Public commitments drive our sustainability performance. Our sustainability strategy combines ambitious long-term objectives, annually revised targets and aspirational goals, carefully measured in the spirit of continuous improvement. In this blog series, Performance and New Targets, we’re recapping our achievements, sharing highlights of our progress, and affirming our targets for 2022 and beyond.
How we manage emissions
Actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, optimize renewable energy and combat climate change are cornerstones of our sustainability strategy. Together, our carbon-reduction initiatives over the past two decades have reduced emissions by more than 8.6 million metric tons of CO 2 equivalents per year, comparable to taking close to two million cars off the road. And we continue to raise the bar, increasing expectations of our own performance.
How did we measure our success?
Reducing emissions
We achieved our 2025 goal – well ahead of schedule – to reduce the company’s absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 30% compared to 2015 levels. By the end of 2021, we had achieved a 32% reduction in absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions across company operations.
Continuing to increase expectations of our own performance, we committed to achieving a 41.5% reduction in absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2026 from a 2015 base year, as well as a 16.5% reduction in scope 3 emissions within the same timeframe. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has validated that these targets conform to the SBTi Criteria and Recommendations (version 4.2), and that our scope 1 and 2 target ambition is in line with a well-below 2°C trajectory.
Since 2000, we have reduced scope 1 and 2 emissions at our pulp, paper and tissue mills by 85%.
Disclosing our performance
Each year, we disclose our environmental performance to CDP, a globally-recognized, non-profit framework that has long championed environmental disclosure as standard business practice. Resolute has reported our carbon footprint to CDP since 2006, beginning with scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, and adding scope 3 (supply chain) emissions in 2013.
Since 2010, we have prepared reports in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines for sustainability reporting, and since 2018, in accordance with the GRI Standards.
Our sustainability strategy also aligns with the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). In 2021, we integrated eight of the 17 SDGs into our sustainability reporting. Our UN SDGs page outlines how we are aligning our sustainability performance with the relevant SDG targets, including the targets under Goal 13: Climate Action.
For more information on our emissions reducing projects, please visit our Carbon Footprint page.
