Ending global poverty might not seem like an obvious goal for a forest products company, but by aligning our sustainability strategy with the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we’re taking action for a more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous future.
Developed in 2015 by the UN, the SDGs are a universal call to action to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty goes hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. There are 17 SDGs in all, and Resolute identified eight that align with our sustainability commitments:
Water management (Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation): We’re committed to managing water efficiently with annual water reduction targets for each of our pulp, paper and tissue mills.
Energy (Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy): We’re optimizing the use of renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity and carbon-neutral biomass, while reducing our consumption of fossil fuels.
Employee Health, Safety & Wellness (Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth): We’re committed to implementing new leadership and human resources practices to create a diverse and inclusive workplace, one where safety remains a core value and where the collective bargaining process and our employees’ right to freedom of association are fundamental to our way of doing business.
Economic Performance and Infrastructure Investments (Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure): We established a plant specializing in the production of cellulose filaments, a sustainable biomaterial, and modernized equipment at our Kénogami (Quebec) paper mill to enhance the facility’s competitiveness.
Waste Management (Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production): We’re focused on reducing waste sent to landfills by identifying beneficial-use alternatives such as land spreading, and pursuing process efficiencies, such as optimizing fiber use to minimize the cost of effluent treatment.
Climate Change (Goal 13: Climate Action): We reduced our scope 1 and 2 absolute GHG emissions by 32% compared to 2015 levels ahead of our 2025 schedule, and this past year, the Science Based Targets initiative validated our new emission reduction targets, which include a 41.5% reduction in absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2026 from a 2015 base year, and a 16.5% reduction in scope 3 emissions within the same timeframe.
Forest Management, Fiber Sourcing Practices & Biodiversity (Goal 15: Life on Land): We maintain internationally recognized forest management certification at 100% of our owned or managed forests, and 100% of the woodlands we harvest are regenerated. On fiber sourcing practices, we maintain chain of custody certifications to internationally recognized standards at all our facilities. . We also participate in woodland caribou research and recovery plans and actively protect biodiversity and species at risk through our forest management plans.
Environmental Compliance (Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): Our sustainability strategy is focused on moving beyond regulatory compliance and incident management to position the company as an environmental supplier of choice. We track environmental and forest management incidents, disclosing them annually.
Committing to these goals will help us be a more efficient and competitive company, a better employer, stronger business partner and be even more deeply engaged with our communities.For more information on how the company integrated the UN’s SDGs into our sustainability reporting strategy, visit the sustainability section of our website.
