Tag: 3BL

KOHLER, Wis., September 27, 2023 /3BL/ – Kohler Co. was recognized by the Business Intelligence Group (BIG) with a Sustainability Leadership Award in the 2023 Sustainability Awards program. Kohler was recognized for its Believing in Better: Better Planet strategy, which focuses on improving the company’s operational environmental footprint while prioritizing innovation in the design of environmentally friendly products. The BIG Sustainability Awards honor the people, teams and organizations who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice or overall mission. This is the third year that the Business Intelligence Group has recognized Kohler for the company’s work to integrate environmental sustainability across the company.

Kohler’s environmental sustainability efforts are housed within its Believing in Better operating philosophy that is rooted in the notion that its best can always be better – for the planet, people, communities, and business. Within Believing in Better’s Better Planet pillar, Kohler’s Environmental Sustainability team is working in partnership with the business on reducing the company’s operational footprint while creating more environmentally favorable products and services to build a better planet. This pillar houses Kohler’s net-zero scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2035 and net-zero waste to landfill by 2035 ambitions. The Believing in Better philosophy and Kohler’s sustainability goals continue to be embedded throughout the company and brands within Kohler’s global operations.

“Kohler’s Better Planet strategy empowers all of our businesses, brands and associates to activate around environmental sustainability,” says Ratish Namboothiry, Director of Innovation for Good and Sustainability at Kohler Co. “Implementing methods like Design for Environment , a data driven decision-making tool to better understand the entire life-cycle environmental impact of our products and operations, helps ensure that environmental considerations are part of key decisions helping us make progress towards a Better Planet.”

Kohler is focusing on bringing environmental sustainability to the forefront in a meaningful and results-driven manner. Highlights from Kohler’s 2022 efforts include:

GHG, water, and waste intensity reductions: Achieved 17% reduction in GHG emissions, 10% reduction for water, and 23% reduction in waste, intensity respectively.Global operational renewable energy: 54% of global operational electricity was from renewable sources in 2022. 100% of U.S. and Canada operations was from renewable sources in 2022. Water savings and products: Based on results from the EPA’s WaterSense Partner savings calculator KOHLER, Sterling and KALLISTA products saved approximately 88 billion gallons of water, 2 million metric tons of avoided CO2 emissions and over $1.35 billion on water, sewer and energy bills in 2022.Environmentally favorable products: Global sales from environmentally favorable Kitchen and Bath products in 2022 were $1,013,782,940.Waste to Landfill reduction: The Kohler WasteLAB focuses on new ways to repurpose manufacturing waste material and diverted 9.3MT of landfill-bound waste in 2022 through WasteLAB tile sales.Associate engagement: Nearly 850 Kohler associates around the globe act as Sustainability Champions, driving sustainability efforts and constant improvement throughout all areas of the company. A virtuous cycle, this program empowers all associates to be innovators and take ownership in the company’s journey towards a better planet.

To learn more about Kohler’s actions for a Better Planet, visit Kohler’s Believing in Better site.

About Business Intelligence Group 
The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs, business executives—those with experience and knowledge—judge the programs. The organization’s proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.

About Kohler Co. 
For 150 years, Kohler Co. has been a global leader in design and innovation, dedicated to providing gracious living through kitchen and bath products; luxury cabinetry, tile and lighting; distributed energy solutions – home energy, industrial power systems, and powertrain technologies – and luxury hospitality experiences and major championship golf. Privately held Kohler Co. was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin. The company also develops solutions to address pressing issues, such as clean water and sanitation, for underserved communities around the world to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations.

KOHLER Kitchen & Bath, Energy, Golf + Resort Destinations

Contact: 
Vicki Valdez Hafenstein 
Kohler Co. Public Relations 
victoria.valdezhafenstein@kohler.com

Travel is transformative — a true force for good. At Expedia Group, we know that the global travel industry must transform to realize a Net Zero future, and we are committed to playing our part.

As a step toward realizing that commitment, we are excited to release our first Climate Action Plan. Expedia Group has been carbon neutral since 2017, and we are now increasing our ambitions and committing to reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions across our operations by 2040, from a 2022 base year.

We are committing to the Science-Based Targets initiative and propose initial near-term targets, including:

Reducing our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions 75% by 2030.Continuing to match 100% of our electricity usage with renewable purchases through 2030.Engaging with our value chain to ensure that 75% of our suppliers by emissions have also set science-based targets by 2028.

Additionally, the plan contains a more robust greenhouse gas inventory for our operations, and an assessment of the risks and opportunities posed to our business by climate change. In the year to come, we will build on the vision set out in the Climate Action Plan by:

Establishing an internal, cross-functional climate governance and oversight through a Net Zero working group.Developing a detailed Net Zero Roadmap that outlines how we will achieve our interim and long-term targets.Integrating a climate lens into the strategic planning processes and KPIs of relevant teams across our business.

Beyond our operations, we are committed to catalyzing the wider travel industry’s ability to achieve the global goal of halving emissions by 2030 and reaching Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050, as set out by The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, which we signed in 2022.

Powering more sustainable journeys

From day one, our business has been built on providing trusted information to travelers, connecting them with a wide range of quality travel products, and supporting suppliers in meeting our travelers’ diverse range of needs. This is likewise where we will anchor our contribution to a Net Zero future for the global travel and tourism industry.

In our Climate Action Plan, we outline our commitment to ensuring travelers are able to choose relatively more sustainable options, with the goal of making lower-carbon travel and tourism products a preferred choice across our platform and eventually the default for the global industry. We know this is important to travelers, as sustainability-related terms, like references to solar panels, recycling, or the elimination of single-use plastics, have recently doubled in how often they are mentioned in traveler reviews.

In support of the commitment to provide travelers with information, we have launched a number of new sustainability-related features on our platform over the last year, such as showing information about the average carbon emissions of flights, or the eco-certifications received by hotels. And we are already seeing an impact — for example, a filter for electric vehicle chargers at hotel and vacation rental properties has become quite popular.

Supporting responsible travel

Our Climate Action Plan further articulates our commitment to supporting suppliers in offering more sustainable tourism to travelers, while enhancing resilience and climate adaptation for destination communities.

To that end, we are thrilled to announce alongside our Climate Action Plan the launch of the new Nature Positive Tourism Fund, founded in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a global non-profit.

The fund will demonstrate how tourism can be a force for environmental conservation and climate action as well as community development.

The Fund aims to:

Provide local people and organizations with working capital loans at below-market rates, as well as grants and access to technical experts, to improve product quality and tourist experience of nature positive tourism infrastructure, operations, and services; and support the transition away from fossil fuels.Identify and improve best practices and standards in nature positive tourism in collaboration with key stakeholders across the industry, including Indigenous peoples and local communities.Expand nature positive tourism opportunities in the critically important conservation areas where WCS works, including building community-owned and community-operated tourism facilities and services.

We are excited to embark on this project with WCS and continue expanding our work. Together, we will show travelers the value of nature while ensuring nature positive tourism delivers economic value for the local people contributing to conservation efforts in these critical habitats.

Looking ahead

Travel broadens horizons, strengthens connections, and changes perspectives, bringing the world closer together. The travel and tourism industry is one of the biggest economic drivers for many communities around the world, and when done responsibly, the industry has the potential to protect natural ecosystems and contribute to a Net Zero future.

With this Climate Action Plan, encompassing our 2040 Net Zero goal and interim decarbonization targets, as well as our commitments to powering sustainable journeys through new product features and industry partnerships, we are setting out our vision for a more prosperous planet and responsible travel ecosystem. These are some of our first steps, as we embark on the journey toward achieving Net Zero emissions for our own operations, and moreover as we collaborate with partners, peers, suppliers, and travelers to ensure global tourism is both vibrant and sustainable for generations to come.

Originally published in Dow’s 2022 INtersections Progress Report

As an Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS) Blue certified company, Dow is committed to achieving zero pellet loss to the environment through enhanced management, measurement and reporting of unrecovered plastic releases into the environment. We also are committed to transparency in pellet loss reporting.

In 2022, two events occurred with more than 0.5 kg unrecovered plastic loss outside our company-operated facilities, resulting in a total of 20 kg plastic losses as compared with two events and 18 kg total in 2021 and zero events in 2020. Improvement efforts are focused on accelerating technology enhancements to provide additional containment and layers of protection, with substantial facility investments in progress.

TAKING ACTION FOR A ZERO-PELLET-LOSS SUPPLY CHAIN 

To complement our internal actions, we are incorporating OCS metrics in all decisionmaking steps in the supply chain process.

We require our logistics service providers that actively handle plastic pellets to commit to the OCS pledge and implement OCS guidance to reduce the risk of pellet loss.To further efforts toward a zero-pellet-loss supply chain, standardized OCS contractual language has been included in existing agreements and periodic Dow audits complement external certification. With support from the logistics service providers, Dow completes strategic risk review of the providers that handle packed plastic pellets, the mode of transport and packaging requirements.

Moving forward, we are preparing for the European OCS certification, which will be incorporated into our management systems for global implementation.

Plastics as an Enabler of a Low-Carbon Economy The lower-carbon benefits of plastics from production to in-use versus non-plastic alternatives is critical to a world that is also targeting carbon emissions reduction. A 2022 report by McKinsey examines the total GHG contribution of plastics versus alternatives, including product life cycle (cradle to grave) and impact of use. Among applications for which non-plastic alternatives are used at scale, such as automotive, packaging, and building and construction, the plastics examined in the study offered lower total GHG contribution compared with alternatives in 13 of 14 cases. GHG savings ranged from 10 to 90%, considering both product life cycle and impact of use. In addition, according to the report, in many applications, particularly those used in food packaging, plastics can contribute to decarbonization efforts, particularly in terms of reducing food spoilage and increasing energy efficiency.

As Dow decarbonizes plastics production in our operations, the sustainability profile of the plastics that we produce has the potential to become best-in-class.

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Originally published in Enbridge’s 2022 Sustainability Report

In September 2022, Enbridge and the newly created Athabasca Indigenous Investments (Aii) announced a landmark equity partnership. Aii represents a diverse group of 23 Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 First Nations and Métis communities in northern Alberta. Under the agreement, Aii assumes an 11.57% ownership stake in seven pipelines in the region, which collectively transport about 45% of Alberta oil sands production.

For the Indigenous groups that came together to form Aii, investing in the region’s energy infrastructure is a way of investing in the future prosperity of their Nations and communities. “Our partner logo theme—Seven Pipelines, Seven Generations—speaks to the long-term value potential of these assets, which will help enhance quality of life in our communities for many years to come,” said Justin Bourque, Aii President. Because the assets are underpinned by long-life resources and long-term contracts, they’re expected to provide highly predictable cash flows for many years to come as they continue to drive North American and global energy security.

For Enbridge, the partnership is an opportunity for meaningful and sustained collaboration with Indigenous communities—both on environmental stewardship and on the ownership and operation of critical energy infrastructure. “This partnership is an important expression of the commitments we’ve made through our Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan,” says Colin Gruending, Executive Vice President and President, Liquids Pipelines. “We’re working to extend our longstanding track record of engagement with Indigenous communities, including through financial partnerships like this one—and also through other modes of economic inclusion, such as procurement, training and recruitment.”

In making the largest ever Indigenous energy investment in North America, Aii seeks to achieve a wide array of benefits for the First Nations and Métis communities involved. With its 5% ownership in the Aii partnership, for example, Fort McKay Métis Nation will receive roughly $500,000 in annual revenue, which president Ron Quintal plans to direct to education, infrastructure and housing.

Meanwhile, Enbridge will continue to recycle capital from existing businesses to fund new growth opportunities, including a growing slate of investments in renewable and low-carbon energies—projects that will yield even more opportunities for Indigenous partnership in the decades to come.

It’s going to allow us to improve our quality of life. It’s very significant that this investment has been made collectively by 23 Indigenous communities that are impacted by the development in the Athabasca region. Under the creators, we’re all one. We’re all his children, and this is what the elders prophesized: that we must work together, and we must care for one another.

Chief Greg Desjarlais of Frog Lake First Nation

Learn more: Landmark collaboration in northern Alberta Athabasca equity partnership fact sheet

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The telecommunications business has been revolutionary in its ability to connect individuals worldwide. However, this phenomenal growth has left the sector with a significant portion of the world’s emissions. With increasing data demand, telecommunications companies must prioritize decreasing greenhouse gas emissions throughout their value chain.

Scope 3 emissions from activities across suppliers, product lifecycles, and customer usage comprise the overwhelming majority of emissions for telecommunications companies. While progress has been made on scope 1 and 2 emissions, scope 3 emissions remain a blind spot that demands urgent action. Addressing scope 3 emissions is vital for telecommunications companies to meet climate goals and lead the transition to a sustainable digital future.

According to the World Resources Institute, the global telecommunications industry emitted 1.7 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2019, representing approximately 2% of total global emissions. Telecommunications companies have an outsized opportunity to drive change and reduce emissions given their scale and influence across global supply chains and billions of customers worldwide.

Now is the time for telecommunications companies to step up with courageous leadership, collective action across the ecosystem, transparency, and a laser focus on reducing scope 3 emissions.

Understanding Scope 3 Emissions in Telecommunications

Scope 3 emissions encompass the vast majority of emissions across the telecommunications value chain. Key sources include:

Supply chain 
Manufacturing, transport, and disposal of network equipment makes up the largest share, such as 60% of Verizon’s total scope 3

Product usage 
Energy consumption of infrastructure, data centers, and devices

Customers 
Emissions from using products and services represent over 20% for leading telecommunications companies

While methodologies vary, standards like the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol enable consistent and transparent scope 3 accounting. Robust data collection and industry alignment will enhance accuracy over time. The urgency of climate action necessitates that telecommunications companies act now to address primary scope 3 hotspots like supply chain and product usage.

Success requires transparency, cooperation, and immediate commitment to tackle scope 3 emission sources.

Challenges in Calculating Scope 3 Emissions in the Telecommunications Industry

Calculating scope 3 emissions poses major challenges for telecommunications companies, including:

Data limitations: Telecommunications companies lack visibility into supplier and vendor emissions. Greater transparency and coordination are essential.Complex value chains: Varied reporting mechanisms across the vast partner ecosystem create aggregation difficulties.Methodology alignment: Companies must determine boundaries and allocate shared infrastructure emissions while adhering to accounting standards.Rapid technology changes: Emerging solutions like 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) require continuous emissions monitoring.

Robust data collection, industry collaboration, and transparency will be vital to overcome these obstacles. Standardized methodologies guided by established protocols will enhance accuracy over time.

Above all, open cooperation across telecommunications value chains is crucial to drive scope 3 progress. From suppliers to customers, aligning stakeholders to prioritize emissions reductions will accelerate the sustainability shift, despite near-term uncertainty. Telecommunications companies have the scale and influence to lead the way.

Strategies for Mitigating Scope 3 Emissions

Telecommunications companies can mitigate scope 3 emissions through:

Supplier collaboration 
Joint research and development (R&D), audits, and incentive programs enable partners to reduce their supply chain footprint. AT&T uses a sustainability scorecard to motivate action.

Renewable energy 
Shifting infrastructure and operations to clean power significantly decreases emissions. BT Group and Telefónica aim for 100% renewable electricity use.

Eco-design 
Prioritizing recyclable and energy-efficient materials and manufacturing reduces lifecycle impacts. Vodafone’s Eco Rating drives more sustainable devices.

Customer engagement 
Awareness campaigns, energy-saving tips, and green tariffs incentivize sustainable usage. Orange’s set-top box eco-rating nudges consumers.

Policy and regulation 
Scope 3 requirements in markets like the EU also drive telecommunications companies to address value chain emissions through mandated reporting and carbon pricing.

Additionally, telecommunications companies can further engage customers through expanded recycling and take-back programs to optimize device lifecycles. Services like leasing instead of selling phones can incentivize longevity. Features that track energy consumption also enable users to reduce their footprint.

There are still challenges, but collective effort across the telecommunications ecosystem can drive progress on scope 3 emissions. Engagement and incentives can accelerate emissions reductions across value chains from suppliers to customers. With their global scale, telecommunications companies must lead the way.

Calculating and Reporting

To enable accurate and consistent scope 3 accounting, telecommunications companies should:

Adopt recognized standards like the GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain Standard, which provides comprehensive guidance.Improve supplier data collection through surveys and supplier engagement platforms.Increase transparency by regularly disclosing scope 3 inventories and strategies in sustainability reports.Obtain third-party verification for scope 3 emissions data to ensure reliability.Collaborate with industry peers and partners to align methodologies and reporting.Continuously refine calculations by incorporating improved data sources and emission factors.Supplement inventory accounting with scenario modeling to project future emissions.

While uncertainties remain, standardized and transparent scope 3 reporting is vital to understand emissions baselines, track progress over time, and hold companies accountable. Investors and customers are increasingly demanding credible disclosure.

Telecommunications companies should lead the drive towards robust scope 3 accounting and reporting across sectors. Their commitment can catalyze broader adoption of carbon transparency.

Using SAP Sustainability Data Exchange, telecommunications companies can collaborate with partners, enhance awareness and engagement of stakeholders, gain insights, mitigate risks, and seize opportunities to reduce and offset emissions.

Ultimately, courageous leadership and collective diligence across telecommunications company value chains are imperative to drive progress. Telecommunications companies have the influence to spearhead robust and transparent scope 3 practices across all sectors. But, success hinges on prioritizing partnerships, integrity, and environmental stewardship above all. The moment for action has come.

For more information on how SAP helps companies record, report, and act on their sustainability goals, visit www.sap.com/sustainability.

Originally published on Illumina News Center

On September 2, 11 Illumina teammates embarked on a journey up the formidable Passo dello Stelvio as part of the Stelvio for Life charity event. As they cycled, walked, and even ran their way up this challenging mountain pass in the Italian Alps, they did so with a singular purpose: to support an organization working to advance research into personalized cancer treatments.

At Illumina, our mission to improve human health by unlocking the power of the genome guides everything we do, from business decisions to our corporate citizenship program activities. Our people are committed to giving back to the communities where we live and work and are passionate about connecting to our mission. And we are not afraid of a little sweat.

The hike aims to raise awareness and funding for the Stelvio for Life Foundation. This foundation is unwavering in its commitment to supporting the cancer research carried out by the Center for Personalized Cancer Treatment (CPCT) in the Netherlands. At its core, this research seeks to revolutionize cancer treatment by harnessing the power of DNA analysis. In recent years, the CPCT has conducted groundbreaking studies, including the Drug Rediscovery Protocol trial, a nationwide clinical research effort that matched patients with targeted therapies based on specific DNA alterations identified through whole-genome sequencing (WGS) performed by the Hartwig Medical Foundation.

These initiatives have shown great promise in offering cancer patients more effective treatment options tailored to their individual genetic makeup. In fact, evidence generated by the CPCT was fundamental in the Dutch government’s decision to reimburse WGS as standard of care for patients facing cancers of unknown primary diagnosis.  

The 2023 hike drew participants from diverse backgrounds and regions and united them under a common cause. The same dedication of Illumina’s 11 employees was reflected in the hundreds of other people who took part, further highlighting the strength of the international community’s commitment to finding innovative solutions to cancer.

“It was a great couple of days,” says cyclist Chris Zwanenburg, an Illumina executive sales specialist based in the Netherlands. “The spirit was high, and everyone was energized to climb and overcome this giant of a mountain. We were all very proud to see the Illumina banners and logo all over the place. It was a clear message that both employees and the company are supporting this incredible cause so close to our hearts.”

The outcome was equally impressive on the financial front. Participants were encouraged to raise one euro for every meter of altitude they climbed, and the event raised a total of 23,000€ for cancer research. This journey up the Passo dello Stelvio aligns with the Illumina Corporate Foundation and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program’s commitment to deepening the company’s impact on human health, community, and our planet.

Illumina’s CSR initiatives extend beyond financial contributions. Employees are actively involved in giving back through volunteer opportunities, a matching donation program, and volunteer rewards. This enables employees to connect with causes that both resonate with them personally and align with the company’s mission, like Stelvio for Life. For those who participated and those who donated, the event was proof that, united by a shared purpose, individuals can help create a better future for all those affected by cancer.

Originally published on Illumina News Center

On September 2, 11 Illumina teammates embarked on a journey up the formidable Passo dello Stelvio as part of the Stelvio for Life charity event. As they cycled, walked, and even ran their way up this challenging mountain pass in the Italian Alps, they did so with a singular purpose: to support an organization working to advance research into personalized cancer treatments.

At Illumina, our mission to improve human health by unlocking the power of the genome guides everything we do, from business decisions to our corporate citizenship program activities. Our people are committed to giving back to the communities where we live and work and are passionate about connecting to our mission. And we are not afraid of a little sweat.

The hike aims to raise awareness and funding for the Stelvio for Life Foundation. This foundation is unwavering in its commitment to supporting the cancer research carried out by the Center for Personalized Cancer Treatment (CPCT) in the Netherlands. At its core, this research seeks to revolutionize cancer treatment by harnessing the power of DNA analysis. In recent years, the CPCT has conducted groundbreaking studies, including the Drug Rediscovery Protocol trial, a nationwide clinical research effort that matched patients with targeted therapies based on specific DNA alterations identified through whole-genome sequencing (WGS) performed by the Hartwig Medical Foundation.

These initiatives have shown great promise in offering cancer patients more effective treatment options tailored to their individual genetic makeup. In fact, evidence generated by the CPCT was fundamental in the Dutch government’s decision to reimburse WGS as standard of care for patients facing cancers of unknown primary diagnosis.  

The 2023 hike drew participants from diverse backgrounds and regions and united them under a common cause. The same dedication of Illumina’s 11 employees was reflected in the hundreds of other people who took part, further highlighting the strength of the international community’s commitment to finding innovative solutions to cancer.

“It was a great couple of days,” says cyclist Chris Zwanenburg, an Illumina executive sales specialist based in the Netherlands. “The spirit was high, and everyone was energized to climb and overcome this giant of a mountain. We were all very proud to see the Illumina banners and logo all over the place. It was a clear message that both employees and the company are supporting this incredible cause so close to our hearts.”

The outcome was equally impressive on the financial front. Participants were encouraged to raise one euro for every meter of altitude they climbed, and the event raised a total of 23,000€ for cancer research. This journey up the Passo dello Stelvio aligns with the Illumina Corporate Foundation and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program’s commitment to deepening the company’s impact on human health, community, and our planet.

Illumina’s CSR initiatives extend beyond financial contributions. Employees are actively involved in giving back through volunteer opportunities, a matching donation program, and volunteer rewards. This enables employees to connect with causes that both resonate with them personally and align with the company’s mission, like Stelvio for Life. For those who participated and those who donated, the event was proof that, united by a shared purpose, individuals can help create a better future for all those affected by cancer.

We discussed the most common misconceptions about NBS, why they’re such an effective tool at creating co-benefits for local communities and the climate, and what the future looks like in this space.

What do you see as the current state of play, both in the REDD+ market in the US and globally?

The way I see it, the current state of play in the US is not so much project development, or generating credits from REDD+ forest protection projects, but a real chance for corporate action. For companies wanting to achieve net zero, their biggest opportunity is acquiring REDD+ credits and supporting Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments in developing countries. These credits are high quality, have great transparency, and generate impact for the local communities and for the governments in the countries from which they originate.

In the global market, I believe the REDD+ marketplace is at a significant evolutionary moment. The Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) is paving the way for compliance markets and national climate plans, and REDD+ is leading on that front from project-based approaches to jurisdictional-based approaches. This has been an ongoing process for several years, specifically implementing solutions in project-level work, which is where the vast majority of the media scrutiny is that we’ve seen in the past year.

How do REDD+ projects effectively channel the finance they receive, and what is the most common misconception you see about projects?

I’ll give you an example of what I believe the future will look like. Globally, large corporations that have scalable net zero commitments, will need millions of credits. And they need certainty about how they’re going to meet those pledges. They need credibility from the quality of the credits and financial certainty about what costs are going to look like. And they want to invest in and lock those up sooner rather than later. The VCM and in particular J-REDD+ that is being implemented are the most reliable ways to address those questions. For clarity, J-REDD+ refers to REDD+ projects with a high level of government, or jurisdictional, involvement in the management of the landscapes.

I believe the most common misconception is the following: buying credits pays people to not do anything. It’s in the name: avoidance of emissions. We have a misunderstanding on our hands – in assuming that there must be an enforcement problem. But market mechanisms like the VCM have demonstrated time and time again that they are part of the global climate solution.

The reality is that there are socioeconomic pressures on all kinds of families worldwide to get fuel, and wood, to cook, build their homes, and clear land for farming. What projects do is integrate rural economic development: protecting resources, and at the same time increasing the value of other activities and livelihoods to be higher than clearing forests.

And that’s the way that we protect the Earth. A rising tide lifts all boats – when we work together.

Where do you see the potential of J-REDD+?

Jurisdictional REDD works with governments on the projects’ monitoring. However, it often lacks funding for other aspects such as reforestation or the protection of boundaries.

This is where we, and other carbon developers, come in: funding a blended finance portfolio with the help of corporations, we are able to channel finance into the jurisdiction and support project implementation on the ground. We support project activities with the communities throughout the land area, for example, managing or creating new small businesses, such as tree nurseries or seed collectors.

In general, this is a new REDD+ approach, both in its scale and in terms of the partnerships with beneficiaries and governments. It means there’s scope to improve. At the same time, this approach allows for large-scale mitigation, because we are able to access massive landscapes. The methodologies themselves will address topics of baselining and leakages. And many of the challenges associated with benefit distribution will be transparent and public because of the involvement of government entities. Those are all great advances, and for the marketplace, this is a great leap forward.

Along with decarbonisation, J-REDD and REDD+ projects also have the potential to address social issues through co-benefits. How can project developers support the creation of co-benefits and also ensure their equality and security in project operation?

There are all kinds of ways of channeling finance for climate impact, but NBS is unique. The “secret sauce” is its co-benefits; it creates jobs with local communities. It involves them in understanding their role and the need that they have to maintain the ecosystem as the fundamental driver of the rural economy of planet Earth for them, their kids, and their grandkids. And it resonates with their sense of self. The co-benefits make NBS projects, I believe, worth much more than other types.

In terms of ensuring and securing these co-benefits: there are robust ESG frameworks that incorporate a whole host of safeguarding mechanisms and sustainable development goals. They are embedded in, for example, the protocols of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), the World Bank, and the IFC ESG safeguards, among the most rigorous and mature overall. VERRA, of course, has a whole suite of tools for that, as well as the climate community and biodiversity co-benefit standard tied to VERRA.

But the “secret sauce” for a nature-based solutions project is that we work with people on the ground to improve their landscapes. And they know it. And they want to do it. And they love that they’re paid to do it. And they know that all of the benefits outside of the carbon credit itself that go back to the investor accrue to local people.

So, could we improve at assessing implementation, which is our role in these projects? Yes, we could strengthen that. We can also build capacity amongst all the actors so that we ensure that the outcomes are better steered towards an equitable, gender-balanced, generationally balanced approach. That’s something that we’re beginning to consider.

But when it comes to the overall potential to address both social and climate issues, I believe there’s almost no better way to do it than nature-based solutions that protect, sustainably manage, and restore our precious ecosystems.

We discussed the most common misconceptions about NBS, why they’re such an effective tool at creating co-benefits for local communities and the climate, and what the future looks like in this space.

What do you see as the current state of play, both in the REDD+ market in the US and globally?

The way I see it, the current state of play in the US is not so much project development, or generating credits from REDD+ forest protection projects, but a real chance for corporate action. For companies wanting to achieve net zero, their biggest opportunity is acquiring REDD+ credits and supporting Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments in developing countries. These credits are high quality, have great transparency, and generate impact for the local communities and for the governments in the countries from which they originate.

In the global market, I believe the REDD+ marketplace is at a significant evolutionary moment. The Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) is paving the way for compliance markets and national climate plans, and REDD+ is leading on that front from project-based approaches to jurisdictional-based approaches. This has been an ongoing process for several years, specifically implementing solutions in project-level work, which is where the vast majority of the media scrutiny is that we’ve seen in the past year.

How do REDD+ projects effectively channel the finance they receive, and what is the most common misconception you see about projects?

I’ll give you an example of what I believe the future will look like. Globally, large corporations that have scalable net zero commitments, will need millions of credits. And they need certainty about how they’re going to meet those pledges. They need credibility from the quality of the credits and financial certainty about what costs are going to look like. And they want to invest in and lock those up sooner rather than later. The VCM and in particular J-REDD+ that is being implemented are the most reliable ways to address those questions. For clarity, J-REDD+ refers to REDD+ projects with a high level of government, or jurisdictional, involvement in the management of the landscapes.

I believe the most common misconception is the following: buying credits pays people to not do anything. It’s in the name: avoidance of emissions. We have a misunderstanding on our hands – in assuming that there must be an enforcement problem. But market mechanisms like the VCM have demonstrated time and time again that they are part of the global climate solution.

The reality is that there are socioeconomic pressures on all kinds of families worldwide to get fuel, and wood, to cook, build their homes, and clear land for farming. What projects do is integrate rural economic development: protecting resources, and at the same time increasing the value of other activities and livelihoods to be higher than clearing forests.

And that’s the way that we protect the Earth. A rising tide lifts all boats – when we work together.

Where do you see the potential of J-REDD+?

Jurisdictional REDD works with governments on the projects’ monitoring. However, it often lacks funding for other aspects such as reforestation or the protection of boundaries.

This is where we, and other carbon developers, come in: funding a blended finance portfolio with the help of corporations, we are able to channel finance into the jurisdiction and support project implementation on the ground. We support project activities with the communities throughout the land area, for example, managing or creating new small businesses, such as tree nurseries or seed collectors.

In general, this is a new REDD+ approach, both in its scale and in terms of the partnerships with beneficiaries and governments. It means there’s scope to improve. At the same time, this approach allows for large-scale mitigation, because we are able to access massive landscapes. The methodologies themselves will address topics of baselining and leakages. And many of the challenges associated with benefit distribution will be transparent and public because of the involvement of government entities. Those are all great advances, and for the marketplace, this is a great leap forward.

Along with decarbonisation, J-REDD and REDD+ projects also have the potential to address social issues through co-benefits. How can project developers support the creation of co-benefits and also ensure their equality and security in project operation?

There are all kinds of ways of channeling finance for climate impact, but NBS is unique. The “secret sauce” is its co-benefits; it creates jobs with local communities. It involves them in understanding their role and the need that they have to maintain the ecosystem as the fundamental driver of the rural economy of planet Earth for them, their kids, and their grandkids. And it resonates with their sense of self. The co-benefits make NBS projects, I believe, worth much more than other types.

In terms of ensuring and securing these co-benefits: there are robust ESG frameworks that incorporate a whole host of safeguarding mechanisms and sustainable development goals. They are embedded in, for example, the protocols of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), the World Bank, and the IFC ESG safeguards, among the most rigorous and mature overall. VERRA, of course, has a whole suite of tools for that, as well as the climate community and biodiversity co-benefit standard tied to VERRA.

But the “secret sauce” for a nature-based solutions project is that we work with people on the ground to improve their landscapes. And they know it. And they want to do it. And they love that they’re paid to do it. And they know that all of the benefits outside of the carbon credit itself that go back to the investor accrue to local people.

So, could we improve at assessing implementation, which is our role in these projects? Yes, we could strengthen that. We can also build capacity amongst all the actors so that we ensure that the outcomes are better steered towards an equitable, gender-balanced, generationally balanced approach. That’s something that we’re beginning to consider.

But when it comes to the overall potential to address both social and climate issues, I believe there’s almost no better way to do it than nature-based solutions that protect, sustainably manage, and restore our precious ecosystems.

Originally published in International Paper’s 2022 Sustainability Report

As a manufacturer of sustainable fiber products, we’re committed not only to relying on a renewable resource, but also to minimizing climate impact in our manufacturing process. This includes reducing energy and water consumption both within our facilities and across our value chain.

Our progress toward Vision 2030

Goal: Improve our climate impact and advance water stewardship

Target: Reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 35% 

Aligned with the best available climate science, we’re committed to reducing our absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 35% by 2030 across Scopes 1, 2 and 3.

2022 Impact: 

In 2022, we faced significant challenges in our facilities with respect to operational decarbonization. While we made progress in reducing our Scope 1 emissions at several mills, those reductions were offset by increases in fossil fuel used at other facilities due to reduced biomass fuel. We are proud of the emissions reductions we achieved at our containerboard mill in Rome, Georgia- the result of a capital project that was included in our decarbonization plan.

For Scope 2 emissions, we saw reductions associated with grid greening and an overall increase due to the sale of renewable energy certificates (RECs). This does not amount to a change in actual emissions, but rather, sales of environmental attributes from our renewable power generation. REC sales will continue in the short term, but will eventually be retired in support of our Vision 2030 target.

We are committed to advancing our decarbonization plan and are optimistic about emission reductions from key energy efficiency investments and other projects in the coming years. For more information see our TCFD report. As one of the first North American pulp and paper producers to have our GHG emissions reduction target approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2021, we continue to assess and incorporate developments in emissions accounting, including the GHG Protocol, the ScienceBased Targets initiative (SBTi) and CDP. We are engaged directly in working groups focused on relevant forest sector topics.

Spotlight: 
Two mills, two GHG reduction projects

Our Rome, Georgia containerboard mill has demonstrated a 39% reduction in total Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions since the baseline year of 2019 after switching the mill’s power boiler from primarily coal to natural gas as a fuel source.

Our Red River, Louisiana containerboard mill replaced five refiners on their paper machine. The refiners were replaced with updated energy efficient refiners, saving an average of 24% of the energy use on this equipment and an estimated 7% reduction in Scope 2 GHG footprint for the mill.

Our Approach 

Our Sustainable Operations approach addresses some of our most important environmental impacts and reflects our commitment to improving our footprint across our businesses, operations and value chain.

Improving our climate impact

Having a positive climate impact begins with reducing carbon emissions. Rather than rely on carbon offsets, International Paper focuses on reducing energy consumption as well as relative GHG emissions across our mills and manufacturing facilities. Between 2019 and 2022, we reduced 3% of Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions but show an increase of 9% due to Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) sales.

We’re expanding our use of renewable energy, including generating our own renewable energy source via carbon-neutral biomass derived from our manufacturing processes.

Enhanced tracking and reporting

Approved by the Science Based Targets initiative, our GHG emissions reduction target aligns with the Paris Climate Agreement goal to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

Working with strategic partners, we track and report on our global GHG emissions by participating in ESG reporting programs, including:

Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)Task Force on Climate-Related Disclosures (TCFD)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mandatory Reporting RuleEuropean Union Emissions Trading SystemMultiple state, regional and national reporting programsGlobal Reporting Index

70% of our mill energy is derived from carbon-neutral biomass residuals.

We reduced our GHG emissions by about 20% between 2010 and 2022, while cutting our use of coal and fuel oil in half.

Improving our climate impact 

Scope-by-scope reductions

We have a track record of reducing Scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions at our operations. As part of our Vision 2030 goals, we’re also working to track, report and ultimately reduce our Scope 3 emissions across our value chain. Specifically:

Scope 1: We’re committed to making capital investments to substantially reduce Scope 1 GHG emissions in our facilities over the next decade. We’re evaluating and pursuing investments in energy efficiency and fuel-switching for lower-carbon thermal energy sources in our operations. These initiatives often result in both cost savings and GHG emission reductions by optimizing processes, upgrading equipment and advancing energy conservation measures.

Scope 2: To reduce Scope 2 GHG emissions, we’re participating in renewable power development.

Scope 3: To mitigate GHG impacts outside our direct operations, we team up with our suppliers and customers to effect meaningful change. We assess our supply chain to identify areas of impact, and we engage our suppliers and customers to reduce emissions. This work is closely tied to our goals for Renewable Solutions, which focus on how customers use and dispose of our products.

Reducing our operational GHG emissions is just one of the actions we’re taking to improve the climate. Our efforts extend across our entire value chain and through to our sustainable forestry and renewable products initiatives. We continue to make progress toward our Vision 2030 target through renewable power participation, capital investments and collaboration with forest landowners to improve forest management for carbon sequestration.

Improving our climate impact

Looking ahead

We are renewing our focus on supplier engagement to reduce value chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2023 and 2024. As we continue our efforts to reduce GHG emissions and address climate change, we recognize the need to explore new and emerging technologies for decarbonization. We will continue to drive forward with renewable power participation initiatives, such as renewable energy procurement and investments in on-site renewable energy systems.

In addition, we will look to take advantage of supportive legislation, such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in the U.S., to accelerate our efforts in reducing GHG emissions.

To achieve our sustainability goals, we will also focus on engaging with our suppliers and customers to better understand where our gaps are and drive Scope 3 reductions. By working collaboratively with stakeholders across our supply chain, we can identify opportunities to reduce GHG emissions and achieve a more sustainable future.

We are actively looking for ways to invest in capital projects at our facilities in order to build and operate equipment that has a direct result in reducing our GHG emissions.

Spotlight: 
GHG reductions at Cedar River Mill

We are investing $103 million to build and operate two natural gas power boilers to generate steam for its containerboard mill in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Construction is set to begin in 2023, and the mill is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2025. The Cedar River mill’s GHG emissions will be directly reduced by 25% as a result of the replacement of coal-based steam generators in the project.

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of North America’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2022 were $21.2 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting InternationalPaper.com.

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