STOCKHOLM (News release) -- SCA is for the first time reporting the company's impact on the climate as part of its Annual Report, to be published on February 27. At a seminar in Stockholm, SCA reported the positive effect on the climate from forest growth and substitution, as well as the climate impact of its operations. The net effect is positive and is equivalent to the total of emissions from road freight and domestic air travel in Sweden.
During a seminar at the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry on Monday, February 25, SCA reported the climate effect of its operations for some 100 seminar participants, including people in the fields of research, policymaking, government agencies and media.
"The climate is today's key issue and the forest and forest products can provide a decisive contribution to combatting the adverse effects of climate change. SCA will as of now report the total climate impact of the company's operations and this will become an important metric together with the financial statements when we describe the company's performance," said SCA's CEO Ulf Larsson at the seminar.
The calculations are presented in detail in a report by Peter Holmgren, a consultant and former head of CIFOR, an international organization for forest research, and SCA's Sustainability Director Katarina Kolar. The model encompasses the carbon sequestration that occurs in SCA's growing forests, all emissions of fossil carbon dioxide from SCA's entire value
chain and the positive climate effects of SCA's products. When forest products, such as solid-wood products, paper and biofuels, replace material and energy with a larger carbon footprint, oil and coal can permanently remain underground and the climate burden of society as a whole is reduced.
"The net effect of SCA's operations is positive for the climate and amounts to eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. This corresponds to the total negative climate impact of all road freight in Sweden and Sweden's domestic air travel," said Katarina Kolar, SCA's Sustainability Director.
Lena Ek, Chair of the forest company Södra, also took part in the seminar, and talked of this company's ambition to become fossil-free. Södra's Sustainable Forestry Strategist Göran Örlander explained how well-managed forests are contributing in climate work and Göran Berndes, professor at Chalmers, clarified the effects of replacing fossil-based material and fuels with renewable alternatives. Johan Kuylenstierna, Vice Chair of the Swedish Climate Policy Council, moderated the seminar.
