123

Business

Proposed US legislation could boost Rockwool stateside

admin
June 10th, 2014


This article is more than 10 years old.

Ambitious climate targets could help Danish insulation company

The Danish company Rockwool, which produces stone wool insulation for buildings, is about to open a new factory in Mississippi. Børsen business newspaper reports that the opening could coincide with stringent climate targets coming into force – to the benefit of the company.

The US government’s most recent climate proposal sets the goal of power stations reducing their 2005 emissions of CO2 by 30 percent come 2030.

Trent Ogilvie, the head of the North American subsidiary, told Børsen that the climate proposals were positive for Rockwool, but not the only reason for optimism.

“We have not based our business plan on whether new laws and rules come or not," Ogilvie said.

"We see a growing acceptance of the benefits of insulating. We see that the housing market and industry are improving, and that the economy is generally accelerating in the USA.”

Not holding their breath for CO2 rules
“In the USA, it is more the rule than the exception that this type of rule takes a long time to go through, but we believe they will come into force," Ogilvie said.

"We will definitely do what we can to push, including through our trade organisation. But I’m not changing my market or profit expectations right now. That would be too early. The new CO2 proposal is a positive factor, but it’s not a game-changer.”

The new factory has cost 900 million kroner and is Rockwool’s first in the USA. Factories in Canada also deliver to the US.

 


Share

Most popular

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to receive The Daily Post

















Latest Podcast

A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”