that ROCKWOOL is deploying in Jefferson County . To our knowledge , no one else in our industry has this capability . The air permit authorizing our operations allows for using both fuel sources and it has always been part of the plan to eventually convert to natural gas for the melting process . We ’ re extremely pleased to be starting up on gas , thus reaping the environmental benefits of doing so straight away .
In West Virginia , our permitted emissions will be well within the limits set by the U . S . Environmental Protection Agency and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and in accordance with the Federal Clean Air Act . The state-of-the-art emissions abatement technology being deployed at our Ranson factory will enable us to comply with strict emissions limits that are specifically designed to safeguard sensitive populations , including children , the elderly and asthmatics . Though we believe the regulatory process to be more than sufficient to ensure air quality , to provide additional reassurance regarding our facility ’ s environmental safety , the company is fully funding local air monitoring stations that began monitoring air quality in December 2019 and will continue for two years from the start of operations .
ROCKWOOL recently announced ambitious new science-based global decarbonization targets that have been verified and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative ( SBTi ). This makes us one of the few energy-intensive manufacturing companies whose emission reduction targets SBTi has verified and approved .
As part of these targets , ROCKWOOL has committed to reducing its factories ’ absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 38 % by 2034 relative to the baseline year of 2019 . We ’ ll also reduce our non-factory emissions by 20 %. In total , this equates to a full one-third reduction in our lifecycle emissions by 2034 .
Accelerating technology innovation , increasing the energy efficiency in our production and further exploiting stone wool ’ s inherent circularity will be the main ways forward as we work systematically across the organization to reduce our lifecycle emissions .
The new decarbonization commitments build on ROCKWOOL ’ s existing status as a net carbon negative company , in that over the lifetime of its use , the building insulation ROCKWOOL sold in 2020 will save 100 times the carbon emitted in its production . The ability to infinitely recycle stone wool without any loss of performance also sets it apart from non-recyclable construction materials that might otherwise be incinerated , resulting in end-of-life emissions . Recycling stone wool at our factories contributes to reducing production-related carbon emissions .
We are committed to enriching the lives of everyone who comes into contact with our solutions . Our ambition is to empower everyone to rise to the development challenges of modern living . By using stone , one of the world ’ s most abundant natural resources , we can make a lasting impact across generations .
ROCKWOOL is excited to be joining and contributing to the proud West Virginia family of businesses and looks forward to creating new opportunities and benefits for Jefferson County and the state . To learn more about the Ranson facility , please visit rockwool . com / westvirginia .