Building materials giant unveils green credentials in sustainability showcase

SYDNEY and CHICAGO, Sept. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE / ASX : JHX) ("James Hardie" or the "Company"), a leading provider of exterior home and outdoor living solutions, and a company inspiring how communities design, build and grow, today released its latest annual sustainability report entitled "Building Resilience."

"At James Hardie, sustainability is foundational to how we do business. We are continuing to make progress, evolve and innovate to ensure homes are built to last," said Aaron Erter, Chief Executive Officer. "Sustainability is a journey, and this continues with our recent acquisition of The AZEK^® Company in July 2025. As the industry leader in exterior home and outdoor living solutions, we have never been better positioned to explore a variety of ways we can improve our communities and our planet. At James Hardie we are constantly working towards our purpose of Building a Better Future for All™."

The report features initiatives to advance the Company's purpose and details progress across the four primary pillars of the Company's environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy: Zero Harm, Planet, Innovation and Communities. Highlights from the report for fiscal year 2025 include:

Integration into Business Processes

• Sustainability strategies continue to be integrated into the Hardie Manufacturing Operating System (HMOS).
• Short-term internal natural gas targets were set for each region, helping drive the reduction of Scope 1+2 emissions by 14 percent in fiscal year 2025 from the calendar year 2021 baseline.

Circular Supply Chain

• Efforts to reduce waste and create a circular supply chain for fiber cement products in North America plants diverted over 11 percent of manufacturing waste from local landfills in fiscal year 2025.
• In the Asia Pacific region, James Hardie eliminated 98 percent of waste material sent to landfills by either recycling it back into production processes or sending it to local companies to keep waste materials in the value stream.

Zero Harm

• Over a three-year period, James Hardie is investing more than $75 million in strategic safety infrastructure projects globally.
• Safety standards for energy control processes, machine guarding, working from heights and electrical safety were developed and independently approved in North America and Asia Pacific.

Product Innovation

• James Hardie debuted the TimberHue™ Collection in North America, featuring two-tone, premium finishes in eight authentic wood-look colors – engineered to withstand harsh weather and made with noncombustible* James Hardie technology. In addition, its long-lasting performance reduces the need for replacement over time, conserving materials and resources.
• The Hardie™ Architectural Collection expanded to include Hardie^® Artisan^® Siding, featuring extra-thick lap boards and deep shadow lines for a natural wood aesthetic with the strength and resilience of fiber cement, providing superior overall durability to help protect homes from fire damage while delivering a long-lasting, low-maintenance solution that supports more sustainable home exteriors.
• In Europe, fermacell^® Therm25™, an easy-to-install fiber gypsum product, has lower CO2 emissions compared to conventional flooring and incorporates recycled gypsum, reducing landfill waste and reliance on mined materials.
• In the United States, Green Builder Media recognized James Hardie as an innovation and brand leader, naming Hardie^® Artisan^® Trim as a 2025 Sustainable Product of the Year for its distinctive design, superior performance and lasting value.

Respecting Human Rights

• James Hardie launched a global human rights policy and completed the first salient issues review, conducting on-site social compliance audits of the few tier-one suppliers in high-risk environments.

Stronger Workforce

• The launch of the BuildWell program is helping to create a culture of well-being, where employees are supported with education, resources and opportunities for their physical, mental, social and financial well-being, tailored to the specific needs of employees in different regions.

Stronger Communities

• James Hardie contributed $1.65 billion in economic value to the communities in which it operates through capital expenditures at plants and by investing in employees, local ecosystems and across the supplier base.
• James Hardie continued its global collaboration with Habitat for Humanity^® International, and provided 29 Habitat Strong grants to build affordable and climate-resilient homes in fiscal year 2025.

Integrating with The AZEK^® Company

As announced in July 2025, James Hardie successfully completed its previously announced acquisition of The AZEK^® Company ("AZEK"). James Hardie now features a portfolio of high-performance, low-maintenance exterior and outdoor living brands, including Hardie^®, TimberTech^®, AZEK^® Exteriors, Versatex^®, fermacell^®, StruXure^®, Ultralox^® and Intex^®.

AZEK^® embeds sustainability into every stage of its operations, from material sourcing and manufacturing to product durability and end-of-life solutions. Guided by a full-circle approach, AZEK^® transforms waste and scrap into high-performance, long-lasting materials and aims to incorporate one billion pounds of recycled content into its manufacturing annually. Its latest and final stand-alone FULL-CIRCLE report highlighting progress toward environmental and recycling initiatives during AZEK^®'s fiscal 2024 is available here.

"As we continue to integrate with AZEK^®, we are harnessing our collective strengths to advance our sustainability leadership and position the combined company for even greater impact. This work is shaping the next generation of our sustainability goals, and we look forward to sharing more on this important topic in the future," said Amanda Cimaglia, Vice President, Global Sustainability.

Building Resilience

James Hardie's sustainability goals align directly with issues that matter most to its stakeholders and overall corporate objectives. The Company's sustainability strategy is driven through cross-functional collaboration, including research and development, engineering, manufacturing, finance and human resources leadership.

In fiscal year 2023, James Hardie adopted new, more ambitious sustainability goals to help track and assess progress. In fiscal year 2024, the Company set near-term regional targets that roll up to overall longer-term goals. Each regional president is held accountable for attaining these targets in the region and is provided funding in the regional budget to support initiatives at the local level. As a result, the entire organization is engaged in and committed to these goals.

*Hardie® fiber cement products are noncombustible and/or have a Class A fire rating when tested in accordance with ASTM E84. Fiber cement fire resistance does not extend to applied paints or coatings, which may be damaged or char when exposed to flames. The use of noncombustible siding, combined with other fire mitigation measures, may help harden a home against external fire.

For more information about James Hardie Building Products Inc., visit www.jameshardie.com.