Smurfit Kappa has achieved a 26% reduction in CO2 emissions three years ahead of time, according to its annual Sustainable Development Report. The company had set an ambitious target to reduce the relative total fossil CO2 emissions in its mill system by 25%. In report, the packaging leader confirmed that it had surpassed the target, which had a 2020 deadline, at the end of 2017.

Packaging

Smurfit Kappa achieves 26% reduction in CO2 emissions

Smurfit Kappa has achieved a 26% reduction in CO2 emissions three years ahead of time, according to its annual Sustainable Development Report. The company had set an ambitious target to reduce the relative total fossil CO2 emissions in its mill system by 25%. In report, the packaging leader confirmed that it had surpassed the target, which had a 2020 deadline, at the end of 2017, as the company said in the press release received by Lesprom Network.

While Smurfit Kappa’s paper-based packaging is renewable and recyclable, the paper production process itself is energy intensive. Reaching the climate change goal further reinforces the company’s ongoing commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by focusing on energy efficiency and the use of renewable sources of fuel such as biomass, where feasible.

Climate change is one of Smurfit Kappa’s five strategic areas of focus for sustainability along with Forest, Water, Waste and People. The 2017 Sustainable Development Report announces several other key achievements including reaching two other targets in 2017. The first was a reduction in the chemical oxygen demand in its water, also reached three years early, and the second was in the area of health and safety with a 9% reduction year-on-year in lost time accident frequency rate over the five year period of 2013-2017, exceeding the targeted decrease of 5% year-on-year for the same period.

Smurfit Kappa continues to provide Chain of Custody certified deliveries to packaging customers across Europe and the Americas approaching the target level of 90% certification. This is unique to the packaging industry for a company of Smurfit Kappa’s size.

Smurfit Kappa Group is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of paper-based packaging products, with operations in Europe and the Americas.