Accsys publishes new ESG & Sustainability Report

AIM: AXS

Euronext Amsterdam: AXS

30 November 2020

Accsys Technologies PLC

("Accsys", the "Group" or the "Company")

Accsys publishes new Sustainability Report and ESG framework

Accsys, the fast-growing and eco-friendly company that combines chemistry and technology to create high performance, sustainable wood building products, has today published a new Sustainability Report that includes details of the Company's strategy and performance on Environmental, Social and Governance ('ESG') topics.

The report is available on the Accsys website at: www.accsysplc.com/changing-the-world
Direct download is available at:
www.accsysplc.com/app/uploads/2020/11/Accsys-Sustainability-Report-2020.pdf 

The Accsys Sustainability Report builds on the recognised sustainable credentials of its Accoya^® wood and Tricoya^® wood chip products, and details the work the Company has undertaken over the last year to assess the issues most relevant and important to the business, its industry, markets and stakeholders. Having identified the 10 key material issues, Accsys has developed an integrated sustainability framework and strategy aligned with its purpose: 'Changing wood to change the world'. This approach includes not just identification, mitigation and adaptation, but also the consequent and cumulative impact of both the business' operations and its sustainable products on the world.

Rob Harris, CEO of Accsys, commented:

"Sustainability is not just a trend, it is a global imperative. Accsys - our people, our technology, and the products we create - has always had this at heart.  We offer a more sustainable option for developing the built environment, with products grown from renewable sources that sequester carbon and lock it in to a useful, recyclable and non-toxic building material.

"Our goal is to maximise the positive impact of what we do and what we make, capitalise on opportunities for improvements, and minimise any negative impacts or risks from the way we create those products and operate as a business.

"We aim to grow our business in a sustainable way: sustainable environmentally, and able to sustain long term success and growth while staying true to our values and purpose.  This report is an initial output from our ESG review and strategy development work, and marks the start of a new chapter in Accsys' growth and evolution as a force for sustainable change in the real world."

The report includes performance metrics for the previous full financial year, Accsys' approach to the sustainability and ESG issues, case studies and details of specific actions, and plans for the future development and implementation of our strategy.

ENDS

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Notes to editors:

Accsys (Accsys Technologies PLC) is a fast-growing business with a purpose: changing wood to change the world. The company combines chemistry, technology and ingenuity to make high performance wood products that are extremely durable and stable, opening new opportunities for the built environment and giving the world a choice to build sustainably.

Accsys transforms fast-growing, certified sustainable wood into building materials with characteristics that match or better those of man-made, intensely resource-depleting and heavily carbon-polluting alternatives. 

The company's primary focus is on the production of Accoya^® wood and Tricoya^® wood elements, as well as technology licensing via its subsidiaries Titan Wood Limited and Tricoya Technologies Limited.  Accsys has its head office in London, UK, production operations in Arnhem, the Netherlands, an American office in Dallas, Texas, and is constructing the world's first Tricoya^® plant in Hull, UK.

Accsys is committed to a more sustainable world, and uses abundantly available wood sources that are certified as sustainable. With our business model already aligned with several UN Sustainable Development Goals, Accsys is currently working on identifying further strategic ESG priorities to have an even greater positive impact on the world.

Any references in this announcement to agreements with Accsys shall mean agreements with either Accsys or its subsidiary entities unless otherwise specified.  Accsys Technologies PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market and on Euronext Amsterdam, under the symbols 'AXS'.

More information about Accsys can be found at www.accsysplc.com  

Accoya^® wood is a sustainable, durable and stable solid wood product with exceptional performance, finish and sustainability. Accsys' proprietary acetylation process makes the wood more dimensionally stable and, because it is no longer easily digestible, extremely durable. Produced from certified (e.g. FSC^®) sustainable sources, Accoya^® wood has many environmental credentials and ecolabels, and is one of very few building materials to be Cradle to Cradle Certified™ at the Gold level, with a Platinum rating for Material Health, confirming that no harmful or toxic additives or chemicals are present to leach out into the environment.

With an up to 50 year warranty and 70+ year service life, the combination of sustainability, dimensional stability, durability and retained strength means that Accoya^® wood offers a wealth of new opportunities to architects, designers, specifiers, manufacturers and homeowners. These benefits result in lower maintenance and total cost of ownership while also offering significant sustainability benefits. For more information about Accoya^® wood, visit www.accoya.com.

Tricoya^® wood elements (www.tricoya.com) are produced using Accsys' proprietary technology for the acetylation of wood chips and particles for use in the fabrication of panel products such as medium density fibreboard (MDF) and particle-board.

Panel products made with Tricoya^® wood elements are truly durable and stable enough for use outdoors and in wet environments. Combining the sustainability, durability and stability from our acetylation process with the ease of use and quality finish of wood panel products, the enhanced durability and dimensional stability opens new opportunities for the use of these products, making them suitable in applications and environments that previously required solid wood, synthetic or unsustainable materials.

Tricoya^® wood elements have been lauded as the first major innovation in the wood composites industry in more than 30 years. For more information about Tricoya^® wood elements, visit www.tricoya.com.

In March 2017, Accsys announced the formation of the Tricoya^® Consortium to fund, build, own and operate the Tricoya^® plant in Hull, UK, through its subsidiary Tricoya Ventures UK Limited.  Members of the consortium include BP and the leading manufacturer of sustainable wood-based panels, MEDITE Europe DAC. More information is available at: https://www.accsysplc.com/about-us/accsys-corporate-structure/

Wood acetylation is a process which increases the naturally occurring acetyl content of wood, thereby changing its physical properties. When carried out to a sufficient degree throughout the wood, as with Accsys' proprietary process, it significantly reduces the ability of the wood to absorb water without adding any toxic or harmful compounds, elements or substances that were not already present in the wood. This makes it much more dimensionally stable and, because it is no longer easily digestible to most organisms, extremely durable.

 'Accsys' and 'Accsys Technologies' are trading names of Titan Wood Limited ("TWL"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Accsys Technologies PLC. Accoya^®, Tricoya^® and the Trimarque Device are registered trademarks owned by TWL, and may not be used or reproduced without written permission from TWL, or in the case of the Tricoya^® registered trademark, from Tricoya Technologies Limited, a subsidiary of TWL with exclusive rights to exploit the Tricoya^® brand.