BillerudKorsnäs Adopts Science Based Climate Impact Targets

As one of the forerunners in the global packaging industry, BillerudKorsnäs, Sweden, has received approval for its climate goals by the Science Based Targets initiative. The initiative was initiated by the UN, WWF, and the World Resources Institute, aiming at assisting the world's companies to adopt climate targets in accordance with United Nations Paris Agreement.

Already today BillerudKorsnäs is largely fossil fuel-free with 97.5% biofuels used in its own operations. To further contribute to reducing climate change, BillerudKorsnäs has adopted new climate targets for 2030 and 2050, which now has been approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative. The approved targets, which are in line with what is required for global warming not to exceed two degrees, are to:

• By 2030 reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions from own operations and indirect emissions from purchased energy by at least 59% compared with 2016 levels. By 2050, the corresponding emissions should be at least 74% lower.
• By 2030 reduce indirect greenhouse gas emissions from purchases of goods and services (e.g. transports) by at least 30% compared with 2016 levels. By 2050, the corresponding emissions should be at least 70% lower.

"The Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 ‘Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts’ sends a clear signal to rapidly develop new resource-efficient solutions and replace fossil based with renewable ones. We, as one of the first players in our industry, are therefore very proud to present new climate targets. BillerudKorsnäs and the forest based industry play a key role in the transition to a biobased and sustainable society, not least by offering renewable alternatives to fossil based packaging materials," said Henrik Essén, SVP of communication and sustainability at BillerudKorsnäs.

"We congratulate BillerudKorsnäs for having their emission reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. By setting targets that are aligned with the rate of decarbonization needed to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, BillerudKorsnäs is demonstrating its business leadership and positioning itself for success in the low-carbon economy," said Alberto Carrillo Pineda, director, Climate Initiatives at CDP, ‎and member of the Science Based Targets initiative steering committee.

More about BillerudKorsnäs’ view of sustainability and about the Science Based Targets Initiative is available online.

BillerudKorsnäs is a global provider of primary fiber-based packaging materials. The company has eight production sites in Sweden, Finland, and the U.K. and about 4,300 employees in more than 13 countries. BillerudKorsnäs has an annual turnover of around SEK 22 billion.