The right to operate as a company comes with the responsibility to keep our people safe, conserve natural resources and reduce our overall impact.
High purity cellulose, pulp and paper are made with processes that separate the cellulose fibers from natural wood binders, like lignin, and purify them for customers’ end uses. The pulping and purification processes use electricity, steam, water and chemicals. We continuously look for ways to conserve energy and water, increase efficiency, reduce the quantities of chemicals we use and recycle and reuse by-products.
Partnering With Our Suppliers
RYAM believes “doing business right” includes partnering with suppliers that share our values and whose business practices incorporate integrity, honesty, ethical treatment of people, and compliance with laws and regulations. We expect our suppliers to help us fulfill our commitments to our values and these business principles by actively supporting and respecting them in their business practices.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Responsible emissions management is a key part of our operating strategy and is ingrained in our daily operations. Annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculations are performed using the technical definitions outlined in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and CDP guidance for calculational methods and data requirements. We report this metric, along with other key metrics, in alignment with the SASB standards for our industry.
This year, RYAM has formally adopted a goal of at least a 40% reduction in overall Scope 1 and Scope 2 (aggregated) Greenhouse Gas emissions, on both an absolute and intensity basis, by 2030, using 2020 as a baseline year. The Company plans to achieve this goal through productivity and energy efficiency improvements, projects to transition to cleaner forms of energy and reduced participation in the energy credit market. The actions needed to achieve this goal are built into our long-range plan, and our strategic capital approval process contains controls to help ensure that new projects are not only financially viable, but also supportive of the Company’s GHG reduction goals. As additional GHG reduction opportunities arise, whether due to improved technology or other developments, the Company will seek to incorporate these developments into its GHG reduction strategy and communicate any updates to its targets.RYAM’s GHG reduction targets were established with consideration of the Sectorial Decarbonization Approach (SDA) methodology commonly used by both the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI) and the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Both initiatives have developed linear decarbonization pathways for high energy emitting sectors. The Company’s reduction goal is shown in comparison to the TPI Pulp and Paper industry’s SDA in the graph.