Extract December 2022*
2021 
Sustainability 
Report

Index
03
URSA’s commitments 
towards a climate 
neutral building stock
04
URSA at  
a glance
05
Environment,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) strategy
07
Environment 
17
Social
24
Governance 
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2021 Sustainability report | Extract

Editorial
URSA’s commitments 
towards a climate 
neutral building stock
Climate change is now, more than ever, a global 
emergency that requires everyone's contribution. Global 
warming has become one of the significant risks to the 
sustainable development of the world's societies and 
economies. The extreme and changing nature of the 
climate, rising sea levels and weather catastrophes 
seriously affect production, transport and people's  
well-being, becoming an essential element of inequality 
and environmental degradation.
Our industry will play a vital role in this desired and 
inevitable transition towards a sustainable economy in 
which the principles of efficiency and durability of buildings 
- one of the leading emitters of CO2 are fundamental.
At URSA, we want to contribute to the objectives of the 
Paris Agreement and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. 
That is why we have been investing for years in developing 
non-polluting, resistant materials with optimal energy 
qualities and using recycled materials, ambitious waste 
management and product life cycle assessment (LCA).
Convinced that we ensure long-term growth only through 
responsible management, I am particularly proud to 
present to you an extract of our 2021 sustainability report 
in which we review our ESG (environment, social and 
governance) objectives and achievements.
A strategy to which we commit not only to all employees 
but also to our suppliers and partners. A process in which 
every person counts and in which diversity and talent are 
also fundamental elements of growth. A commitment to 
integration that includes interaction beyond pure business 
with the local communities in the places where we 
operate. Values that, in short, give meaning and purpose 
to our work.
Head of Division Insulation
Jochen Friedrichs
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URSA at a glance
URSA at a glance
URSA is one of Europe's largest manufacturers of thermal 
and acoustic insulation materials oriented to sustainability 
and energy efficiency in buildings. For the past 70 years, 
we have been offering excellent insulation materials while 
bettering the planet and the economy.
URSA’s operational headquarters is based in Madrid, Spain. 
URSA was acquired by Etex in June 1st, 2022. 
The performance data and related 
information in this document relates to 
the 2021 calendar year and covers the 
operations as of December 31, 2021. 
During this period of time URSA was 
part of Xella. Part of the data used 
in this report has been assured by 
independent external auditors (PWC) 
with limited assurance.
2.000
XPS capacity
42%
of external recycled 
input polystyrene in  
XPS production 
1,764
employees
40+
countries with 
commercial activity
13
plants
€500
million sales
300.000
tons mineral wool 
capacity
73%
recycled and 
reprocessed glass in 
mineral wool production
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2021 Sustainability report | Extract

ESG Strategy
ESG 
strategy
Thanks to our ESG program, we have set the 
path for URSA’s sustainability future with the 
clear ambition of putting the planet in the 
center of everything we do.
Our ESG strategy is a key lever for the 
development of solid commitments for a better 
tomorrow for the generations to come.
Page 5

ESG strategy
Environment, Social 
& Governance (ESG) 
strategy
In 2020, we started a journey, together with Xella, to set 
the path for URSA’s sustainability future with the clear 
ambition of putting the planet in the center of everything 
we do. In 2021 and throughout 2022, URSA's ESG focus is 
to set ambitious goals & solid commitments to develop and 
mature our practices in the field.
Phase 1  → Completed ✓ 
Engaged stakeholders, conducted 
a materiality assessment*, and 
commissioned an external sustainability 
ratings agency to assess our ESG risk.
*Available at the 2021 Xella sustainability report.
Phase 2  → Completed ✓
We set short and medium targets on 
a range of environmental, social and 
governance priorities.
Phase 3  → We are here
We have implemented a wide set of 
governance, social and environmental 
initiatives to achieve our targets as 
described in this report.
Phase 4  → Stand by
We continue to work towards our 
ambitious targets including best-in-class 
ESG governance, a zero-harm workplace 
and establishing URSA as a thought-
leader in circular economy practices.
Sharpen our  
ESG focus
Set target  
to measure  
ourselves by
Achieve our  
ESG ambitions
Initiatives to  
achieve targets
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2021 Sustainability report | Extract

Environment
Environment
We wish to lead our industry expanding energy 
efficiency, by reducing carbon emissions and 
waste, while we boost resource conservation to 
enhance circularity.
We are committed to increasing the use of 
recycled material in our products and working 
on new uses and utilities for our leftovers. 
Page 7

“From using greener energy 
to installing LEDs and best-
in-class insulation, we aim 
to be environmentally and 
climate friendly in production, 
processes and products.” 
 
Björn Baum, 
Chief Technology Officer, URSA
Sustainable production: 
a strategic commitment 
for URSA 
At URSA we aim to safeguard the environment and 
minimize impacts both in how we produce our materials 
and how we manage residues and avoid waste sent to 
landfill, as a strategic company objective.
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2021 Sustainability report | Extract
Sustainable production

Address circularity 
through energy 
efficiency and CO2 
emissions' reduction
At URSA we recognize that climate change will increasingly 
impact the building industry and our business. To help 
manage these risks we are committed to playing our part 
in helping the sector meet the goals of the Paris Agreement 
and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
2021
-5%
-35%
2030 target
Scope 1 and 2 emission intensity by 2030 vs. 2018
Our target
-35%
Reduction of C02
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2021 Sustainability report | Extract
Decarbonization

04
New energy related Key Performance 
Indicators (KPIs) to assess and improve the 
performance of the plants.
• 2021  
Key performance data
We have a wide-ranging set of 
initiatives in motion to help us 
achieve our scope 1 and 2 target.
This is our action plan:
01
Constitution of an energy efficiency  
corporate department.
02
Energy efficiency measures
•	 Optimize energy usage.
•	 Replacement of equipment with more 
efficient technologies: leds, efficient motors, 
variable speed drives and air compressors.
•	 Energy recovery within our facilities.
“URSA’s El Pla plant in Spain 
is located in an area of high 
solar radiation making it 
an ideal location to harness 
solar power. In 2021 URSA 
initiated a tender enabling 
23,000 m2 for a photovoltaic 
installation. By 2022 we will 
have the installation up and 
running generating close to 
4,500 MWh per year. In terms 
of CO2 savings, we will avoid 
more than 1,000 tons of CO2 
per year.” 
 
Dr. Iñaki Grau Unda, 
Energy Efficiency Program 
Manager, URSA
03
Expand and optimize the energy  
monitoring infrastructure.
05
New photovoltaic panels on the rooftops of our 
production sites.
06
Boosting procurement of renewable energy.
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2021 Sustainability report | Extract
Decarbonization

Address circularity 
through waste and 
resources management
In the building industry, enhancing our circular economy 
is an on-going process and one that requires collaboration 
with others. Our initiatives to implement our policy include:
•	 Working with customers and partners to recover more 
leftovers items; 
•	 Implementing operational measures to cut waste 
and residues.
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Circular Economy

• 2021 Key performance data
Mineral wool
We already use 73% of recycled and reprocessed 
glass in our mineral wool products and we aim 
to increase this figure to a minimum of 80%  
by 2030.
XPS
We already use 42% of recycled polystyrene in 
our XPS products. We aim to increase that level 
to a minimum of 50% by 2030.
“Our Novo Mesto factory in 
Slovenia boasts one of the 
highest shares of recycling 
– with 86% of Mineral Wool 
coming from recycled glass. 
Moreover, 73% of the leftovers 
internally generated in the 
plant is reintroduced again  
into production.” 
 
Uroš Gruden, 
Product Manager, URSA Adria
73%
42%
2021
2021
2030 Target
2030 Target
50%
80%
Use of recycled raw material in 
mineral wool and XPS production
1
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2021 Sustainability report | Extract
Circular economy

Reuse Pallets Project
In 2021, URSA has started working on a pallet return 
project in Germany. This service will be effective in the first 
half of 2022 and we expect a return rate of 40%. This same 
project will be extended to the French market in 2023.
“This is a further step in 
our overall aim to improve 
production processes by 
reducing the use of raw 
materials and natural 
resources, reusing products, 
and recycling.” 
 
Fernando Mingo, 
Head of URSA’s Circular  
Economy department
Expected pallets return  
rate in Germany
40%
Working with customers and  
partners to recover leftover items
2
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2021 Sustainability report | Extract
Circular economy

Polystyrene
Polystyrene is the major component to produce XPS. 
At URSA, for the production of our XPS insulation 
material we not only use more than 40% recycled 
materials in our composition but also reuse most 
of our own production leftovers and cut-offs for 
manufacturing new insulation products.
Furthermore, as part of our circular economy efforts, 
we have also partnered with polystyrene-intensive 
industries, such as consumer and food packaging, 
and have actively introduced these waste products 
from other industries into our production.
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2021 Sustainability report | Extract
Circular economy

High-performance 
insulation products to 
address sustainability 
and energy efficiency 
in buildings
The production of insulation materials is an energy 
intensive one, but we strive to ensure that the products 
we make have excellent thermal insulation properties, 
enabling our customers and building owners to reduce 
their carbon footprint. 
All our materials stand for highly efficient thermal 
insulation, acoustic comfort, optimum fire protection, indoor 
air quality and ease of handling. We also regularly review 
our product portfolio to keep developing better processes 
and formulations for our products and to make production 
even more sustainable.
1m2 of URSA
mineral wool
During its life cycle
343 kg
of CO2
400 l
of oil
Savings 
equal to
Page 15
2021 Sustainability report | Extract
URSA products

Art and earth meet at 
Joaquín Costa Street
Reference project
Reference project
Strength and durability 
for hospital buildings
URSA EURASIA material helped establish 16 new medical centres 
to help respond to the pandemic in Russia and in December 2020, 
the Enfermera Isabel Zendal Hospital in Madrid opened its doors. 
On the roof of the new building, we provided 6,000m2 of URSA 
XPS NIII L, guaranteeing first rate strength and durability.
Showcasing URSA’s best qualities on the walls of No.4 Joaquín 
Costa Street, in the Castilian city district in Salamanca, Spain.  
No.4 was earmarked for a facelift which resulted in a not-for-profit 
collaboration between art, architecture and modern insulation 
technology. The project was funded by the Architects’ Association  
of Salamanca and León, and the Association of Quantity Surveyors 
of Salamanca. URSA donated the external thermal insulation 
system, providing the blank canvas for Salamanca native artist, 
Ricardo Cavolo.
Salamanca experiences a range of temperatures throughout the 
year, making XPS the perfect insulation to keep the building cool 
in the summer, and warm in winter. XPS is not only watertight but 
expands and retracts to adapt to quick changes in temperature, 
supporting the longevity of Cavolo’s outer cover.
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2021 Sustainability report | Extract
URSA products

Social
Social
We aim to contribute to the creation of 
energy efficient and healthy housing, healthy 
work, satisfied employees and diversity while 
reducing occupational accidents.
Page 17

Fully engaged teammates 
driven by commercial 
excellence and customer-
oriented solutions
Our talented workforce is a fundamental element of our 
competitive advantage and long-term success. We aim to 
provide them with a healthy, safe, and diverse working 
environment and to offer fair wages and opportunities for 
growth and development. We want them to be proud to 
work for URSA.
Health and safety*
Our facilities are dynamic working environments with several 
potential areas of risk whether from use of heavy machinery, 
working at heights or trips and falls. We manage safety risk. We 
work every day to not only implement robust safety standards and 
procedures but also to instill the safety mindset that can achieve 
our target of zero accidents at our plants.
* The purpose of this document is to communicate the sustainability approach 
at URSA at a glance, focusing on the environmental aspect of it. To find more 
information about health and safety please visit our website at URSA.com.
8,8%
2025 Target
2021
40%
Decrease of accident frequency
Our overriding goal is to 
reduce the number of 
accidents to zero in the long 
term. We have medium-
term targets to reduce 
accident frequency (LTIFR) 
by 40% by the end of 2025.
Based on 2019 baseline. 
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2021 Sustainability report | Extract
Health and safety

People and culture
Attraction and retention of talent
A talented, efficient, and committed workforce is the basis for 
our success. To recruit and retain the best people we provide 
fair, performance-based remuneration, a non-discriminatory 
working environment, high-quality training and flexible 
options for balancing work and family life.
Targets
We have set a core KPI to 
increase annual training hours 
per employee by 2025.
+10%
•	 Ongoing communications between management  
and employees. 
•	 Individual support and development to the employees. 
•	 Equal pay and we pay at least minimum wage in  
all countries.
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People and culture

• 2021 Key performance data
In total URSA employed 1,764 employees (headcounts)  
in 2021, another year when managing the Covid-19 
pandemic was high on our agenda to keep our people safe. 
All plants put in place appropriate measures – including 
social distancing and remote working as appropriate to 
local situations.
Training hours
Despite the pandemic, and perhaps in part because of it, 
we made strong progress towards our target to increase 
annual training hours per employee by 10% by 2025 (from 
a 2019 baseline). In 2021, Xella provided an average of 
16.27 hours / employee. Well over a target of 10.97 
hours in 2021 on a wide range of technical, managerial 
and personal development topics.
Increase of training hours
Overperformance
12%
2025 Target
2021
16%
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People and culture

Diversity
Our respect for diversity and equal opportunities is an 
important component of our Code of Conduct and we 
have a standalone non-discrimination and diversity policy 
which sets out our commitment to equal opportunity. We 
are firmly committed to ensuring equal pay for men and 
women doing comparable work, and regularly review our 
pay structure.
When recruiting, and not least when filling management 
positions, we pay active attention to diversity, equality  
and inclusion.
• 2021 Key performance data
We have seen encouraging progress towards our core KPI, 
with the proportion of female managers across the Xella 
group rising to 19% compared to 17.8% in 2020. Measures 
introduced have included a requirement for all vacant 
manager positions to include at least one woman on the 
short-list and the provision of mentoring for high-potential 
female talents.
We have put in place training programs including 
e-learning seminars for our managers that  
address diversity.
2021
2025 target
25%
19%
Increase of female managers
2021 Sustainability report | Extract
Page 21
People and culture

Supporting local communities
All our plants and administrative buildings seek to support 
thriving local economies and build good relations with 
local communities across all countries of operation. 
The URSA Dabrowa plant in Poland has continued its 
long-running program of support to local communities 
to help improve life standards. This included outreach to 
celebrate Christmas with local kindergartens and schools, 
support to clear from snow access roads, help renovate  
a local playground, plant new trees in the area and 
provide extra support during the Covid-19 pandemic.
URSA Benelux team cycled for three charities gathering 
145 cycling enthusiasts who contributed through their 
heartfelt efforts to the three selected charities: 
•	 Spina Bifida ↗
•	 Helen Keller Club ↗
•	 Warriors Against Cancer ↗
Suppliers and customers were also invited to contribute. 
All donations and the proceeds reached a total amount  
of €9.900!
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People and culture

“Having different generations 
gives us different perspectives. 
The younger team members 
bring a positive energy and 
tend to learn new software or 
technical items fast – helping 
out colleagues across the 
team. While the over 30s tend 
to hold the knowledge and 
experience that streamline 
processes for everyone and 
find solutions when there is a 
problem. It is the diversity that 
creates a good atmosphere, 
and everyone has respect for 
each other and that is the 
most important thing that 
drives our team and helps us 
enjoy our work and deliver 
every day.” 
 
Marianna Muszala, 
Manager of the URSA Group 
Shared Service Center in 
Poland
“Girls must be empowered to 
design their own future and 
fight for it.”
  Marina Alonso, 
Director of Marketing and 
Communication, URSA Ibérica
“My first child, Adam, was born 
in May 2021 and I have been 
really grateful for the flexibility 
URSA/Xella have shown, 
enabling me to combine my 
life situation and work duties. 
I have 16 weeks of paid 
paternity leave as of Spanish 
law and am using the majority 
of this flexibly to combine 
quality time with my baby 
in the mornings, and work 
in the afternoons. I feel well 
supported in getting used to 
my new responsibilities as  
a dad, while still playing my 
part in the success of the 
Ibérica plants.” 
 
Gerard Perea, 
URSA Ibérica
Testimonials 
URSA’s corporate governance counts 
with clear organizational structures, 
processes and responsibilities. 
We wish to be a fair, reliable, and 
trustworthy partner for customers, 
business associates, and employees.
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Testimonials

Governance
Governance
URSA’s corporate governance counts with 
clear organizational structures, processes and 
responsibilities. 
We strive to be a fair, reliable, and trustworthy 
partner for customers, business associates, 
and employees.
Page 24

2021 Sustainability report | Extract
Governance
We are on track at group level on the target of having 
independent ESG audits at suppliers from 2022. 
Targets achieved in 2020:
•	 Zero tolerance toward fraud, bribery,  
and anticompetitive activities.
•	 We strive to deliver an industry-leading  
customer experience.
•	 Updated whistleblower system.
•	 ESG audits at suppliers.
•	 URSA & all local business units have ESG committees 
reporting to the Board.
Page 25

Suppliers 
In 2021, we succeeded in our goal for 100% of relevant 
suppliers* to accept and comply with the Supplier Code of 
Conduct by the end of 2021. 
As part of our strategy to build a resilient and stable supply 
chain, we tend to favour local suppliers to our plants where 
possible. We are also committed to protect personal data 
provided to or by suppliers in line with regulation such as 
the EU General Data Protection Directive (“GDPR”).
100%
of relevant suppliers* 
comply with the Supplier 
Code of Conduct.
Target achieved
* We consider a relevant supplier to be any supplier that is based in one of the defined 
procurement countries and from which we source defined goods and services at a value of 
over €50,000 per year.
“In 2021 we focused on 
ensuring all providers sign 
their agreement with our 
Supplier Code of Conduct and 
that we embed the respective 
rules and paragraphs within 
the set of contract templates 
we use for our suppliers.” 
 
Enrique Gallego, 
Legal Manager, URSA
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Suppliers

URSA Insulation, S.A.
Paseo de Recoletos, 3
28004 Madrid, Spain
www.URSA.com
*From 2021 Xella Sustainability report.