Norske Skog's environmental policy
Norske Skog is committed to sustainable development of the environment and natural resources.
In 2022, the UN held two pivotal conferences: one in Egypt on combating climate change and another in Canada on biodiversity protection. The outcomes will significantly influence our operations, scrutinizing everything from industrial facility operations to the entire value chain, including raw material sourcing, energy use, production, and distribution.
We commit to creating shareholder value while delivering ambitious emission targets, prudent raw material sourcing, and supplying circular and green products, aligning with the Paris Agreement on net-zero and the Montreal Agreement on biodiversity. Our strategy is designed to meet these global changes, enhancing our group’s valuation and local reputation. Norske Skog will strive to achieve net zero emissions and improved biodiversity by 2050, positioning us as a competitive leader in the green transition.
Norske Skog's environmental policy addresses the following areas, in line with the environmental topics of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS):
(a) climate change mitigation,
(b) climate change adaptation,
(c) energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment,
(e) resource use and circular economy
(f) pollution
(g) water
(h) biodiversity and deforestation
Norske Skog’s environmental policy is an integral part of the strategy to achieve Norske Skog’s goals. Our environmental commitments shall be reviewed in context with the company’s commitments to health, safety and corporate social responsibility. Norske Skog’s environmental policy will also support the board of directors’ objectives to handle material climate change impacts, risks and opportunities at the business unit level.
Norske Skog has developed Corporate Standards with more detailed instructions on how Norske Skog shall continuously improve its environmental and society performance.
Norske Skog’s basic environmental requirements include:
In general
- Environmental aspects shall be integrated in strategic considerations and operational decisions.
- The board of directors will determine the environmental policy. The board of directors will set the objectives, and review targets annually.
- Norske Skog shall have an environmental performance that supports our customers in reaching their environmental objectives.
- Norske Skog shall operate and develop its business units with respect for, and understanding of, the social and cultural values that exist in the countries in which it operates.
- Norske Skog shall be open to and actively engage in dialogue with stakeholders and will communicate openly on environmental matters.
- Environmental responsibilities and tasks shall be clearly defined and adhered to throughout the organization. The business units shall educate and train their employees to know and understand our environmental requirements and work performance expectations.
- Norske Skog shall have environmental programs with clear objectives and annually set targets supporting the company’s environmental policy and strategic ambition.
- Norske Skog business units shall report any severe deviations immediately to the corporate management and regularly on the actual environmental results compared with the annual environmental objectives and targets.
Climate change adaption and mitigation
- That the board and the corporate management will annually contribute to the process to identify, assess and manage the material impacts, risks and opportunities related to climate change mitigation and adaptation for the Group and the single business unit level.
- Operating and developing its business units by continuously address climate change mitigation and adaption by improving their environmental performance, and with the aim to reduce negative environmental impact to a minimum.
- The group will set objectives and specific targets for GHG emission reduction, GHG removals climate-related physical and transition risks and opportunities for specified periods.
- The board of directors will regularly receive reports on the accumulated corporate Norske Skog environmental index and related climate change adaption and mitigation performance.
- Norske Skog shall expect the same high environmental performance from suppliers of goods and services in the value chain as maintained in our own activities.
- To reach the climate change adaptation targets, the business units shall support with relevant resources for training, emergency handling and/or necessary health and safety measures.
- Norske Skog’s climate change mitigation plan also includes plan for training key personnel, tasks to be performed within procurement and/or supply chain.
Energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment
- The business units will implement actions and resources needed to achieve the targets and objectives for energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment.
- For all business units, high yield on energy efficiency shall be key objectives in all production units specified with annual improvement targets.
Resource use and circular economy
- The business units will implement actions and resources needed to achieve the targets and objectives for renewable resource efficiency.
- In addition to efficient production processes within Norske Skog, the business units will set objectives and targets for upstream and downstream value chain.
- For all business units, high yield on raw material and energy efficiency shall be key objectives in all production units.
- Norske Skog will only use raw materials from sustainably managed sources and actively participate in the work to combat climate change by climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation.
- The business units will promote and achieve renewable resource efficiency through circularity of raw materials, finished goods and waste resources.
Norske Skog is committed to limit and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by implementing waste reduction strategies, maximizing recycling and recovery efforts.
Pollution
- Norske Skog will manage its pollution to air and water according to EU Action Plan “Towards a Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil”.
- Norske Skog will contribute to reduce the air and water pollution footprint by setting specific objectives with annual targets for each business unit. Pollutants covered include, but are not limited to SOx, NOx, particulate matter emitted to air and Suspended Solids (SS) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in discharged wastewater.
- Norske Skog will avoid pollution incidents and emergency situations, and when they occur, control and limit their impact on people and the environment.
Water
- Norske Skog is committed to limit and reduce the usage of water, to prevent water pollution through water treatment plants, and remediate the impact in case of incidents to limit their impact on the environment and people.
- The business units will implement actions needed to achieve the targets and objectives for water sourcing efficiency.
- In areas at water risks, the business units need to have special attention to reduce water consumption in our own operations but also along the upstream and downstream value chain.
- Norske Skog will collaborate with relevant authorities to minimize material impacts and risks to avoid severe impacts on affected communities.
Biodiversity and deforestation
- Norske Skog will collaborate with both the upstream value chain to set objectives and targets for logging methods and certification policies, and downstream with information to end customers about the level of biodiversity and certification standards.
- Norske Skog has set long term objectives and specific targets for the use of certified wood.
- Certifiable and internationally acknowledged environmental management systems shall be actively applied in the management of all production units.
- Forest certification is encouraged and certified wood suppliers will be given priority.
- Norske Skog will be part of the reporting regime in EU for EUDR; hence, involving the entire value chain through the procurement process in anti-deforestation activities.