A major concern for pulp and paper is to always develop products with the least environmental impact while bringing solutions to the market that are guided by a systemic and sustainable vision, based on concrete facts and data. Therefore, a methodology already being used for the paperboard line is the Life Cycle Assessment.

Life Cycle Assessments began as a guiding factor in our product development process, providing technical inputs for us to ensure the lowest possible environmental impact throughout its life cycle.

When it comes to measuring and reducing carbon emissions, Suzano follows the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP), an internationally recognized framework which classifies the GHG emissions into three scopes: Scope 1 and 2, which are direct and indirect emissions, and Scope 3, which encompasses emissions that arise up and down the supply chain, from suppliers upstream to distributors and customers downstream, among other indirect emissions.

Suzano accounts for the gases emitted annually in its inventory, which is verified by a third party and made available to the public. In addition to emissions, the inventory also measures carbon removals promoted by our managed forest base (both eucalyptus farms and native forest conservation areas).

It is through this calculation and measurement that we can act as part of the solution to the climate emergency once the inventory calculates Suzano’s carbon balance. According to the methods used to calculate Suzano’s 2021 GHG Inventory, the carbon balance is currently negative. Due to the company’s extensive forest base, there are more greenhouse gases being removed than issued by the operation of the entire company. Therefore, we can affirm today that Suzano is climate positive.

Forests are a vital part of the carbon cycle. Carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. It then becomes deposited in forest biomass, locked into products such as pulp, paper, and wood. Meanwhile, sustainable forest management ensures this circle can continue for the generations to come.

We plant, grow, and harvest eucalyptus with great care. To leverage its full potential, we adopt sustainable management practices. Through practices vetted by the internationally recognized certifiers, and the carefully planned harvesting and sustainable management of our eucalyptus farms, we ensure the retention of their carbon-capturing potential, while respecting and developing communities, and protecting wildlife and biodiversity.

Suzano has a significant forest base, with a total area of approximately 2.4 million hectares, which includes eucalyptus farms and one of the largest protected native forest areas in Brazil, with approximately 1 million hectares. Together, native and eucalyptus forests directly contribute to removing and storing CO₂, and since there are more greenhouse gases being removed than created by the company’s operations, we can affirm that Suzano is carbon negative. Our goal is to remove significant additional amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, thus mitigating the effects of the global climate crisis.

We are also looking into possibilities of generating carbon credits through forestry (eucalyptus and native) and engineering projects, which can contribute to the process of reaching the goal.

The green production chain of Suzano’s pulp and paper business comprises forest management and utilization, pulping process, chemical and water recovery, waste management, and sustainable supply chain and logistics.

Suzano is constantly investing in projects and initiatives to increase its production of renewable energy and its sale of electricity to the grid. By increasing the production of renewable energy and improvements to energy efficiency, we are on track to lead the ongoing transformation of the pulp and paper industry globally.