INDONESIA (News release) -- Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), part of Sinarmas, today received the Special Commendation for Early Adopted GRI Standards at the Sustainability Reporting Awards (SRA) in Solo, Indonesia. This is the fifth award that APP received from the SRA and recognizes APP as a trailblazer in the adoption of the newest GRI Standards for its sustainability reporting in the country.

Issued by the independent standards organization Global Reporting Initiative in early 2017 to replace the earlier version "G4 Guidelines", the GRI Standards is the world's first standardized sustainability reporting structure to be applied globally. The organization recommended early adoption of the latest GRI Standards, which otherwise would be officially effective from 1 July 2018. Heeding the call, APP had applied the latest standards in developing its 2016 Sustainability Report.

"We are encouraged to receive the special commendation at this year's Sustainability Reporting Award for our use of the GRI Standards in our latest Sustainability Report," said APP Sustainability Manager Sera Noviany. "APP's early adoption of the most updated version of the standards is a reflection of our commitment to running a sustainable pulp and paper business with the highest standards in accountability and transparency."

In the 2016 report that it published last year, APP shared the progress it had made in meeting its commitments, including the Forest Conservation Policy and the Sustainability Roadmap Vision 2020. The year marked the first full year of APP's revised mill sustainability KPI approach, which led to improvements in energy use and carbon intensity, as well as the completion of APP's Integrated Sustainable Forest Management Plans (ISFMPs) for all its pulpwood suppliers.

"Having a common language globally, such as the GRI Standards, allows companies and other stakeholders to discuss such progress as well as efforts that need to be done in a measurable and productive way," said Noviany. "We are keen to share our experiences in implementing these global standards, and hope to see a wider adoption in Indonesia in the near future," she said, adding that awarding events such as the SRA provide an important platform for industry players to meet and have this conversation.

Initiated by the National Center for Sustainability Reporting, the SRA recognizes companies that communicate their sustainability initiatives and progress through reporting mechanisms such as sustainability reports and corporate websites. It aims to support the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a commitment that APP shares.

Previously, APP won the "Special Commendation for Best Practice" for its Forest Conservation Policy in the 2016 Sustainability Reporting Awards.

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