National Windscreens is one of the UK’s most recognised vehicle glass repair and replacement specialists, employing over 600 technicians across more than 100 locations. In a fast-evolving market, the company is powering ahead on its pioneering path to sustainability and evoking change in its industry. Andy Probert discovered more, in conversation with Commercial & Services Director Simon Hunt and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Manager Craig Gibson.
The windscreen is a vital part of a car and represents 30% of a vehicle’s structural integrity. When they spot a chip or crack, National Windscreens’ technicians urge drivers to fix the problem before it spiderwebs into something more serious. The intricate technology plays a key role in the safety of modern vehicles.
Look closer, and National Windscreens is doing far more than just being a driver’s friend in their hour of need. The company is setting the standard on sustainability with a detailed plan for reducing its environmental impact.
Repairing whenever possible National Windscreens always aims to repair rather than replace a damaged windscreen according to the updated standards in the BSI code of practice.
“We are not just adapting to the demands ourselves, but are collaborating with motor insurers, drivers and suppliers on our sustainability journey,” said Commercial & Services Director Simon Hunt. “We are embracing the circular economy and embedding sustainability
so that it becomes an integral part of any decision-making.”
Having developed many partnerships with major insurers, National Windscreens is also positioned at the very front of the market for fleet support. With National Windscreens having Cary Group as an integral part of the organisation, the Swedish company’s presence in ten markets across Europe will bring significant advantages for the business.
“Given our commitments to sustainability targets, Cary Group has been instrumental in sharing global best practice to help drive forward that agenda and enable National Windscreens to grow its market share in the UK,” Mr Hunt acknowledged.
The company’s current sustainability strategy was launched in in 2022, assessing all aspects of its operations, to drive towards net zero through scopes 1, 2 and 3 in the supply chain. “We are working with our suppliers and recycling partners to drive towards a circular economy by aiming to recycle 100 per cent of the 3,300 tonnes of glass replaced yearly,” Mr Hunt said.
Both Mr Gibson and Mr Hunt agreed that the company is keen to focus on
sustainability in the glass sourcing and procurement from the supply chain, while remaining committed to setting the bar across the industry.
“We strive to recycle the glass in every screen that is replaced as we understand the environmental impact of glass production,” Craig Gibson, ESG Manager at National Windscreens, added. “We have embedded practices to recycle all damaged glass alongside a commitment to reduce our ecological footprint wherever possible.
“Every tonne of glass we recycle removes the need to extract that amount of sand, soda ash and limestone from the earth’s resources. Our repair-first policy ensures our technicians will avoid replacing the glass whenever possible, and assess windscreen damage according to BSI safety standards.”
“National Windscreens is geared to creating its own momentum,” said Mr Hunt: “We have committed to a SBTi near-term target to reduce emissions by up to 42 per cent for scopes Scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 2030, in line with the 1.5-degree Paris agreement. Also, we have compensated for all our calculated emissions in Scope 1, 2, and
3 in 2022, which we account for in our sustainability report.
“Scope 3 includes indirect emissions throughout the value chain, including glass manufacturing and movement, employee commuting and policyholder travel to the fitting centres. This information is valuable for our stakeholders to understand National Windscreens’ sustainability performance.”
Foundation stone
National Windscreens published its first Sustainability Report in 2023, reflecting its many achievements in setting the industry standard and outlining its progress and targets for the future.
“It is a key foundation of our desire to innovate and lead in our glass recycling efforts, driving towards a cleaner and more sustainable future,” added Mr Gibson.
The company also assures customers that sustainability is integrated in every step relating to vehicle glass; from initial customer contact when a stone chip is found, through damage assessment and the entire repair or replacement process until a solution is provided.
“National Windscreens completed over 450,000 repairs, replacements and calibrations in 2022. The sustainability aspect of our customer offering is therefore essential, both for reducing environmental impact and for educating and inspiring employees and customers,” Mr Gibson added.
Leaning on the Nordic experience of the wider organisation, National Windscreens has begun to transition to a fossil-free vehicle fleet across its UK network. Cary Group operates with a courtesy fleet with
a majority of electrical vehicles (EVs) and EV bikes.
“Our business model is based on simplicity, speed and convenience,” said Mr Gibson. “With digital tools such as AI damage assessment, digital signatures and the move to online payment, we ensure the business offering is as sustainable as possible.”
Replacing a windscreen releases direct emissions of approximately 44kg CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalents), including production, transport and fitting of used glass. For context, repairing a windscreen has a carbon footprint of less than 1kg CO2e.
“We are striving to find new ways to inform about the benefits of repairing in time to avoid replacement,” said Mr Hunt. “We monitor and report our repair rate to ensure that we repair windscreens rather than replace, whenever it is safe to do so.
“A big influence for us is understanding our footprint and the makeup of it. Around 15 per cent of our work was carried out inside our fitting centres in 2019, but that has risen to over 30 per cent in 2023 because of the advanced technology in cars.
“With cameras, HUDs (head-up displays) and the ability to watch a movie on a panoramic screen; the complexity of modern windscreens has created new challenges for our technicians. Glass manufacturing is highly energy intensive and requires higher temperatures than steel production, so it is an eye-opener on trying to meet the sustainable targets.”
Greener options
“A significant proportion of our work comes from insurers, and we share a desire with our insurance partners to constantly drive towards a more sustainable solution for
customers, whilst carefully managing costs across all aspects of sourcing, supply and fitting,” said Mr Gibson.
“National Windscreens’ emission reduction strategy is centred on procurement, transport and energy,” Mr Hunt added. “We will also continue to improve the customer experience – digitally and through our service experience – while educating them on the environmental impact of their choices.
“We presently repair around a quarter of damaged windscreens, but that compares with about 40 per cent in the Nordics. We are working with insurers to encourage proactive engagement with their clients to opt for repairs rather than replacements and help minimise that carbon footprint further.”
National Windscreens works closely with its recycling partners, such as URM, and its insurance partners, plus fleet and rental partners across the markets. It has also engaged with suppliers, including Workwear Express, and glass suppliers, to get a deeper understanding of scope 3 emissions.
Indeed, National Windscreens has recently won the LV Award for Sustainability and is the winner of the Gold Prize at the Insurance
Times 2023 Awards for ‘Sustainability Initiative of the Year’, competing against some of the biggest companies operating in the insurance industry.
“From our perspective, it is all about education and awareness on sustainability,” said Mr Hunt. “For example; the van fleet and rental market has different challenges than the insurance market. We are now trying to be more proactive in the fleet space regarding the impact on their customers.”
“National Windscreens is positioning itself to be a leading sustainable supplier of choice, while engagement, awareness and collaboration will be our keys to positively influencing the industry,” Mr Gibson said.
A truly global network
Recently, a team of technicians from across Sweden travelled to the UK to work in London for two weeks in a landmark exchange between National Windscreens and Cary Group. The Swedish technicians worked in the Croydon, Crawley, Watford, Dartford and Romford centres: some of the fitting centres with the highest volume in the UK.
The two-week period gave an ideal opportunity for the technicians to speak with and work alongside their counterparts to exchange the best practices from different markets across Europe and compare them to those used in the UK.
There were valuable lessons regarding the different technologies, including ADAS calibration equipment used across the markets to build a sustainable business offering. The exchange helped to bolster the transfer of knowledge between the technicians from both countries.
“We were thrilled to welcome the technicians from Cary Group for this collaboration,”
said Andy Rae, Operations Director. “It was interesting to see how the practices of the technicians differed. Enhancing the skills of our team is at the forefront of everything that we do, so we embraced bringing over the technicians to compare the differing approaches of the UK and Swedish teams.
“By joining forces, we can leverage our respective strengths to enhance operational efficiency and streamline processes. Sharing innovations, skills and practices across our network is essential to continue to improve the service for our customers.”
A royal contribution
Mr Hunt and Mr Gibson attended the book launch of ‘King Charles III: The Leadership and Vision of a Modern Monarch’ on The King’s 75th birthday at Claridge's in London.
The contribution to the book from National Windscreens focuses on the challenges and progress made regarding sustainability, the complexities of modern
automotive glazing, and how service is at the heart of success.
“It was an honour to attend the launch in Mayfair,” said Mr Hunt. “We spoke with some fascinating contributors to the book and with the dignitaries in attendance. Claridge’s was a perfect setting for the day.
“The focus of National Windscreens on embedding sustainability into every step of our work with vehicle glass is in total alignment with the environmental focus of King Charles.”
The book charts King Charles’ life from his celebrated birth and early years, through his role and responsibilities as the Prince of Wales, to his accession and coronation. It also considers how The King intends to shape a relevant and futurefacing monarchy for the world of today and tomorrow.
“The book launch in London was fantastic and was a pleasure talking with other people who are as passionate about the environment as I am,” Mr Gibson said, in conclusion. “The aim at National Windscreens is to provide the highest standards of quality, innovation, and service, all whilst preserving the planet’s primary resources.” n
