Industry bodies and business
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Self-assessment of quality of relationships: Good |
Why we engage
Business makes a significant positive contribution to society and is a core partner in developing the world we want to see. Being an active member of trade, voluntary and other business forums and bodies ensures that we help to spread this message, and that issues of concern to us are included in the agenda. We also support and partner with industry initiatives aimed at promoting the use of our products. One of our longest global relationships is with the United Nations Global Compact, to which we have been a signatory since 2008. Under our Thrive25 strategy that emphasises partnership and collaboration we have been focusing more intensively on working closely and more often with those who share both our values and commitment to our industry.
| Shared priorities | Our response | |
Issues that affect the The impact of increased The social and environmental Ensuring that the positive role |
In FY2020: Globally, we:
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| Clean energy generation, climate policy and climate regulations |
The European Green Deal is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making Europe climate neutral in 2050. Sappi provided comments to the industry input that was handed in via the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI). The Society of American Foresters (SAF) promotes and supports science-based policies and actions that consistently recognise the positive role that forest management plays in: mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the sequestration of atmospheric carbon in resilient, well-managed forests (trees and soil), producing wood-based products to replace both non-renewable materials and fossil fuel-based energy sources. This policy was scheduled to be updated per SAF protocol. Sappi helped to rewrite the policy, expanding the discussion on the role that trees play in sequestering carbon, both as a living tree as well as a wood product. The energy manager for Somerset Mill is a member of the Maine Climate Council, an assembly of scientists, industry leaders, bipartisan local and state officials, and engaged citizens to develop a four-year plan to put Maine on a trajectory to reduce emissions by 45% by 2030 and at least 80% by 2050. By executive order, the state must also achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. In South Africa, Sappi is subject to a carbon tax that came into effect in 2019 and is due for payment at the end of October 2020. While we recognise the need to reduce fossil fuel usage in South Africa, the country urgently needs to promote socio-economic development and enhance competitiveness. Carbon tax poses a potential risk to such growth and competitiveness. We engaged National Treasury via PAMSA to motivate taking into account carbon sequestration by companies that own their own forests. Sappi’s process starts with the planting of trees and our total supply chain is carbon positive. We are still awaiting clarity on whether the proposal will be accepted. |
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Opportunities for value creation
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Challenges for value creation
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Our membership of industry associations
Sappi Limited
SEU
SNA
SSA
Sappi Forests
Joining forces to help progress a sustainable circular economy
In FY2020 we joined the 4evergreen alliance that operates under the auspices of CEPI and brings together participants across the packaging value chain including pulp and paper manufacturers, converters and brand owners. The alliance aims to boost the contribution of fibre-based packaging in a circular and sustainable economy that minimises climate and environmental impact. The alliance works to:
- Increase awareness about the benefits of fibre-based packaging materials
- Improve the overall recycling rates of fibre-based packaging materials
- Produce guidelines and tools to enhance recyclability through packaging design, collection and sorting
The alliance is a timely response to support the EU’s Single Use Plastics Directive, designed to accelerate development of alternative packaging and enable consumers to make more climate-friendly choices. The work of the alliance is also championing change towards the aim of the European Green Deal: climate neutrality by 2050.
Enhancing understanding of land use and GHG emissions
A member of the Sappi Forests Research team has been working with the World Resources Institute on the GHG Protocol Carbon Removals and Land Sector Initiative Project. This working group will develop guidance on:
- Types of emissions, removals and sequestration within the land sector
- Carbon emissions and removals from land use (e.g., forest management, crop and livestock production, bioenergy feedstock production, soil carbon, etc.)
- Carbon emissions and removals from land use change (e.g., deforestation, afforestation, wetland conversion, etc.), as well as direct and indirect land use change and related impacts from changes in production
- Agricultural GHG emissions (e.g., livestock methane emissions, soil nitrous oxide emissions, etc.)
- Biogenic removals and temporary to long-term storage in biogenic products/ materials (e.g., furniture, building materials, etc.)
- Biogenic carbon dioxide emissions and removals from bioenergy production and consumption (e.g., biomass, biofuels, biogas)
- Land sector accounting approaches
– Use of land-based vs. activity-based accounting methods
– Addressing the timing of removals and emissions
– Separate biogenic carbon emissions and removals accounting vs. bringing biogenic emissions and removals into Scopes 1, 2 and 3 - Quantification methods and data
sources:
– Reporting requirements
– Target setting and tracking changes over time
– Alignment with or revisions to other GHG Protocol standards and guidance.
