Smurfit Kappa Exceeded Carbon Emissions Goal Three Years Ahead of Schedule

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The ‘2017 Sustainable Development Report’ published yesterday states that Smurfit Kappa has surpassed several 2020 sustainability goals at the end of 2017 itself. The company recorded 26.1% reduction in CO₂ emissions at the end of 2017 when compared with 2005 levels. The company had earlier set ambitious goal of 25% reduction in carbon emissions with deadline for the same set as 2020. Thus it has reached the target three years ahead of schedule.

According to the report, the company has made significant investments at its mills across the globe in 2017, with the aim of achieving more efficient energy production. For instance, the multi-million euro investment at Nettingsdorf, Austria is expected to reduce annual CO₂ emissions by nearly 40,000 tonnes by 2022. Also, the new high performance paper machine in Los Reyes, Mexico paper mill facility is expected to significantly increase the mill’s energy efficiency.

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The report highlights the company’s performance in the strategic direction during the previous year. Smurfit Kappa reported tremendous progress in all the five strategic sustainability priority areas-Forest, Climate Change, Water, Waste and People. The company reported 13% reduction in waste sent to landfill per produced tonne since 2013. It has also achieved 9% yearly reduction in Lost Time Accidents (LTA) since 2013. In addition, the company also reached its long-term target in water discharge.

Tony Smurfit, Group CEO noted that despite being a challenging year, the company delivered strong performance on sustainability metrics. This growth is expected to continue in future, he said. During this year, the company plans to reset its long-term sustainability targets in alignment with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.