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Sustainability at RGE
At RGE we believe that doing business and protecting the environment should be on the same side of the equation. As one of the largest global producers in the bioeconomy, we help tackle some of the greatest challenges facing the planet.
Our bio-based products replace plastics. Our alternative sources of energy reduce carbon emissions. And our eco-friendly materials enable our customers to manufacture sustainable, recyclable and biodegradable products used by billions of people every day.
Our business
Sustainability enables our business
Sustainability is central to our business model. Across the group of companies, our 2030 targets share common commitments and principles to drive meaningful impact. In addition to our zero tolerance for deforestation, we endeavour to drive carbon emissions reduction and net zero initiatives. We seek to go beyond no-deforestation and actively support projects that safeguard biodiversity and nature conservation.
As we strive towards circularity in our operations, we also work closely with stakeholders to help uplift the lives of communities near our operations, so that our shared progress remains inclusive.
Our contributions
01
Sustainable forest management
We are committed to sustainable forest management and no deforestation, and we manage and protect conservation areas assessed by independent third parties as High Conservation Values (HCV) or High Carbon Stock (HCS).
RGE is committed to proactive efforts in conservation, restoration and management of the Earth’s precious natural resources, ensuring that while we produce, we can also protect.
02
Reducing carbon emissions
We strive to continuously reduce our carbon footprint as committed in the 2030 roadmaps of our business groups.
To help achieve this, we’re conducting science-based monitoring and measurement of our GHG emissions across different land uses, particularly on peatlands. That led to a ground-breaking five-year study published in the highly credible scientific journal Nature that sheds new light on tropical peatland management.
We are also understanding the GHG emissions from our production facilities and have been implementing initiatives to reduce these, including increasing the share of renewables in our energy balance.
03
Protecting forests
We uphold no deforestation in our supply chain, and our suppliers are expected to adhere to our Sustainability Policy. But with decades of experience in forestry we recognise that we have the means to do more.
Through projects in Brazil, China and Indonesia, we’re conserving hundreds of thousands of hectares of natural forest and freshwater ecosystems, applying our production-protection approach whereby our plantation forests provide the funding and the expertise to conserve natural ecosystems and the biodiversity they contain.
We also work with local communities to prevent fire through initiatives such as our Fire Free Village Programme in Indonesia, which covers more than a million hectares and has reduced burnt area by more than 90 per cent since the programme began.
04
Water, energy and chemicals
We’re committed to closed loop manufacturing, with our business groups’ 2030 roadmaps setting clear goals on water reduction and reuse, chemical recovery, and waste-to-value initiatives.
We’ve also set ambitious goals for the use of cleaner energy, including using biomass for power generation, as well as renewables such as solar.
That led to the building of the world’s first fossil fuel-free pulp mill in Brazil, and construction is underway on the world’s first net zero LNG export facility in Canada, and the largest private solar installation in Indonesia.
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SDGs
Aligned with global goals
Our efforts are aligned with global goals, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our business groups have partnered with third parties such as PwC to identify SDGs that are salient to our business and that align with the needs of governments and local communities.