| South Africa's main source for carbon emissions is | | | | steam. The result of this project has been a net |
| industrial coal usage, producing 40% of the African | | | | reduction of fossil fuel greenhouse gas from coal |
| continent's fossil fuel-related carbon emissions. Sappi | | | | firing, a reduction on landfill with additional reductions |
| Fine Paper South Africa has made sure that its | | | | in resulting methane emissions and also a reduction in |
| energy-intensive production does all it can to look | | | | the impact of transporting coal from Mpumlanga by |
| after the environment it affects. Just over 41% of all | | | | road and rail. |
| Sappi's energy requirements are met by renewable | | | | By making use of resources readily available to them, |
| resources. | | | | Sappi is saving 53 000 tons of coal that would have |
| Ralph Boëttger, Chief Executive Officer of | | | | been used in place of the biomass per year. |
| Sappi, comments: "As responsible corporate citizens in | | | | "With the AmaKhulu project upgrade at the Sappi |
| an energy-intensive industry, one of our primary | | | | Saiccor Mill, we have also increased the rate of |
| goals is to reduce our carbon footprint by decreasing | | | | recovery of wood solids for use of steam-run power |
| our reliance on fossil fuels." | | | | at this mill. All these initiatives will contribute in |
| Sappi's consumption of electricity and the nature of | | | | reducing greenhouse gas emissions responsible for |
| its manufacturing make addressing its energy use | | | | global warming," says Boëttger. |
| essential. Through the use of alternative production | | | | It is essential that as a developing country, South |
| methods, the company is on its way to a more | | | | Africa is able to kick the carbon habit through its |
| eco-friendly and sustainable business. | | | | industrial production. By developing good, clean habits |
| In 2007, it stepped up it replacing of coal with | | | | now, we're setting Africa up for a better future in |
| biomass recovered from the wood and bark waste | | | | which our delicate eco-systems will be able to go on |
| that results from the debarking and chipping in the | | | | unaffected by human waste products. Developing |
| operations at several of Sappi's mills. Sappi registered | | | | these sustainable methods is not only up to one or |
| South Africa's sixth Clean Development Mechanism | | | | two organizations, but up to each individual and |
| (CDM) project with the United Nations in early 2007 | | | | company to make the overall difference. After all, |
| too. This project involved converting the number 10 | | | | the more we preserve the resources we have now, |
| boiler at Sappi Tugela Mill to enable co-firing of bark | | | | the less likely we'll be to run out of them in future. |
| as biomass with coal to generate thermal energy and | | | | |