- As expectations rise for sustainability data to be credible, comparable and usable in real-world decisions, Sappi has been recognized by CDP for the quality and maturity of its environmental disclosures.
- Sappi achieved prestigious Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) ‘A’ score for Forests in 2025, ranking highly among nearly 20,000 companies scored.
- Recognition for Sappi’s ongoing progress in Climate Change (A-), Water Security (B) attained; both remain key priorities in Sappi’s recently announced targets leading up to 2030.
JOHANNESBURG, January 15, 2026 /3BL/ – Sappi Limited, a diversified industrial business utilizing renewable resources to produce woodfiberbased products for global markets, has received an outstanding ‘A’ score for Forests in 2025 by CDP, a global non-profit that operates the world’s leading independent environmental disclosure and scoring system for companies, capital markets, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Sappi also received strong CDP scores for Climate Change (A-) and Water Security (B) in 2025 which reflect ongoing progress.
Achieving an ‘A’ demonstrates comprehensive disclosure, mature environmental governance, and meaningful progress towards environmental resilience. CDP scores are increasingly used as a stress test for whether companies’ sustainability data can support investment decisions, procurement requirements and emerging regulation. This emphasis on decision-ready data is increasingly critical as sustainability disclosures are linked to regulatory compliance, access to capital and customer requirements. Sappi’s CDP performance provides external validation of its readiness to meet these evolving expectations.
“It is difficult to overstate the immense effort and dedication that underpin this achievement,” said Tracy Wessels, Group Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability, Sappi. “We’re delighted to be acknowledged as a leader in corporate transparency and action on advancing deforestation-free supply chains. We continue to collaborate intensively across our value chain, driving net-positive impact across our sustainability pillars and in line with our Thrive strategy, but also in supporting our customers in meeting their ambitious sustainability goals.”
Sustainable forestry is significant for its role in protecting environmental integrity, supporting social wellbeing, and enhancing long-term economic resilience. Sappi’s activities range from managing its own landholdings in South Africa, to cooperating with small, local landowners, to maintaining 100% chain of custody certifications across its pulp and paper manufacturing operations worldwide. Together, these practices advance Sappi’s long-standing commitment to sustainable forest management and deforestation-free supply chains, central pillars of its 2030 sustainability ambitions.
Sappi’s climate strategy is focused on increasing renewable energy use, improving energy efficiency, investing in low-carbon technologies and integrating carbon considerations into capital allocation decisions. When it comes to water stewardship, Sappi actively seeks to reduce freshwater withdrawal, increase water reuse and recycling within operations, and improve the quality of water returned to the environment.
The full list of companies that made this year’s CDP A List is here: Scores and A Lists – CDP.
About Sappi
Sappi is a leading global provider of everyday materials made from woodfiber-based renewable resources. As a diversified, innovative and trusted leader focused on sustainable processes and products, we are building a more circular economy by making what we should, not just what we can. Our raw material offerings (such as dissolving wood pulp (DWP), wood pulp and biomaterials) and end-use products (packaging papers, specialty papers, graphic papers, casting and release papers, as well as forestry products) are manufactured from woodfiber sourced from sustainably managed forests and plantations, in production facilities which, in many cases, use internally generated bioenergy. Many of our operations are energy self-sufficient. Together with our partners, we work to build a thriving world by acting boldly to support the planet, people and prosperity.
Sappi produces 4.8 million tons of paper, 2.3 million tons of paper pulp, 1.5 million tons of dissolving pulp per year. Globally, it has around 11,350 employees, 405,103 ha of owned and leased sustainably managed forests in South Africa. Sappi Limited (JSE) is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa with manufacturing operations across three continents and sells its products in more than 150 countries.
About CDP
CDP is a global non-profit that operates the world’s leading independent environmental disclosure and scoring system for companies, capital markets, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Its scoring methodology assesses the depth and quality of environmental disclosure, governance, risk management and progress against targets, and is aligned with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). In 2025, CDP scored nearly 20,000 companies. CDP maintains the world’s largest environmental data repository and is widely relied upon to inform investment and procurement decisions that support a net-zero, sustainable and earth-positive global economy. In 2025, 640 investors representing US$127 trillion in assets requested environmental data through CDP to support capital allocation and risk assessment.
For further information
Jessica Ching
Communications Manager, Sustainability
Sappi Limited
Tel +32 4 9030 9300
Jessica.Ching@sappi.com
April Jones
Corporate Communications Manager
Sappi North America
Phone: 617-398-0691
April.Jones@sappi.com
