Industry insiders speak about CO₂ reduction and the paths to climate neutrality

This industry is among the most energy-intensive sectors there are. Melting tanks operate round the clock, fossil fuels dominate production. Decarbonising this industry is a challenge. However, climate targets and regulatory pressure leave no room for doubt: transition is unavoidable.

At glasstec 2026, the world-leading trade fair of the glass industry, decarbonisation will again feature as one of the three key Hot Topics. Exhibitors at the trade fair show where the sector stands and what is feasible in technical terms – along the entire value chain.

BENTELER Maschinenbau delivers not one but two concrete examples proving sustainability and efficiency are not a contradiction in terms – neither in production nor in the finished building:  

“Our hybrid pre-laminating furnace combines two different heating technologies thereby enabling particularly flexible and energy- efficient laminated sheet glass production. Our washing systems save just as much energy in operation. These improvements lead to a measurable ROI, a reduced carbon footprint and compliance with future energy regulations.”

On the building side BENTELER does not work with own glass products but leverages the quality of the manufacturing technology:

 “Indirectly using the high-precision production of high-quality architectural glass, with a low-E coating for instance. This makes for excellent thermal insulation and solar protection values thereby minimising heat loss in buildings. BENTELER Maschinenbau is a global leader in coating washing systems.”

Olaf Patsch-Berkemann, Head of Sales Architectural Glass, BENTELER Maschinenbau

glaston shows how material savings, process efficiency and CO₂ reduction mutually reinforce each other using the ULTRA TPS®-Technology as an example::

“Glaston’s ULTRA TPS® Technology makes possible the mass production of triple insulation glass units with an up to 05 mm thin centre glass thereby noticeably reducing the material input. Thanks to the low centre glass thickness, less raw material is needed, and the total weight is reduced by around 30%, as is the energy needed for melting, transport and handling. At the same time, Glaston’s proven TPS® Technology makes for a high gas tightness of the units, low reject rates and stable, automated processes. In this way, CO₂ savings along the value chain can be made without added costs or efficiency losses in production.”

Of particular relevance for the building stock: 

“Tripe IGUs with thin glass achieve U‑values of approximately 0.7–0.9 W/m²K thereby clearly reducing thermal losses compared to conventional double glazing. Since the thin-glass IGUs are only as thick as traditional double IGUs despite their high performance they are especially easy to integrate in existing buildings. This means renovations can be carried out even without changing window frames – with immediately measurable savings in energy consumption and operational CO₂ emissions.”

Uwe Risle, Director Product Management IG, glaston

For Guardian Glass systematic innovation on all levels – from furnace control to packaging – reconciles efficiency with sustainability:

“Over the past ten years we have invested over US$ 1 billion in our European operations and in doing so consistently focused on installing highly energy-efficient plants.

On a global scale our expert system automates the data capture of furnace sensors to optimise energy use and stabilise temperature by model-based predictive control. By improving process stability this contributes to reducing fuel consumption while increasing operational efficiency at the same time.

The Lean Packaging Programme, which resulted from the plant-based cooperation in Asia, is a good example for the bottom-up innovations that are setting the path for sister plants around the globe and improving material efficiency by reducing wood consumption per packaging unit.

These initiatives illustrate how innovations on various levels can promote efficiency increases, cut the associated CO₂ emissions and support the responsible handling of resources.”

On the product side digital planning tools complete this approach: 

“High-performance glazing plays an important role for reducing the energy needs of buildings in use. The Performance Calculator and, subject to regional availability, the Building Energy Calculator helps to assess glazing configurations and their impact on energy consumption and the carbon footprint in operations in different climatic zones.”

Guus Boekhoudt, Executive Vice President, Global Commercial, Guardian Glass

LiSEC shows how decarbonisation begins in practice – not with giant technology leaps but with concrete interventions in media supply and consistent data transparency:

“One concrete lever for reducing CO₂ emissions is the energy-efficient design of media supply. In our ES-LRS model compressed air is replaced by electrical dust extraction and vacuum technology. Since compressed air is one of the most energy-intensive media, this changeover significantly reduces energy consumption, measurably cuts CO₂ emissions and brings down operation costs.”

Just as important is the underlying data basis: “The transparent capturing of energy and media consumption data such as that of electricity, water or compressed air forms the basis for measurable CO₂ savings. Measurability therefore becomes the driver for sustainability, efficiency and competitiveness.” 

For LiSEC decarbonisation does not end with manufacturing – Jandls also sees concrete potential in the building stock:

“Using thin glass as a centre sheet in triple IGUs the weight and thickness of the units can be markedly reduced. This allows old double glazing to be replaced by modern, energy-efficient triple insulation glass units – while conserving the existing window frame. This approach reduces construction costs, raw material consumption in production as well as the energy required for transport.”

Markus Jandl, Director Product Management, LiSEC 

NorthGlass shows that glass can contribute to the decarbonisation of buildings using its own a manufacturing strategy as an example:

“Façade glass plays a direct role in improving the energy efficiency of buildings. High-performance low-E insulation glass units can contribute to reducing solar gains, improve thermal insulation and reduce the energy needed for cooling and heating. NorthGlass has its own 24-m low-E coating systems that enables the production of large-format, energy-efficient glass for architectural façades. Thanks to integrated coating, toughening, lamination and insulation glass processing we can offer complete glass solutions for more sustainable building skins and thereby help to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings in use.”

Nancy Wang, International Sales Director at NorthGlass, NorthGlass

The NSG Group looks at the complete value chain – and explains where decarbonisation has the greatest impact today:

“The biggest progress towards climate neutrality along the entire glass value chain are made in primary production, where the decarbonisation of furnaces brings the highest emission reductions. Advances made in alternative fuels, electrification attempts, and the increased use of waste glass address the biggest source of CO₂ in glass production. Circularity initiatives such as ‘renew:glass’ accelerate the short-term effects by reducing energy needs and raw material emissions.”

For the use phase the Pilkington brand banks on high-performance glazing: 

“Buildings are a major source of global energy consumption and CO₂ emissions, attributable especially to the need for heating, cooling and lighting. Glass solutions by Pilkington can help mitigate these operational impacts by combining low-carbon glass with high-performance glazing that improves thermal insulation, regulates solar gains and maximises daylight use.”

Kristian Chalmers, Global Strategic Commercial Manager, Architectural Glass Europe, NSG Group

Zippe Industrieanlagen shows how state-of-the-art plant engineering addresses both energy savings and efficiency at the same time:

“When glass manufacturers use modern batch preheating systems, for example, they directly achieve substantial savings in energy consumption, CO₂ emissions and energy costs. The same applies to increasing the percentage of cullet through advanced recycling solutions. Cutting-edge batch and cullet preheating systems work highly efficiently, monitor and optimise energy input continuously and thereby make a measurable contribution to efficiency and sustainable glass production. Efficient charging machines and optimised batch makeup can also contribute to bringing down energy costs for glass melting.”

Dr. Philipp Zippe, CEO Zippe Industrieanlagen GmbH, Zippe Industrieanlagen GmbH

Our glasstec exhibitors’ statements make one thing clear: CO₂ reduction and economic efficiency are not mutually exclusive, they are interdependent. What’s more, decarbonisation will not be achieved by a single breakthrough but by many concrete steps – in melting tank technology, glass processing and in the building skin.