Selena Group is the first European manufacturer of polyurethane mounting foam to join the group of holders of the prestigious ISCC Plus certificate. The certification confirms the content of biocomponents in the products and a 30% reduction in the carbon footprint, which means that the whole construction made using the foams is more environmentally friendly. This is another step towards achieving the Group’s sustainability goals and testament to its commitment to our planet.
Selena’s products – polyurethane foams – obtained the renowned International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) Plus, becoming Europe’s first manufacturer of polyurethane mounting foams to be awarded with this distinction.
“ISCC Plus is a key certification for our products, but also an important document for our business. It confirms that our product uses raw materials with a reduced embodied carbon footprint. We provide sustainable products, in this way moving closer to zero-emission construction. This significantly strengthens our position as a manufacturer and puts us at the forefront of credible companies that care about the environment, and in the future will allow us to expand our customer base,” says Jarosław Tomala, Global Sustainability Manager at Selena Group.
Selena Group’s sustainable development vision
The ISCC Plus certification for Selena is closely entwined with the Group’s vision of sustainable development. Presented at the beginning of 2023, this concept is based on five pillars: sustainable construction (area name: Investors), responsible leadership (Finance), social well-being (Employees), workplace ergonomics (End Users) and environmental footprint reduction (Climate) – abbreviated as the IFEEC. By defining the IFEEC areas, Selena also makes a declaration to its stakeholders – business partners, customers and employees, as well as local communities and the natural environment – that it will conduct its business responsibly. Consequently, sustainable development has become a priority of the company’s business policy.
The company’s activities play an important role in implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Reduction of the carbon footprint by lowering resource consumption and CO2 emissions into the atmosphere is part of the concept laid down in the IFEEC framework. A comprehensive life-cycle assessment (LCA) of Selena Group’s products is a way to ensure responsible environmental management.
Environmentally friendly products
Selena Group not only submits its products to international certification and numerous tests, but also develops its own solutions that improve energy efficiency. The company’s laboratories devise original formulations that are ultimately placed on the market. One of the examples is the groundbreaking Low-Ex Green foam with a unique composition containing BIOSELENOLS® – i.e. 100% bio-based polyester. This product responds to the challenges related to the decarbonization of the construction industry by 2050. When speaking about the EU decarbonization goal, a reference must also be made to Selena’s other innovative and energy-saving solutions. Reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emissions at the level of the operational carbon footprint by as much as 30% can be achieved using the Tytan WINS system (known as Quilosa WINS in some countries). In turn, foam adhesives reduce water and electricity consumption, and the highly reflective, waterproof COOL-R® coating reflects solar radiation and reduces the roof temperature by up to 70%.
“Selena’s environmentally friendly solutions include foam adhesives, which significantly help reduce the carbon footprint during transport, but also reduce water and electricity consumption during construction. On top of that, in 2022 we started to market products based on inputs from renewable sources, including bio raw materials – such raw materials are produced in our plants or are sourced from our suppliers and certified by ISCC Plus, which shows that we ensure a sustainable supply chain. The third aspect is all activities geared towards increasing the use of recycled materials in our packaging,” says Michał Specjalski, Windows & Doors Division Director at Selena Group.
ESG as part of the company’s DNA
ESG is no longer just a fad or a global trend, but a pillar on which companies base their activities. As well as developing solutions that directly refer to environmental metrics, Selena actively participates in the work of bodies involved in sustainable development. In 2021, Selena Group joined the Polish Green Building Council and the Romania Green Building Council. Since August 2022, it has also been a member of the Polish ESG Association, which brings together leaders of sustainable transformation. One of the members of the ESG Association’s Innovator Council is Ewa Kosmala, Global Sustainability Director at Selena Group. In turn, Krzysztof Domarecki, the main shareholder of Selena Group, became an ambassador of the #BuildingLife project started in December 2020. The project is carried out on the initiative of the World Green Building Council and aims to support the implementation of the European Green Deal.
The company is recognized for its green activities. In 2022, in the ESG Innovator competition of the Polish ESG Association, Selena Group was awarded in two categories: “Visionary of the Polish ESG Association” for being an ESG leader among Polish companies, and for innovation in the production of polyols as part of the “Selenols” project.
