Sustainability makes sound business sense

However, we recognize our focus to date has been largely internal. The next step is to build sustainability across the value chain. We began in 2016 with a focus on suppliers who need to sign up to our supplier code which can involve everything from dialogue to questionnaires, risk assessments and audits. Sometimes the value in sustainability across the chain is not in the obvious – we have clear targets within the supplier code for chemical suppliers, for example, but if they choose to lower their carbon footprint, that could have a significant impact on Södra’s footprint and in turn on our customers’ footprint. Our internal sustainability targets are highly ambitious, and we know that to be successful, we will need the right partnerships across the chain, from our suppliers to our customers. 

A more long-term, innovative approach to sustainability through partnership is needed: What are you looking for from us? How can we turn our sustainability into your advantage? The recent Act of a Hero marketing campaign, conducted in partnership with two key customers, reached 1.6 million people. That’s just one example of where working together on sustainability produced tangible benefits across the chain. Let’s work on finding more. 

Progress across the industry on efficiency and emissions is well documented but there is plenty more to do and we have the expertise in place to set new goals and achieve great things together. We all have the same concerns, the most important being climate change. As author and broadcaster Per Grankvist put it during a recent Södra customer seminar, it’s no longer climate change but climate crisis.  Action is not optional. Sustainability is and must continue to be the focus around which we build new business opportunities and create value, not just because it is the right thing to do but because it makes business sense. 

The inherently sustainable nature of our business makes us ideally placed to take a leading role in creating innovative, sustainable products for the future. Every one of Södra’s 51,000 forest owners is personally committed to sustainable forestry. It’s what most motivates me in this job, because they genuinely care. Sweden now has twice as much forest as we did a century ago and we are just at the start of a learning curve on resource efficiency and maximizing the potential of the forest.  

Help us to take the value our forest owners are growing every day and make it work for your business, and for a more sustainable future. How can we work more sustainably together? How can we make smarter use of our resources and translate that to improved cost efficiency? Get in touch with your local Technical Product Manager and start the conversation. We’d love to hear from you.