2012 Integrated report - Sappi

iodiversity
Sustainable fibre supply
Together with energy and water, woodfibre is the most important
input into our production processes. Consequently, ensuring
sustainable fibre supply is a key priority for our business.
Against the backdrop of increasing concerns globally about
the deforestation of endangered tropical forests, the use of
internationally recognised, independently verified forest
certification systems gives us an important competitive edge.
The forest certification systems we use include the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC), Programme for the Endorsement
of Forest Certification (PEFC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative ®
(SFI ® ). Globally, our use of certified fibre stands at 70.2%, with
the balance procured from known and controlled sources.
Europe
In this region we do not own plantations or land. Woodfibre is
predominantly sourced from forests in the regions in which our
mills are located. Softwood and hardwood pulp is sourced from
Europe and the Americas. The main wood species used include
spruce (used for mechanical pulp and softwood chemical pulp)
and beech (used for hardwood pulp). Lanaken Mill can also
process significant amounts of poplar. Market pulp species
are predominantly eucalyptus, pine and spruce.
North America
As in Europe, in this region we do not own forest plantations or
land. Wood is sourced from landowners and commercial loggers
in the temperate forests of Maine, New Hampshire, Michigan,
Minnesota and Wisconsin and from the Canadian provinces of
New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. The tree species used in
this region include maple, poplar, aspen, beech and birch
(hardwoods) and spruce, pine and fir (softwoods).
In both Europe and North America, we mitigate fibre supply risk
through a combination of approaches which include both short
and long term wood supply agreements and shareholdings in
wood sourcing cooperatives and companies.
Southern Africa
We source woodfibre from plantations (planted forests of exotic
trees) of softwoods and hardwoods. In this region, owning,
managing and leasing 554,000ha of land gives us a high degree
of self-sufficiency in woodfibre. We supply approximately 70%
of our own fibre requirements. In addition we are:
> Investing around US$7.5 million a year to rehabilitate our
52,000ha Usutu plantation in Swaziland, almost half of which
was destroyed by fires in 2007 and 2008
> Promoting Project Grow, a small grower initiative, which
currently supplies 2% of our total timber requirements – the
value of the standing timber currently covered by the scheme
is approximately US$36 million
> Assisting with land reform projects on which timber is grown
> Mitigating the risk of climate change through our tree
improvement programmes which have resulted in the
development of hybrids, allowing us to closely match species
to site and to a variety of climatic conditions including drought.
> Lowering costs by improving yield:
– Over 15 years, our research efforts have resulted in a
60% improvement in eucalypt plantation yield.
– In our Usutu pine plantations we have maintained sample
plots to allow comparison of four successive rotations of
pine since the first rotation planted in the 1950s. The latest
measurements taken in 2011 indicate an 8% yield
improvement – consistent with the expectation from
genetically superior planting stock and measures taken
to maintain site productivity.
> Since the devastating fires experienced in 2007 and 2008, we
have implemented a more aggressive, extensive fire protection
strategy. Risks are now managed via an integrated Fire Risk
Management System comprising a comprehensive risk
assessment, monthly compliance checks for monitoring,
management procedures, standards, and general back-up
information. We have also increased community participation
in fire prevention activities.
Biodiversity
According to the Convention on Biodiversity, “biological diversity
– or biodiversity – is the term given to the variety of life on Earth
and the natural patterns it forms ... Biodiversity also includes
genetic differences within each species – for example, between
varieties of crops and breeds of livestock. Chromosomes, genes,
and DNA – the building blocks of life – determine the uniqueness
of each individual and each species.”
Biodiversity is key to the healthy functioning of the plantations
(in South Africa) and managed natural forests (Europe and North
America) from which we source woodfibre. Neither our
plantations nor managed natural forests would be productive
without biotic processes taking place. Both our plantations and
managed natural forests are actively managed to enhance these
beneficial processes and restrict harmful processes like pests
and disease.
> Working with communities in the Eastern Cape to establish
30,000ha of plantations – a project in line with Government’s
goal of driving rural development
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