Understanding GRI: A Backbone for Sustainability Reporting in the Paper Industry

Brazil has become the first jurisdiction worldwide to permit the commercial use of FuturaGene’s genetically engineered eucalyptus. The Brazilian National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio) approved the commercial use of the yield-enhanced eucalyptus developed by FuturaGene. According to the company, field experiments conducted since 2006 at various locations in Brazil have demonstrated an approximate 20% increase in yield compared to its equivalent conventional variety. The company says this approval represents the most significant productivity milestone for the renewable plantation forest industry since the adoption of clonal technology in the early 1990s. This approval enables the production of more fiber using less resources.

Sappi North America, Inc. released its 2020 Sustainability Report, illustrating Sappi's continued commitment to sustainable development. The report highlights the ways that Sappi remained innovative and prosperous during the COVID-19 pandemic; its commitment to employee safety and third-party collaborations for sustainability initiatives; and ambitious plans to meet its strategic business goals for 2025. "In 2020, we continued to build on our sustainability commitments and created a foundation of new strategies to tackle our global business goals which will guide us into 2025," said Mike Haws, President and CEO, Sappi North America. "We are confident in our capacity to grow as a business while contributing toward building a circular, sustainable economy." Sappi North America's 2020 results exhibit its commitment to innovation, sustainability and business growth throughout its communities.

Three years into its five-year initiative to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Crown) (www.crowncork.com) has achieved 94% of its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. As of December 31, 2018, Crown achieved a 9.43% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per billion standard units. Absolute emissions have decreased by 1.7% even as production has increased by 8.4%. In 2016, the Company announced plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 10% per billion standard units of production from 2015 levels by the end of 2020. In addition, in 2018, 100% of Crown's U.K. facilities were powered by direct supply of renewable electricity. This milestone brings the Company's use of renewable electricity worldwide to 6.7% and supports its pledge to the RE100 initiative, which focuses on accelerating the transition to zero carbon grids on a global scale. Crown has committed to transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2050. Click Read More below for additional information.