as well as or an increased range for electric vehicles. It is possible to achieve a 40% weight reduction in the glass component while also maintaining its solar and acoustic performance with no additional risk from debris impacts.

Creative Technology

Glass is a versatile high-tech material that is light, strong, fire resistant, electrically insulating and chemically resistant.

In Technical Glass business, we develop unique materials supporting the evolution of customer solutions that contribute to sustainable, energy saving products across many market segments.

Examples include: high strength, high heat resistant, and high modulus glass fibers for advanced environmental performance; glass lenses for printers and for automatic optical inspection systems that facilitate the reduction of product defects; high strength thin sheet glass for advanced optical displays; glass flakes with low dielectric properties for next generation electronic components; glass lenses that enable high speed digital communications infrastructure.

Please refer to the "Creative Technology" website.

GLASFLAKE^®

GLASFLAKE^® is scale-like fillers made from various glass compositions, and have a wide range of thicknesses from sub-㎛ to several ㎛, and particle diameters from several to ㎛ several tens of ㎛. They have a wide range of applications, and their excellent acid resistance is used to extend the lifespan of offshore wind power generation paints, while their ultra-thin and small particle diameter products contribute to the lightweight, thin, and small design of engineering plastics. In addition, in order to reduce transmission loss in the context of the recent need for high-speed communication, there is a demand for components with low dielectric properties. We have also succeeded in developing products that combine low dielectric properties through the examination of glass composition.

Glass Beads

Microplastics, which are also used as ingredients in cosmetics, are a growing concern due to their impact on marine pollution. NSG has developed GLACIA DROPS™, a spherical glass product that can be used as an alternative to microplastic beads. This product, which was created using NSG's new technology, is characterized by its soft texture, despite being an inorganic material. Made from raw materials with few impurities, it is finding a wider range of uses as a cosmetic powder that is safe for the skin and the environment.

High-strength glass fiber

MAGNAVI^® was developed based on the concept of environmentally friendly product development, and it has gained a high reputation as a fiber for reinforcing plastics in a variety of applications, including aircraft, automobiles and composites or machines for industry.

In addition to its rare earth free composition and reduced energy use amount and CO₂ emissions during production etc., its superior strength and elastic modulus, as well as its high impact resistance compared to carbon fiber, enable it to contribute to the conservation of resources and energy and the reduction of CO₂ emissions through the use of thinner, lighter materials.

LPH (LED Print-head)

The LPH (LED Print-head) is a print head used in LED printers, and our SLA (SELFOC^® Lens Array) is the only lens product in the world used in LPHs.

With LPH, the light emitted from each LED element is irradiated onto the photoreceptor drum via the SLA, enabling high-speed, high-quality printing. LED printers that use LPH have a simpler optical system, which makes them significantly smaller and lighter, and also contributes to power saving.

In addition, the benefits of smaller size and lighter weight are being used to develop applications for mobile photo printers and label printers.