International Recognition: sustainable innovation in favor of the bioeconomy
At Suzano, sustainability goes far beyond a single department: it is part of our business strategy and is embedded in the decisions we make every day. All areas of the company seek ways to strengthen their sustainable practices and apply them to our products and services through technological and innovative processes that combine innovation and sustainability. This integration allows us to receive recognition for different sustainable initiatives and applications.
Recently, for example, we were recognized with the award “The Most Sustainable Company in the Pulp and Paper Industry”, granted by the World Finance Sustainability Awards 2024, which highlights companies with exemplary performance in sustainability. Among other reasons, our company was praised for adopting an innovative approach to reducing carbon emissions and improving transparency in sustainability reporting.
Suzano’s actions are aligned with leading global standards for emissions reduction, measurement, and reporting, such as the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board[1], the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)[2], the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the World Economic Forum’s Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As we have increasingly engaged in actions and investments aimed at a just transition, we have observed greater recognition from our customers, shareholders, investors, and other stakeholders.
The transversal role of sustainability within the company is also reflected in our products, services, and partnerships, always with the goal of expanding the offering of regenerative environmental solutions — those that not only reduce negative impacts, but also promote restoration, revitalization, and improvement of natural ecosystems.
Among the products highlighted by the World Finance Sustainability Awards is the development of the world’s first eucalyptus-based fluff pulp, Suzano Eucafluff®, the result of several years of research and development and representing a more sustainable alternative that breaks paradigms in the disposable personal hygiene industry.
According to a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study conducted by ACV Brasil, when compared to pine-based fluff[3] produced in the southeastern United States, Eucafluff® presents greenhouse gas emissions that are 30% lower during the production and logistics processes[4]. One of the main factors contributing to this result is the use of a predominantly renewable energy matrix. More than 85% of the energy used in Suzano’s production process comes from biomass.
In addition, customer products demonstrate that absorbent cores produced with Eucafluff® can be thinner than those made with pine, as eucalyptus fibers are finer and allow for greater compression without loss of quality. In practice, this results in smaller packaging sizes — usually made of plastic — and enables the transportation of more items per shipment, reducing environmental impacts in logistics.
Eucafluff® reinforces Suzano’s history of pioneering the use of eucalyptus. Just as eucalyptus pulp — whose industrial production was an innovation introduced by the company in the 1960s and revolutionized the global pulp and paper industry — we believe in the potential of eucalyptus-based fluff to transform the absorbent products industry in the future. For this reason, we are investing in expanding fluff production capacity from 100,000 to 440,000 tons by the end of 2025.
Each recognition we receive is a reason for celebration, but above all, a confirmation that we are on the right path — renewing life from the tree and strengthening the bioeconomy. With the innovative mindset of a startup — even as a century-old company — and with sustainability as our guiding principle, we will continue building a better future for people and the planet over the next 100 years.
References
[1] Sustainability Accounting Standards Board — an organization dedicated to the development of sustainability accounting standards. Available at: https://sasb.ifrs.org/
[2] Global Reporting Initiative — an international organization that develops and disseminates best practices in sustainability reporting. Available at: https://www.globalreporting.org/
[3] ACV Brasil — Life Cycle Assessment conducted in accordance with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, with independent verification by KPMG.
Additional references:
• Puettmann, Maureen; Oneil, Elaine; Milota, Mike; Johnson, Leonard. Cradle to Gate Life Cycle Assessment of Softwood Lumber Production from the Southeast. Available at: https://corrim.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SE-Lumber-LCA-may-2013-final.pdf
• U.S. Department of Energy (2005). Energy and Environmental Profile of the U.S. Pulp and Paper Industry. Available at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/11/f4/pulppaper_profile.pdf
[4] Results may vary depending on the logistics distance to the customer’s facility. The study indicating a 30% reduction considered transportation to a facility located in Turkey.