The Spanish Association for Standardization and Certification (AENOR), leader in certification of management systems, products, services and sustainability, recognized the carbon neutrality of Naturcell, a cellulose pulp from Ence included in its portfolio of special products. This AENOR verification demonstrates Ence’s commitment to the continuous improvement of its environmental performance and compliance in the areas of climate action and development of sustainable products.
Thus, subjected to an external and independent verification by AENOR, Ence obtained the Carbon Neutrality certificate for all 2022 sales of Naturcell produced in the facilities of its Pontevedra biofactory. For this, in addition to implementing actions aimed at reducing emissions at the facility itself, the company offset the remaining emissions through Emission Reduction Certificates (CERs, for its acronym in English).
Since 2018, the company has carried out an analysis of Greenhouse Gas emissions related to the company’s activity in its facilities and main products, and developed the necessary tools to update the calculation of the carbon footprint, which is the basis to design initiatives and projects focused on decarbonization.
Along these lines, in 2020 Ence was a pioneer in its sector by analyzing the environmental profile of its products, using the Environmental Product Declarations (EPD®, in its acronym in English) as a tool. It is a program for environmental declarations based on the ISO 14025 standard, in which the environmental impacts of the product are identified and reported, in this case Naturcell cellulose, based on a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), which studies the environmental impacts of the product throughout its life cycle in 12 categories, including the use of fossil fuels and the emissions and removals of biogenic and fossil CO2.
In this way, the company not only seeks to develop products with differential sustainability attributes, but also seeks to evaluate these attributes objectively and impartially.
Naturcell pulp, the first carbon-neutral product made by Ence from unbleached cellulose and with an improved environmental footprint, stands out for its high sustainability standards: lower consumption of wood, non-renewable raw materials, water and energy in its manufacturing process. production and a lower carbon footprint, among others.
In more and more applications, materials based on this type of cellulose represent a sustainable alternative to the use of plastics, representing a clear example of circular bioeconomy and ecological transition towards a new consumption model through a natural, renewable, biodegradable fiber. and very versatile, coming from a sustainable and environmentally respectful production.
With this AENOR Verification of Carbon Neutrality, the company shows compliance with two priority areas of action: climate action and the development of sustainable products, paving the way to continue developing products with a neutral carbon footprint.
