SMURFIT Kappa has announced it has achieved four of its mid-term Better Planet 2050 sustainability targets.
According to the company’s 17th Sustainable Development Report, Smurfit Kappa has met its targets on Waste (achieving a 35.8% reduction in waste sent to landfill, ahead of its 2025 target of 30%); Forestry (achieving 95.5% of packaging sold with Chain of Custody certification, ahead of its 2025 target of 95%); Communities (€25.6 million donated to support social, environmental and community initiatives, ahead of its 2025 target of €24 million; and Diversity (25.1% of management positions were held by women at the end of 2023, ahead of its 2024 target of 25%).
The report, which covers January to December 2023, highlights the firm’s progress through continued capital investment, ongoing operational improvements, and collaboration with customers, suppliers and other key stakeholders.
In addition to reaching its key sustainability targets, Smurfit Kappa has also become an early adopter of the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD); installed 12,000 solar panels at its Sangüesa paper mill in Spain; completed a €27 million investment in a new waste management and recovery facility at the Nervión paper mill in Iurreta, Spain; created a purification and wastewater treatment plant in Belgrade, Serbia; and made continued progress in its $100 million biomass project in Colombia.
The company has also published the group’s second Green Bond Impact Report and had its sustainability leadership recognised by Morningstar Sustainalytics, which acknowledged Smurfit Kappa as the number one performer in the paper packaging sector.
Tony Smurfit, Group CEO, said, “I am immensely proud of the significant progress made towards our sustainability goals during 2023. I am particularly proud that we have already achieved four of our Better Planet 2050 targets. This not only reflects the dedication of our people and the effectiveness of our investment programmes, but it shows our unwavering commitment to supporting our local communities, creating a better planet and delivering a low carbon, circular future.”
