Sappi Group has released its 2013 Sustainability Report. Highlights include:
Greenhouse Gases
- Globally over the past five years, Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions fell by 12.2 percent and 28.4 percent.
- Scope 1 and 2 emissions were also down last year versus 2012 (see charts).
- In Europe, Sappi is aiming to cut specific direct fossil fuel CO2 emissions, measured as tons CO2/ton saleable product, including purchased power emissions, by 5 percent by 2017, from a 2012 baseline.
- This metric was up 0.8 percent in 2013.
Energy
- Global, specific direct energy use was down globally last year (see chart).
- In North America, Sappi aims to cut specific energy use by 10 percent by 2016.
- So far it is off-track: the 2013 target was a 3.1 percent reduction, but the company cut energy use by only 0.7 percent.
- Last year, Sappi converted the pulping process at its Cloquet Mill to manufacture dissolving wood pulp, a process that requires more energy per ton of pulp produced.
- Sappi says it has modified its baseline and targets to reflect the changed process.
Water
- Globally, water use per ton of saleable product was up last year (see chart).
- In Europe, Sappi aims to cut specific water use (m3/ton saleable product) by 5 percent by 2017, from a 2012 baseline. Last year its European water use was up 1.3 percent.
- In Southern Africa, it aims to cut specific fresh water usage by 10 percent by 2015, from a 2007 base year. So far, it is off track, with a 4.7 percent reduction.
- In North America, the company aims to increase total certified fiber content to 65 percent by 2016. It is behind pace, with 58 percent certified in 2013.
Data and reporting
- Sappi declared the report at level A, under the Global Reporting Initiative G3.1 guidelines.
Takeaway: Sappi is behind on many of the goals it set for itself, although globally the trend for energy use and Scope 1 and 2 emissions was positive last year.
The 2013 report is available here.
Click here for a summary of last year’s Sappi sustainability report.