Domtar Corp. Releases 2017 Sustainability Report

VANCOUVER (Scrap Monster): Domtar Corporation- the largest integrated producer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America has published its 2017 Sustainability Report. The report highlights the various smart initiatives that the company intends to undertake so as to make it a more sustainable business in the longer term. It also provides detailed information on key sustainability accomplishments till date.

According to the report, the company has been able to maintain diversified and highly skilled workforce to meet ever-changing requirements of its customers. The company has been successful in providing all entry level engineers with a handful of resources including mentors, educational materials, networking opportunities and on-the-job experiences at its various mills. The company has expanded its online university to over 15,000 professional resources. The company hired 1,072 new employees in 2016, thereby resulting in total workforce of 9,983 employees as of end-2016. Also, Domtar reported a low voluntary employee turnover rate of 3.9%, well below the industry average.

Creating a safe and healthy work environment for its employees has been one of the top priorities of Domtar Corp. over the past several years. The Sustainability Report states that it has reduced recordable workplace injuries by 53% since 2008. While continuing to strive towards achieving zero percent injuries, the first priority is to eliminate life-threatening injuries. The company plans to engage more of its employees in safety trainings so as to reduce the occurrence of safety incidents. In 2016, the company employees logged more than 290,000 leading safety activities across various mills. The employee participation in on-site health screenings has increased by 9% during the past one year.

The company has been actively involved with local communities and their development. Domtar employees contributed over 4,000 hours to company-sponsored community events. The total community investments in 2016 amounted to $2.2 million. The community investments to non-profit organizations totaled $1.2 million, whereas community investments and product donations by Domtar’s local manufacturing facilities and sales offices totaled over $1 million. The total investments equaled almost 1.4% of its 2016 pre-tax earnings, well above the average by other US corporate firms.

The 2017 Sustainability Report notes that the company has achieved 13% reduction in nitrogen oxides emission and 68% reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions at its pulp and paper mills since 2012. Investments in control technology and fuel conversions have resulted in 17% reduction in total particulate emission since 2012.