The road to decarbonisation runs through Europe

At Sappi, we've set ambitious targets to decarbonise our business to achieve the sustainable, low-carbon future agreed in the Paris Climate Accord and affirmed in the European Green Deal.

On this decarbonisation journey, we're bringing together the brilliance  of technology, the power of  nature and the creativity of  people. While this is an immense challenge, it is one we are embracing with enthusiasm and steadfast determination.

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Sappi Europe’s Decarbonisation Roadmap is the latest expression of this bold effort. The Roadmap lays out ambitious initiatives to reduce emissions and optimise material and resource use in our mills across Europe. It reflects over 80 projects that we're prioritising and implementing through 2025. Discover some of the breakthrough projects that show our climate ambition in action!

The Roadmap is currently scoped for projects occurring in the next five years. It will be extended to 2030 and then beyond as new project ideas are developed and new insights and technologies become available. So, what do these projects involve exactly on the road to decarbonisation? The Roadmap has three main priorities for action.

1. Exiting Coal

This is where the biggest impact in emission reductions is possible. By exiting coal in the three mills that still partially use this fuel, we will shift to using to carbon neutral biomass or natural gas.

2. Green electricity

We´ve committed to procure more green electricity from the grid where it is available. This will reduce our Scope 2 emissions, especially at our three mills in Germany.

3. Eco-effectiveness

All nine mills will embark on “eco-effective” projects to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions on an ongoing basis, investing in state-of-the-art technology and processes.

One of the first milestones in the roadmap was reached in 2020 with our decision to upgrade Boiler 11 at Gratkorn Mill in Austria. This project will realise a shift from a coal boiler to a multi-fuel boiler in two phases with the goal to finally use only sustainable and renewable fuels.

In the context of mitigating climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, this 10-year period ahead is known as the Decade of Action. Connect with our European Director of Sustainability, Sarah Price to learn more.

Our decarbonisation Roadmap gives us clarity on where to focus, and helps set our trajectory towards a low-carbon future. It’s a dynamic process which underscores the importance of energy system transformation, breakthrough technologies and collaboration to further illuminate the path from 2030 to 2050.

Sarah Price

Europe Sustainability Director

Umstieg von Kohle auf erneuerbare Energien im Werk Gratkorn

With new state-of-the-art technology, boiler 11 at Gratkorn Mill is shifting from a coal boiler to a multi-fuel boiler in two phases. The goal is to finally use only sustainable and renewable fuels.

Transitioning to bioenergy at Kirkniemi Mill

Kirkniemi Mill in Finland took a big leap forward in 2022 on the journey to decarbonisation by installing the equipment required to receive, store and handle biomass to power its multi-fuel boiler. During 2023 the mill should be able to finally exit coal and instead become powered by renewable bioenergy.

Switching to renewables at Maastricht Mill with an 'e-boiler'

The steam boilers that Sappi needs for paper production are increasingly part of the solution to climate change. Instead of relying on fossil fuels like gas, Maastricht Mill has installed an electronic or ‘e-boiler’ so that wind and solar can become part of the energy mix.

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The road to decarbonisation runs through Europe