The path to energy efficiency

Sofidel is the first Italian manufacturer – and the first company in the world from the tissue industry – to join the WWF Climate Savers international programme (now WWF Climate Business Network) in 2008 (aimed at market-leading businesses with regards to the “low carbon economy”), which sets particularly ambitious objectives for the voluntary implementation of innovative strategies and technologies in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Sofidel has undertaken, by 2020, to:

• Reduce by 23% its direct emissions of CO₂ per tonne of paper produced with respect to 2009 levels. This means the abatement of approximately 900,000 tonnes of CO₂, equal to the emissions of a fleet of 10,000 articulated lorries travelling 10,000 km a year for 10 years;
• Limit by 13% indirect emissions of CO₂ (caused by third parties within the value chain) per tonne of paper produced with respect to 2010 values;
• Reach 8% of energy from renewable sources on the quantity of fuel consumed annually.

Between 2009 and 2020 Sofidel has reduced direct emissions of CO₂ into the atmosphere by 24% (reduction in carbon intensity).

In 2020, Sofidel has had its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets to 2030 (scopes 1 and 2) approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with reductions required to keep warming to well-below 2°C, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Specifically, Sofidel has committed to:

• reduce scope 1, 2, and scope 3 emissions from suppliers’ pulping process 40% per ton of paper by 2030 from a 2018 base year;
• reduce scope 3 GHG emissions 24% per ton of paper by 2030 from a 2018 base year.

The target boundary includes biogenic emissions and removals from bioenergy feedstocks.

In its commitment to a low-carbon economy, Sofidel is implementing a multi-option strategy for increasing the use of electricity from renewable sources implemented based on the national contexts of the countries in which it operates. These are some of the projects already implemented:

• ITALY, ten-year agreement (PPA*) signed with RWE Renewables for the procurement of wind energy;
• SWEDEN, agreement with Meva Energy for the construction of a renewable gas production plant (syngas produced from woody biomass from the local supply chain) for the Kisa production site;
• SPAIN, ten-year agreement (PPA) with ACCIONA Energía to supply electricity with 100% renewable source accreditation;
• GREECE, ten-year agreement (PPA) with energy leaders RWE Renewables Europe & Australia and PPC Renewables to supply electricity from a newly constructed photovoltaic park;
• UK, members of the East Midlands Hydrogen, an industrial partnership which includes 44 entities, including producers, distributors and users, which works to accelerate development and attract investments aimed at using hydrogen;
• FRANCE, ten-year agreement (BPA) with ENGIE in the pipeline that will supply Sofidel’s Roanne plant with biomethane, a renewable gas produced from organic waste.