International Recognition: Sustainable Innovation in Support of the Bioeconomy
At Suzano, sustainability is much more than a department—it is part of our business strategy and is considered in the everyday decisions we make. All areas of the company seek ways to boost their sustainable practices and apply them to our products and services, making use of various technological and innovative processes, combining innovation and sustainability. This has earned us recognition for different initiatives and sustainable applications. Recently, for example, we were named the most sustainable company in the pulp and paper industry as part of the World Finance Sustainability Awards 2024, presented to companies that stood out for their sustainability efforts. Our company was praised, among other things, for adopting an innovative approach to significantly reducing carbon emissions and providing accountability for sustainability-related issues.
Suzano’s actions are aligned with the main global standards for both reducing carbon emissions and reporting on emissions and capture, such as the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board[1], the Global Reporting Initiative[2], the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, the World Economic Forum’s Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As we have also been involved in various efforts and investments to ensure a fair transition, we have noticed increased recognition from our stakeholders, such as customers, shareholders, investors and others.
Additionally, the cross-cutting manner in which sustainability is present in our company can be seen not only in our products and services, but also in the partnerships we form to expand the offering of environmental solutions that are increasingly regenerative, that is, that seek not only to reduce negative impacts on the environment, but also restore, revitalize and improve natural ecosystems. Among our products, the World Finance Sustainability Awards highlighted, for example, the development of the world’s first eucalyptus fluff, our Suzano Eucafluff®. The product is the result of several years of research and development, leading to a more sustainable solution that has been breaking several paradigms in the disposable absorbent hygiene products industry.
The life-cycle assessment (LCA) made by ACV Brasil[3] showed that, when compared to pine fluff from the southeastern United States, the manufacturing and logistics processes of Eucafluff® produce 30% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions[4]. One of the main factors that contribute to this reduction in emissions is the use of renewable and cleaner energy. More than 85% of the energy used by Suzano in the production process comes from renewable biomass-based sources.
Furthermore, products manufactured by our customers show that absorbent panels made with Eucafluff® can be thinner than those made with pine fluff, as eucalyptus fibers are thinner and can be more compressed without compromising quality. In practice, this enables a reduction in the size of packages, usually made of plastic, and allows more items to be transported in the same trip, lowering environmental impacts in the supply chain.
Eucafluff® is yet another example that reinforces our history as a pioneer in the use of eucalyptus. Back in the 1960s, Suzano revolutionized the paper and pulp industry by producing eucalyptus pulp on an industrial scale. Similarly, our belief in the potential of eucalyptus fluff to revolutionize the absorbent hygiene products industry in the future is so strong that we are investing to increase our fluff production from 100,000 tonnes to 440,000 tonnes by the end of 2025.
Each recognition we receive, in addition to being a good reason to celebrate, is proof that we are on the right path as we work to fulfill our purpose of renewing life inspired by trees and to strengthen the bioeconomy. By embracing innovation like a startup—a century-old startup—and being guided by sustainability, we will continue to plant a better future for people and the planet for the next 100 years.
[1]The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing sustainability accounting standards. Find out more at: https://sasb.ifrs.org/
[2]The Global Reporting Initiative is an international organization dedicated to developing and sharing global best practices on how organizations communicate and demonstrate their sustainable practices through their sustainability reports.
[3]LCA made by ACV Brasil / Third Part Review by KPMG, according to the standards of ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. Source: [Puettmann et.al., 2013] Puettmann, Maureen; Oneil, Elaine; Milota, Mike and Johnson, Leonard. Cradle to Gate Life Cycle Assessment of Softwood Lumber Production from the Southeast. To learn more, visit: https://corrim.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SE-Lumber-LCA-may-2013-final.pdf
[U.S Department of Energy, 2005] Energy and environmental profile of the U.S. pulp and paper industry. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. To learn more, visit: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/11/f4/pulppaper_profile.pdf
[4]Results can vary depending on the distance from the customer’s mill. The 30% reduction in carbon footprint considers the logistic impact to deliver our product to a customer mill in Türkiye.
