What They Do

Enter “Breathaboard”, Adaptavate’s drop-in, low carbon alternative to the third most widely used building product; plasterboard. By incorporating biogenic carbon, Breathaboard can absorb 2-3kg CO₂/m². With headroom for yet more improvements in the product's carbon balance, there is a promising path to remove CO₂ at gigatonne scale by 2050. The co-founders, Tom & Jeff have a great combination of deep hands-on experience in the construction industry and technical engineering expertise. Together they are pioneering the much-needed redesign of carbon intensive construction materials.

Why It Matters

Today, there are limited routes for safe and durable carbon storage. Converting captured carbon into long-lasting products is an interesting alternative to geological storage with the potential to add value beyond carbon impact. However, very few materials are produced at the scale needed for meaningful carbon removal. The built environment is one place to look, with materials produced in the millions to billions of tonnes per year. It also accounts for 40% of global emissions and our building stock is set to double by 2050.

The prospect of future legislation and taxation around embedded carbon in buildings means finding scalable carbon-reducing solutions is imperative. Counteract believes that drop-in solutions are critical for innovations in the built environment because they enable seamless integration into existing systems, minimising disruption and facilitating rapid adoption.