Sappi and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals at a glance

We work to integrate the principles and aspirations of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our everyday business activities.

  • Hotlines in each region
  • Reporting on calls and outcomes
  • Ongoing Code of Ethics awareness and training programmes
  • Partnerships with institutions – eg Business Leadership SA
  • Transparent supply chain – new Supplier Code of Conduct
  • Development promoted throughout the value chain in rural areas in each region where we operate
  • Inclusive culture
  • Salaries in accordance with, or exceed the minimum wage
  • Freedom of association
  • Ongoing corporate social responsibility investment to drive shared value
  • SSA:
    • Poverty Stoplight implemented in communities
    • Development of local SMMEs and local suppliers
  • Project Zero safety drive
  • ‘Own Safety Share Safety’theme
  • Health and wellbeing programmes at all operations
  • Community health initiatives
  • Reducing emissions
  • High levels of certification
  • One third of landholdings
  • Managed for biodiversity conservation
  • Provision of extensive ecosystem services
  • Ongoing forestry research
  • Internal and external skills development
  • Support for external training and scholarship programmes
  • SSA:
    • Sponsorship of Programme for Technological Careers centres and a digital resource centre
    • Early Childhood Development
    • Skills Centres at Saiccor and Ngodwana Mills
    • Training centre for small growers for small growers
  • Forests and plantations
    from which we source
    woodfibre – carbon sequestration
  • High levels of renewable energy generated – more environmentally friendly than fossil fuel-based energy
  • Lighter weight packaging products – lower carbon footprint
  • New capex investments reduce environmental impact
  • 95% of water extracted returned to the environment
  • Water and sanitation upliftment programmes in Southern Africa
  • Focused riparian management on owned and leased landholdings
  • Plantations are not irrigated
  • Renewable raw materials sourced from responsible managed and certified sources
  • Provide smallholders with market opportunities and management assistance
  • Raw materials do not compete with food production
  • Renewable, recyclable products offer consumers an alternative to fossil-fuel based packaging
  • Ongoing investment in R&D
  • Partnerships with various research institutions
  • Founding partner of programme at CISL – artificial intelligence and block chain technology
  • Research work on deep-eutectic solvents
  • Focus on bio-energy – biomass plant at Ngodwana Mill
  • Co-generation at mills enhances energy efficiency