By entirely phasing out coal, the Gratkorn plant is making an important contribution to climate protection and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 30 per cent. The project is a top priority on Sappi Europe’s sustainability agenda. The 35 million euro investment represents a clear commitment to the Gratkorn site and shows that climate and environmental protection are deemed pivotal in the paper industry. More information on the shift from coal to renewable resources at Sappi’s Gratkorn mill is available at: www.sappi.com/co-creating-a-shift-from-coal-to-renewables-at-gratkorn-mill.

Science-based targets for decarbonisation journey

In July, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved Sappi’s target to reduce carbon emissions by 41.5% per ton of product by 2030 from a 2019 base year, as well as the company’s commitment that 44% of its suppliers will be implementing science-based targets by 2026. The SBTi-approved targets are part of Sappi’s much larger global and regional commitments to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To this end, Sappi has initiated numerous projects to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“Tackling climate change is one of the biggest and most daunting challenges of our time – and we are committed to taking positive action,” says Sarah Price, Director Sustainability at Sappi Europe. “Across Europe, we are deriving more value from every tree, by-product and resource we use. We are dedicated to sustainable forestry, to reducing waste and maximizing efficiencies with the resources we use.”

Key objectives of Sappi’s decarbonisation roadmap

For the near term, Sappi’s decarbonisation roadmap includes close to 80 projects to be carried out across our European mills by 2025. “Our 2025 roadmap identifies the path we need to embark on towards a carbon-neutral future,” explains Sarah Price. The main objective is to reduce emissions of specific greenhouse gases (Scope 1 and 2) by 25 per cent by 2025 and to increase the share of renewable energy in Europe to 50 per cent (compared to 2019). “We’re already making good progress with the 2025 roadmap, with a large number of projects already well-underway or completed.” In Sappi’s Alfeld Mill in Germany, for example, the evaporation plant for spent black liquor has been expanded, which increases pulp production and generates additional green energy.