Lignacite gains PAS 2080 carbon management certification for Suffolk and Essex plants

Concrete block manufacturer Lignacite has achieved PAS 2080:2023 certification for carbon management as a construction material supplier, covering its plants in Suffolk and Essex, the company said.

The certification was awarded in September 2026. Lignacite said it was one of the first concrete block manufacturers to gain it as a material supplier.

The process began with an independent gap analysis in January, followed by a Stage 1 audit in April and a Stage 2 audit in September. According to Lignacite, no non-conformities were raised at either stage, which the auditor described as rare.

Marvyn Candler, SHEQ Manager at Lignacite, has been instrumental in driving the company's carbon management initiatives and achieving certification, the company said. He said: "We don't just say our blocks are low carbon. We've got the evidence to prove it. Our carbon management processes are independently scrutinised, and that helps reinforce trust with our customers."

The standard

PAS 2080 specifies requirements for the management of whole life carbon in buildings and infrastructure, according to the British Standards Institution (BSI), which lists product and material suppliers among the value chain members it is intended for. BSI said the document was sponsored by the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Green Construction Board, allowing it to be offered free of charge.

Lignacite described PAS 2080:2023 as a voluntary specification setting out a framework for measuring, managing and reducing whole-life carbon.

Candler estimated that the company was already meeting about 70-80% of the standard's criteria when it started to pursue certification. "For several years, we've been strengthening our carbon management processes and improving the transparency of our emissions reporting," he said.

Earlier steps

The certification follows a series of measures the company has reported over recent years. Lignacite said it has a target of reaching net zero by 2030, 20 years ahead of the Government's 2050 target.

It switched to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in place of conventional diesel, which the company said saves 440 tonnes of carbon a year, and offers HVO-fuelled deliveries within a 50-mile radius of Nazeing in Essex.

In May 2025 it launched the ECO Range, with blocks containing 50-70% recycled content. At launch the ECO50 block had 50% recycled content and the ECO70 had 70%, with recycled materials sourced in the UK as close to the factories as possible. Lignacite said at the time that Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for the range were in progress. Its ECO Range website now gives the 100mm ECO50 block an embodied carbon figure of 6.6 kg CO2e/m2 over stages A1-A4.

Separately, sustainability consultancy Blue Marble has independently verified Lignacite's recycled content claims across more than 90% of its products. Lignacite said its GP and dense blocks, including 7.3N and 10.4N units, meet a 30% verification threshold. Sam McGarrick, Head of Advisory at Blue Marble, said it was the first time the consultancy had verified recycled material use for a concrete block manufacturer. That verification is to be repeated annually for two years before moving to a three-year cycle.

The company

Lignacite describes itself as a family business operating two plants, at Brandon in Suffolk and Nazeing in Essex. Giles de Lotbiniere, grandson of founder Sir Edmond, is Chairman.

Companies House records show Lignacite Limited was incorporated on 10 June 1947, is registered at Norfolk House, High Street, Brandon, and was known as Lignacite (Brandon) Limited until 1 January 1995. Its registered business is the manufacture of concrete products for construction purposes.

What happens next

Under the three-year certification cycle, Lignacite will undergo annual audits to show how it is continuing to manage and reduce emissions.

The company said it is upgrading the existing solar panels at Brandon and progressing plans for a new solar installation at Nazeing. It is also exploring the use of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), an alternative cementitious material, to lower the embodied carbon of its blocks.

An upgraded ECO block is due to launch in November 2026.