The new MDI enables Pearl to help its downstream customers reduce their carbon footprint by offering a broader portfolio of more sustainable raw materials as part of its newly rebranded EcoPearl product range. The new MDI grades from Covestro can be used in numerous construction, cold chain and automotive applications.

Pearl is the first system house in the EMEA region to receive the carbon-neutral¹ MDI from its former joint venture partner and long-time supplier Covestro. The latter has already received ISCC-PLUS certification for five of its 16 main sites and is able to supply climate-neutral MDI from its sites in Uerdingen, Germany, and Caojing, China.

Following a comprehensive ISCC audit to trace the supply chain and assess raw material sustainability requirements, Pearl became the first local polyurethane systems house to be ISCC certified in March 2022, enabling it to verify the various sustainability credentials for its product formulations and raw materials used. The certification followed an internationally recognized five-step process and allows end users to measure the sustainability performance of the ISCC-certified products they use.

In the context of commercial building insulation, ISCC PLUS certification allows end users and tenants of such buildings constructed with Pearl-supplied insulation products to easily measure and verify the sustainability performance of the buildings they occupy. This is a factor that is becoming increasingly important to businesses as consumer interest in the environmental impact of companies grows.

"This mass-balanced carbon neutral MDI further enriches our broad portfolio focused on the circular economy and responds to the growing demand for more sustainable products," says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro. "By working with multipliers such as Pearl Polyurethane and helping a growing number of downstream users in various industries achieve their sustainability goals, together we are accelerating the transition to the circular economy." Covestro plans to further expand its portfolio of carbon-neutral products.

Martin Kruczinna, CEO of Pearl Polyurethane Systems, commented, "rigid polyurethane foam, as a superior insulating material, plays an important role in meeting the Paris Agreement to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius at best. Just as Covestro is leading the way among PU raw material producers to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, Pearl is acting as an agent of change in the PU systems industry, giving its customers a competitive advantage by helping them adapt to greener technologies and improve the thermal insulation performance of their products. The addition of carbon neutral¹ MDI-based solutions to our newly named EcoPearl product range helps our customers achieve their emission reduction and circular economy goals."

¹_{Climate neutrality is the result of an internal assessment of a partial product life cycle from raw material extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (Covestro gate), also known as cradle-to-gate assessment. The methodology of our life cycle assessment, which was critically reviewed by TÜV Rheinland, is based on ISO standards 14040 and ISO 14044. The calculation takes into account biogenic carbon sequestration based on preliminary data from the supply chain. No compensation measures were applied.}

About Pearl Polyurethane Systems:

Based in Dubai, Pearl Polyurethane Systems LLC is the leading systems house in the Middle East and North Africa, providing customized solutions for all major polyurethane applications and foam systems.

Pearl Polyurethane offers a comprehensive range of polyurethane formulations and prepolymers for the production of high-performance polyurethane foams and elastomers.

The company, formerly known as Bayer Pearl and Pearl Covestro, has a track record of more than 25 years in the Middle East region. The company traces its roots back to Otto Bayer – the German inventor of the polymer in 1937.

The company offers products and solutions under a number of brand names that provide many benefits: Polyurethane Foam Systems, which have set the global benchmark for polyurethane foam insulation; Polyurethane Solid Elastomers; Polyurethane Systems, which are used in the automotive and soft furnishings industries for soft and comfortable foam moldings; and a range of other PU-based products for many applications.

Sustainability and research play an important role at Pearl Polyurethanes. Polyurethane foams offer excellent energy savings and reduce CO₂ emissions. Aiming to eliminate waste and ensure continuous use of resources, the company’s circular economy policy empowers its research and development team to continuously innovate, ensuring its products meet world-class standards while reducing environmental impact.

Forward-looking statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.