Smurfit Kappa raises Climate Change ambition

RNS Number : 6942E

Smurfit Kappa Group PLC

09 November 2020

 

PRESS RELEASE

9 November 2020

Smurfit Kappa raises Climate Change ambition by targeting at least "Net Zero" emissions by 2050

Increased intermediate 2030 target

Smurfit Kappa has today announced new targets to further reduce its fossil CO₂ emissions, including its ambition to reach at least net zero emissions by 2050. It has also increased its existing intermediate 2030 CO₂ reduction target by 15 percentage points to 55%, in comparison to the 2005 baseline. The company will have these targets validated by the Science Based Target initiative as being in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Smurfit Kappa has been a market leader in sustainability since 2005. Before today's announcement, the company had already achieved a reduction in CO₂ emission intensity of 32.9% on its 2030 target of a 40% reduction. This impressive achievement has resulted from the successful implementation of key projects that form part of the company's medium-term strategic plan.  

One such project was the installation of an industry-leading recovery boiler at the company's Nettingsdorf Paper Mill in Austria which began operating in June of this year. The new boiler is set to cut CO₂ emissions by an additional 40,000 tonnes,   which translates into an additional 1.5% reduction in CO₂ emissions across the business.

Speaking on behalf of Smurfit Kappa, Tony Smurfit, Group CEO said: "We are proud to support the EU Green Deal objectives to reach net zero emissions by 2050. We have made good progress on our existing targets and these new targets underline the organisation's continued commitment to sustainability and to do better for the planet.

"Sustainability has been at the core of our business for decades, we want to lead from the front and raise the bar for the paper and packaging industry by setting such ambitious targets. This is a source of pride for all our customers and employees."  

-ENDS-

Media contact:

Nicki Labram   

Smurfit Kappa  

T: [phone] 

E: [e-mail]

About Smurfit Kappa

Smurfit Kappa, a FTSE 100 company, is one of the leading providers of paper-based packaging solutions in the world, with approximately 46,000 employees in over 350 production sites across 35 countries and with revenue of €9.0 billion in 2019. We are located in 23 countries in Europe, and 12 in the Americas. We are the only large-scale pan-regional player in Latin America.

With our pro-active team, we relentlessly use our extensive experience and expertise, supported by our scale, to open up opportunities for our customers. We collaborate with forward-thinking customers by sharing superior product knowledge, market understanding and insights in packaging trends to ensure business success in their markets. We have an unrivalled portfolio of paper-packaging solutions, which is constantly updated with our market-leading innovations. This is enhanced through the benefits of our integration, with optimal paper design, logistics, timeliness of service, and our packaging plants sourcing most of their raw materials from our own paper mills.

Our products, which are 100% renewable and produced sustainably, improve the environmental footprint of our customers.

Follow us on   LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube   or visit   www.smurfitkappa.com

 

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