Sustainable Purpose
Climate action
By decarbonising our global business and scaling up nature-based solutions, we’re increasingly part of the solution to climate change
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As a business rooted in nature, we understand that climate change is not a distant threat - it’s a clear and present challenge to forests, forest products businesses like ours, and the world’s future. That’s why taking climate action isn’t just our responsibility - it’s essential right now.
Forests are one of the planet’s most powerful carbon sinks, and when managed sustainably, they help absorb more carbon than they emit. Sappi’s commitment to responsible forestry, decarbonising our operations, and innovation with nature’s tools makes us part of the solution to climate change.
We believe that actions speak louder than words when it comes to sustainability. That’s why we’re taking meaningful steps to decarbonise our global business – hand-in-hand with scaling up nature-based solutions.
Tracy Wessels, Group Head of Sustainability, Sappi Limited
Learn more about how Sappi takes climate action by allying state-of-the-art engineering with forests and nature’s tools.
All in ways that increase the share of renewable energy that powers our operations and allows us to reimagine the use of woodfibre in the everyday products we all need for more sustainable living.
How Sappi is taking action to fight climate change
1.Decarbonise our Operations
At Sappi, we’ve set greenhouse gas reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) to decarbonise our global business and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Our global SBTi target is to reduce carbon emissions by 41.5% per ton of product by 2030 (from a 2019 baseline), and to achieve 44% of our suppliers (by spend) with science-based targets by 2026.
Our climate strategy and regional decarbonisation roadmaps guide our journey and capital investment. Compared to our 2019 baseline, Sappi’s absolute GHG emissions decreased by over 30% by FY2024. This was achieved through a combination of increased renewable energy use, more efficient self-generation of electricity, efficient energy management and organisational changes.
Our approach to decarbonisation embeds Sappi’s carbon impact into capital allocation processes, using an internal carbon price to guide decision-making. We model physical and transitional scenarios to assess climate risks and opportunities, informing our mitigation and adaptation strategies. We continuously monitor and transparently report on our climate KPIs and have integrated our science-based targets into long-term remuneration awards.
In South Africa, we acknowledge the challenges posed by reliance on coal and the social implications of decarbonisation, which drives us to engage with regulators and stakeholders to advocate for a just transition where progress is shared, fair and equitable.
reduction by 2030
reduction by 2030
Sappi's 2030 Climate Target
We are working to achieve our science-based emission reduction target of 41.5% (scope 1+2) per ton of product by 2030 (from 2019 baseline)
2. Champion forest solutions
Managing forests for wood production can help to maximise forests’ contribution to carbon sequestration. It also produces wood, a renewable, natural material that can substitute fossil-fuel derived alternatives. Forest management practices which rely on scientific knowledge of silvicultural best practices applicable in respective vegetation zones, promote growth and carbon sequestration. If afforestation, reforestation, and restoration efforts were scaled up, trees and forests could mitigate climate change even more.
In our timber plantations in South Africa and in the managed forests where we source wood raw material, the cycle of regeneration, growing, thinning and harvesting is actively managed to enhance biodiversity and resilience, and maintain functional ecological conditions.
Growing trees, forests and climate solutions
The production and use of forest products - ranging from paper and packaging to textile fibres - does not necessarily lead to less forest. On the contrary, responsible demand for forest products can encourage forest expansion. How? Increased demand drives the need for responsibly managed forests. As a result, more landowners are incentivised to maintain their land as forest, rather than converting it to agriculture, ranching, or other non-forest uses.
Halting deforestation is also critical to combating climate change, with an estimated contribution of 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions. FAO defines deforestation as the conversion of forest to other land use whether human-induced or not. It includes areas of forest converted to agriculture, pasture, water reservoirs, mining and urban areas. This damage is not from the responsible forest product industry that we’re proudly part of. At Sappi, we are firmly committed to zero deforestation
Adapting forestry to a warming world
Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, more frequent wildfires, and the spread of pests and diseases are already affecting forests - not decades from now, but today. Sappi is working on the front lines with our partners to address these challenges. Together, we’re pioneering climate-smart forestry practices and research to adapt to a warming world. From conducting investigations with satellite imagery to planting more resilient hybrid species and implementing fire protection strategies, we’re at the front line of climate action in forests
3. Engage value chain
Working together in partnership with suppliers enables us to actively identify risk and assess social and environmental performance, as well as encourage commitment to sustainable choices and the UN SDGs. In line with our Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) endorsed commitment that 44% of our suppliers (by spend) have science-based targets by 2026, we have a focus on climate action in our engagement with suppliers.
Sappi’s engagement with Tier 1 raw material suppliers on greenhouse gas emissions is key to gaining a deeper understanding of our products’ overall carbon footprint. It helps us to identify where hard-to-abate emissions lie, uncover opportunities for value chain abatement, and work with suppliers on their product and process innovations. We started our new supplier engagement programme in early 2024, further building on our approach to managing Scope 3 emissions hand-in-hand with our suppliers to reduce the carbon emissions of Sappi products.
Tracking our progress
We transparently disclose our global and regional emissions annually in our Group Sustainability Report and our latest TCFD Report as well as in the programmes below.
- EU Emissions Trading System
- Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
- US Environmental Protection Agency’s Mandatory Reporting Rule
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Taking climate action
We believe that actions speak louder than words when it comes to sustainability. That’s why we’re taking meaningful steps to decarbonise our global business – hand-in-hand with scaling up nature-based solutions.