Smurfit Kappa targets net zero emissions by 2050

Paper-based packaging firm Smurfit Kappa has raised its CO2 emission reduction ambitions, targeting at least net zero emissions by 2050.

The company has also increased its existing intermediate 2030 CO2 reduction target by 15 percentage points to 55%, in comparison to the 2005 baseline.

In May, Smurfit Kappa announced that it had cut its relative CO2 emissions by almost a third between 2005 and 2019. This marked progress towards its target of a 40% reduction by 2030, which the company has now raised. 

The new targets will be achieved by several projects including the installation of a recovery boiler at its Nettingsdorf paper mill in Austria, which is set to allegedly cut CO2 emissions by an additional 40,000 tonnes, translating into 1.5% reduction across the business.

They will be validated by the Science Based Target initiative in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Smurfit Kappa CEO, Tony Smurfit, said: “We are proud to support the EU Green Deal objectives to reach net zero emissions by 2050. We have made good progress on our existing targets and these new targets underline the organisation’s continued commitment to sustainability and to do better for the planet.

“Sustainability has been at the core of our business for decades, we want to lead from the front and raise the bar for the paper and packaging industry by setting such ambitious targets. This is a source of pride for all our customers and employees.”