NorDan is targeting climate-neutral operations by 2030

With a history dating back to 1926, NorDan is no stranger to working in harmony with nature. As a leading manufacturer of windows and doors, the company has placed sustainability at the core of its operations for several years. In a recently developed sustainability action plan, NorDan has set ambitious targets to achieve carbon-neutral production and emission-free transport by 2030.

– For us, sustainability has been an integral part of both the organization and our operations for many years. Our vision, ‘Perfect Interaction,’ reflects how sustainability runs as a common thread through product development, production, and the responsibility we take beyond our own business,” says Lena Rannestad Kloster, Head of Sustainability at NorDan AS.

The company’s Norwegian division operates factories in Moi, Egersund, and Otta, as well as sales offices in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Ålesund, Porsgrunn, and Moi.

Several focus areas

In 2022, NorDan developed an action plan for sustainability towards 2030. Rannestad Kloster explains that the company has focused heavily on innovation and further development of its products.

– We invest significant resources in product development in our own laboratory, and together with third parties we deliver products that meet new market requirements and trends. When working with sustainability, it is essential to turn words into action. For us, this means being action-oriented and finding solutions that fit our business.

– We therefore focus strongly on innovation, with the primary goal of achieving carbon-neutral production across our factories by 2030. In terms of transport, our ambition is to be emission-free using available alternatives. We are also working on sustainable packaging solutions,” she says.

A dedicated sustainable product portfolio

Last year, the company launched its own sustainable product portfolio, GreenTech.

– GreenTech is a new alternative offering the same high quality as our best existing products. These products are Nordic Swan Ecolabel certified, use triple-glazed glass, and feature aluminum cladding. In addition, we can now guarantee carbon-neutral transport for product deliveries. To enable this, we use data that provides an overview of which products can be delivered using electric vehicles or biodiesel. Producing locally and delivering short-travelled products to the Norwegian market is important to us.

– All GreenTech products also come with a dedicated return scheme, ensuring that we take the products back. We have also conducted research projects exploring recycling of our products. Scaling this requires significant efforts, both internally and across the value chain. As a market-leading company, we aim to drive development in the right direction,” she concludes.

Global goals and local action
The company is committed to helping customers contribute to a better environment through high-quality, energy-efficient products.

– We have invested heavily in innovation and development to reduce our carbon footprint, and we are equally focused on demonstrating how our customers contribute. That’s why we have developed our own climate calculator to help customers estimate emissions from our products.”

The company has also established a dedicated competence center that supports the entire NorDan Group with environmental documentation, known as EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations).

– Based on lifecycle analyses covering everything from raw material sourcing to the product’s full lifespan, we have developed a dynamic EPD generator. This project has been a collaboration between us, external experts, and EPD Norway for third-party verification. After four years of extensive work across the group, we can now deliver EPD documentation for a wide range of products—documentation that our customers can also use in their own environmental reporting.

“For us, sustainability has been an integral part of both the organization and our operations for many years.”

She adds that the company invests significant resources in improving production efficiency.

– We use LEAN methodologies, have replaced all lighting with LED, utilize wood chips from production for heating, and purchase guarantees of origin for electricity. These are part of a broader strategy—our way of translating global goals into local action,” says Rannestad Kloster.

Climate-positive products with Trefadder
The collaboration with the climate forestry company Trefadder was not established to offset emissions, but to enable the delivery of climate-positive products.

– The idea behind partnering with Trefadder was to offer climate-positive products that actively contribute to CO₂ removal. We have therefore always been clear that this is not about offsetting emissions, but about offering products that contribute to a better environment. A GreenTech product is not only locally produced, energy-efficient, and long-lasting—it also ensures that a tree is planted for every product sold.

Over the past few years, we have purchased several thousand climate trees. When considering the full lifecycle of each tree, they contribute positively to the environment for many years. Wood is also a fundamental raw material in our products, making this a natural fit within our value chain,” she explains.

A valuable partner
She also highlights Trefadder as an important partner in the company’s ongoing sustainability efforts.

– Trefadder has been an important collaborator in our sustainability work, including in the development of our carbon accounting. Sustainability requires continuous improvement, and Trefadder has been a valuable resource in identifying new climate initiatives.

– We know that a sustainability strategy requires ongoing effort. The GreenTech products are a strong starting point, but it is important for us to continue progressing. This means addressing not only environmental factors, but also economic, governance, and social aspects,” Rannestad Kloster concludes.

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NorDan

Lena Rannestad Kloster
Bærekraftsjef NorDan AS / CSO
tlf. 47 90 24 31
Lena.Rannestad.Kloster@nordan.no

Maren Rasmussen
Marketingsjef i Nordan
tlf. 922 21 258
maren.rasmussen@nordan.no