Sappi Limited has signed up to Business for Nature’s Call to Action, a global coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and business groups. These include: the International Chamber of Commerce, WWF, We Mean Business, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Business for Nature’s campaign ‘Nature Is Everyone’s Business’ has particular relevance for Sappi, given that its business is dependent on sustainably sourced woodfibre. Sappi recognises that nature underpins our prosperity and wellbeing by providing economic value and security, supporting human development and equality and increasing our resilience to climate change.
Graeme Wild, Group Head: Investor Relations and Sustainability commented, ‘The key is action. Taking action means doing something with meaningful benefits for the natural world. Our foundation is built on responsible manufacturing and responsible forest management. We act for nature in all regions where we operate and look forward to new opportunities to work together to protect, restore and sustainably use natural resources.’
In South Africa, Sappi owns and leases 390,000 hectares (ha) of land, of which 135,000ha is unplanted with 101,000ha comprising natural vegetation, 14,000ha under restoration and the remainder comprising roads and other infrastructure. The areas under restoration are sites from which forestry operations plantations have been withdrawn, mainly to limit impacts on streamflow and restore natural habitat. Using systematic conservation planning, we have identified seven areas of national and international importance that have been formally declared as Nature Reserves. Another 166 sites have been classified as Important Conservation Areas and receive special management according to management plans that have been drawn up using specialist conservation advice.
Globally, the company also enhances sound forestry management practices by using credible, third-party-verified forest certification schemes. Sappi neither harvest nor buy woodfibre, which originates from tropical natural forests, and its wood sourcing causes zero deforestation. Its commitment to zero deforestation means knowing the source of woodfibre, ensuring that suppliers implement practices to promptly regenerate forests post-harvest, which is required under the global forest certification standards that Sappi is committed to upholding.
Together with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)17: Partnerships for the Goals, Sappi has identified SDG15: Life on Land as one of its global priority areas. Accordingly, within Sappi’s new 2025 Sustainability Targets, the company has made further commitments to biodiversity conservation and will be enhancing the way it measures and reports on its restoration work.
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