APP signs CDP commitment towards low carbon economy in Road to Paris

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) has pledged commitment towards a universal climate change agreement through the Road to Paris initiative put together by CDP and We Mean Business in preparation for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris this December.

CDP and We Mean Business have developed together the Road to Paris initiative that intends to provide powerful evidence to governments and policymakers that the business community is creating innovative, profitable solutions to address the challenges of climate change. The Road to Paris encourages businesses to drive change in one of six climate leadership initiatives:

• Adopt a science-based emissions reduction target
• Have a strategy in place to procure 100 percent of electricity from renewable sources
• Remove commodity-driven deforestation from all supply chains
• Report climate change information in mainstream reports as a fiduciary duty
• Responsibly engage in corporate climate policy
• Put a price on carbon

APP has committed specifically to the removal of deforestation from all supply chains initiative. The company implemented zero deforestation programs across its supply chains in February 2013.

L’Oreal, Colgate-Palmolive, Diageo, Unilever, Marks and Spencer, KAO, Nestlé and Woolworths are a few of the consumer product goods (CPG) companies and retailers that have also pledged commitment to the Road to Paris. Signatories can disclose their progress through the CDP reporting mechanism.

CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, is an international, not-for-profit organization providing a global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share vital environmental information to improve the management of risk. We Mean Business is a coalition of organizations working with thousands of the world’s most influential businesses and investor to catalyze the transition to a low carbon global economy.

Said Sara Law, vice president of Global Initiatives at CDP, ‘Companies making this commitment are taking the first step toward removing deforestation from their supply chains, which is key to creating sustainable, resilient, deforestation-free supply chains.  This is a crucial means of abating climate change, protecting watersheds and conserving biodiversity. We are excited to lead this initiative as part of CDP’s role in the We Mean Business coalition. We hope to continue this important climate change initiative through Paris and beyond.’

Said Aida Greenbury, APP’s managing director of sustainability, ‘As a signatory to the ‘Road to Paris’ initiative, we have demonstrated our continued commitment to protecting the world’s remaining forests. Ambitious targets such as zero deforestation can be agreed to, implemented and achieved by global companies, many of those operating in emerging economies. Our view is that wherever a company is involved in the forest supply chain, they should be committing to fight climate change and deforestation.

‘We look forward to working with CDP and the We Mean Business coalition to help spread this message.’