Domtar’s 2018 Sustainability Update Highlights Continued Progress on Long-Term Strategy
Domtar meets or exceeds half the company’s 2020 sustainability
goals in 2018.
Domtar Corporation (NYSE: UFS) (TSX: UFS) today released its 2018
Sustainability Update,
highlighting the company’s ongoing efforts to take a longer-term view of
creating and preserving value for shareholders, customers, employees and
communities. In an update to its 2017
report, Domtar
announced that the company has met or exceeded three of the company’s
six 2020 sustainability goals this year.
“At Domtar, everyone has a role in sustainability because it is how we
do business every day,” explained John D. Williams, Domtar's president
and CEO. “Sustainability is an integral part of our long-term growth
strategy, which is exactly why we have been able to meet or surpass half
of our 2020 sustainability goals already in 2018—and why we are well on
track to achieve the remaining.”
Highlighted in the 2018 update, Domtar’s commitment to integrating
sustainability into its long-term growth strategy resulted in key
accomplishments across the company’s 2020 goals, including:
-
An 18% reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since 2010,
surpassing Domtar’s 2020 goal of 15%. Domtar’s 2020 goal has been
to reduce total direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
from purchased energy at pulp and paper mills 15% by 2020 from 2010
levels. Fuel switching of six power boilers from coal to natural gas
over the past few years provided the majority of reductions.
-
Completion of a water-cost model for Domtar’s pulp and paper mills
ahead of 2020 schedule. The 2020 goal to develop a model for the
company’s pulp and paper mills to measure and more strategically
manage the full cost of using water was achieved this year. The model
was informed by conducting pilot studies at five mills over the past
two years to incorporate unique, site-specific water conditions.
Domtar plans to begin operationalizing the full cost of water into its
business decisions and conducting additional water-cost assessments at
other mills in 2018.
-
An increase in the level of Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)
certified fiber procured for Domtar pulp and paper mills to 22% of
total fiber use, exceeding the company’s 2020 goal of 20%. Domtar
remains committed to lowering the technical and financial hurdles to
increasing forest certification in its wood procurement regions.
The 2018 Sustainability Update also demonstrated how the company is on
track to achieve its remaining 2020 goals, making notable progress in
key areas, including:
-
Reduction of Domtar’s recordable safety incident rate to 0.78, the
company’s best year on record—and a 55% reduction since 2008. The
company is working toward achieving its 2020 goal to reduce its
recordable safety incident rate to 0.50 by increasing focus and
efforts on prevention of serious injuries and eliminating non-core,
high-hazard tasks where possible.
-
Expansion of Domtar’s EarthChoice Ambassador (ECA) program to 76%
of company facilities. As of 2018, Domtar has established ECA
teams in 26 locations across four countries, bringing the company
closer to its goal of engaging employees in sustainability through our
ECA program in every facility by 2020.
-
Reduction of total waste sent to landfills from pulp and paper
mills by 36% since 2013, approaching the 2020 goal of 40% reduction
from 2013 levels. Progress on reducing the amount of materials our
mills send to landfills is the result of source reduction initiatives
and new and expanded beneficial use programs.
For more details on Domtar’s sustainability performance metrics and
trends, please visit: www.domtar.com/sites/default/files/2018-06/Domtar-2018-Sustainability-Performance-Indicators.pdf
“At Domtar, our investment in sustainability is rooted
in responsibility, efficiency and engagement,” said Paige Goff, Domtar
Vice President of Sustainability. “Our commitment to sustainability
enables us to inspire our employees, reduce risks, enhance brand
reputation, drive business success and grow shareholder value.”
To learn more about how responsibility, efficiency and engagement drive
Domtar’s overall sustainability investments and initiatives, visit: https://www.domtar.com/en/how-we-work/sustainability-domtar.
As an accompaniment to its 2018 Sustainability Update, Domtar also
created a brief video
that illustrates the company’s commitment to sustainability. While
corporate sustainability reports are traditionally complex, Domtar’s
latest video brings the company’s 2020 sustainability journey to life,
helping make a technical subject more accessible—and inspiring—to all
audiences.
Domtar makes a wide variety of everyday products from sustainable wood
fiber, and is one of the world’s largest producers of a complete line of
absorbent hygiene solutions and an innovator in absorbent technology.
With approximately 10,000 employees serving more than 50 countries
around the world, Domtar is driven by a commitment to turn sustainable
wood fibre into useful products that people rely on every day.
About Domtar
Domtar is a leading provider of a wide variety
of fibre-based products including communication, specialty and packaging
papers, market pulp and absorbent hygiene products. With approximately
10,000 employees serving more than 50 countries around the world, Domtar
is driven by a commitment to turn sustainable wood fibre into useful
products that people rely on every day. Domtar’s annual sales are
approximately $5.1 billion, and its common stock is traded on the New
York and Toronto Stock Exchanges. Domtar’s principal executive office is
in Fort Mill, South Carolina. To learn more, visit www.domtar.com.
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