Sappi is pleased to announce that all three of its manufacturing regions – Europe, North America and Southern Africa – have once again achieved the highest possible rating, Platinum, in the annual EcoVadis Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ratings.
As we support the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and have prioritised SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) it is fitting that as we celebrate Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Day on 27 June, that we salute two of the small business established with the help of Sappi.
When devastating floods hit KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in April this year, there were many organisations that sprang into action – along with thousands of community-minded citizens they worked around the clock – to provide relief and sanctuary to all those who had been hardest hit.
It is apt that the 2022 Youth Month call to action for South African youth is to 'Forge resilience and pursue opportunities for a sustainable livelihood, today and in the future.'
Today we are all experiencing the serious impact of climate change. Sappi Europe, as a global company, is committed to pursuing a stringent decarbonisation plan to reduce detrimental effects on the environment. As part of its long-term global commitment to climate protection and sustainable production, the company has successfully converted many of its production sites to renewable energy.
As we celebrate World Bicycle Day on 03 June, Sappi salutes this humble, yet inspirational mode of transport, which helps to bring to life some rural economies through tourism and recreational activities.
Commenting on the group’s results, Sappi Chief Executive Officer Steve Binnie said: “I am very proud of the excellent performance during the quarter particularly in light of the impact of Covid-19 in the last two years and the global economic turmoil. Tight global paper markets were the principal factor behind the quarter’s success and enabled the implementation of higher selling prices which offset extraordinary cost inflation. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict triggered renewed volatility in global commodity markets and further disrupted already constrained global supply chains, which intensified cost inflation across all regions and all product segments.”
Responding to climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our times. As a global company, Sappi is committed to being part of the solution and is focused on decarbonising its operations. As part of its long-term global commitment to climate protection and sustainable production, Sappi will be abandoning the use of coal at its German site in Stockstadt as a next step.
Speaking at the 15th World Forestry Congress, held in Seoul (Korea), from 02 to 06 May 2022, Sappi Forests Vice President Duane Roothman, shone a light on South African commercial forestry plantations.