Selena – a global leader and distributor of construction chemicals and one of the four largest global producers of mounting foams for construction – presents its sustainability areas for the entire Group. These include: 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. These areas were highlighted in the Group’s first sustainable development report, a step towards the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
By defining its main areas of the IFEEC strategy (parts of Selena Group’s business strategy), which lie at the heart of success of Selena Group’s products to date and at the same time are critical to the continued growth of its business, Selena reaffirms its responsible approach to its stakeholders – employees, customers and business partners, as well as to local communities and the natural environment. This is also a clear declaration of Selena’s contribution to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals adopted in Paris in 2015 by 193 countries of the United Nations. In this way, by mapping out its key IFEEC areas, Selena Group responds to the global call to act for a better world.
All Selena Group companies share the commitment to building security for a world that is sustainable in economic, social and environmental terms. Sustainable development is the right course of action for companies that wish their development and growth to build not only on financial factors, but also on fundamental values, such as care for the environment and the engagement of employees, clients and other stakeholders. We make every effort to be a trusted and innovative partner for our clients, as well as a good and safe workplace, says Jacek Michalak, CEO of Selena Group.
A leader in zero-emission construction
Selena was established in 1992 in Wrocław. Following the three decades of the company’s existence, the Group has 30 companies in 19 countries, on 4 continents. Now its products are available on nearly 100 markets. Selena has become one of the global leaders who set the course of development of zero-emission construction based on proprietary, key technologies.
Today, more than ever before, the success of an organization depends on its ability to look ahead and adapt to the challenges of tomorrow. Our solutions respond to the needs of business partners, investors and users. We responsibly manage the areas of financial development; wisely invest in innovation and work actively to have a positive impact on the climate, says Ewa Kosmala, Global Sustainability Director in Selena Group.
Selena’s strategic goal, reflected in the IFEEC, is to deliver products for climate-neutral construction, while applying the highest standards of sustainable corporate governance. Selena creates products that are friendly for the environment and end users and that increase the environmental and energy efficiency of buildings. In addition, they help increase the occupancy comfort and allow extra credits to be obtained as part of environmental certification systems for buildings, such as LEED, BREEAM, DGNB and HQE, while being CAM compliant. Selena Group’s systems and solutions fit in well with Selena Group’s corporate social responsibility.
Innovative solutions for higher energy efficiency
The main goal of IFEEC activities is to reduce the carbon footprint by reducing resource consumption and CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. A comprehensive life-cycle assessment (LCA) of Selena Group’s products is a way to ensure responsible environmental management.
The benefits of using polyurethane technology instead of cement technology are key to achieving zero carbon. The transport of Selena’s polyurethane products to the construction site reduces carbon emissions by a significant 97.7% compared to the transport of traditional building materials. One truck filled with Selena’s polyurethane technology products is enough to bind the same amount of construction materials as 40 trucks of traditional mortar in cement technology.
At Selena Group, we are working hard to develop more solutions that are part of sustainable construction. Rising prices of energy are currently the key motivator for companies to rationalize its consumption. Modernization in this area fits perfectly into the range of ESG activities. It’s equally important to implement digital solutions that support the optimization of production processes or the consumption of raw materials used in production. In addition to helping the planet, those solutions contribute to improving competitiveness, because reducing the use of production input and increasing energy efficiency means lower production costs, says Roman Dziuba, Selena’s Chief Operating Officer.
Reduction of emissions and care for natural resources
Reporting in accordance with ESG indicators is not yet mandatory for Selena Group, but the company has decided to analyze its resources now. In its first Sustainable Development Report, in addition to mapping out the IFEEC areas, Selena accentuates its environmental commitment in relation to the construction sector. According to the latest UN figures, collectively in the EU buildings were responsible for 38% of energy consumption and 36% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. Selena’s innovative construction solutions facilitate the reforming of building stock into low-emission facilities with a significantly reduced embodied carbon footprint. The reduction of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is supplemented by more rational use of natural resources. In 2021, Selena started the process of reducing energy consumption. In addition, in the same year, more than 11% of Selena’s total energy consumption came from renewable sources, and this contribution is to be significantly increased in the years to come.
Selena places a sharp focus on sustainable construction. In 2021, Selena joined the Polish Green Building Council (PLGBC), and its Romanian company became member of the Romania Green Building Council. A symbolic sign of the company’s involvement in the promotion of environmentally friendly construction was that Krzysztof Domarecki, the main shareholder of Selena Group, became the ambassador of the #BuildingLife campaign. This is a project promoted by the World Green Building Council to support the implementation of the European Green Deal. It seeks to develop an action plan to decarbonize construction throughout the life cycle of buildings. Since 2022, Selena has been a member of the Polish ESG Association, and Ewa Kosmala, Global Sustainability Director in Selena Group, has sat on the Association’s ESG Innovators Council.
Selena Group’s Sustainability Report is available here.
