lenzing.com

Biodiversity & ecosystems

Management approach

Material topic: Biodiversity & ecosystems

Importance for Lenzing

  • Manifold biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are essential to humanity
  • Climate change, pollution and transformation of land use are strongly linked to biodiversity
  • The World Economic Forum identifies biodiversity loss and natural resource crises as two of the top five existential threats to the economy, people, and planet in the long term
  • Global biodiversity loss has recently become the focus of the sustainability debate in many industries, including the textile and nonwoven sector
  • Requirements for measures to improve biodiversity will likely evolve in the development of the European Union Biodiversity Strategy
  • As wood is the most important raw material for Lenzing, the main potential negative impacts on biodiversity may arise from increased utilization of wood resources
  • Biodiversity can be impacted by textile and nonwoven products’ end-of-life due to non-degradable materials such as plastic leaking into the environment

Opportunities

  • The protection of biodiversity and ecosystems plays a crucial role in climate change mitigation
  • Maintaining and improving the function of forests in their ecosystems while ensuring the long-term availability of wood as a raw material
  • Cellulosic materials offer a biodegradable alternative to plastics, helping to reduce the impact of lost materials on ecosystems, water and soil

Risks

  • Loss of biodiversity in poorly managed forest ecosystems
  • The loss of biodiversity could also lead to a significant change in available wood species for fiber production
  • Worst case scenarios consider potential breakdowns of entire forest ecosystems at the regional level and correspondingly high volatility in wood prices

Guiding principles

  • Strict Wood and Pulp Policy
  • Centrally managed wood and pulp procurement
  • CanopyStyle Initiative
  • Global Supplier Code of Conduct
  • Global Code of Business Conduct
  • Group Environmental Standard
  • Sustainability strategy “Naturally positive”
  • Lenzing Group Sustainability targets

Due diligence processes and (ongoing) measures

  • Lenzing addresses biodiversity preservation through one of two approaches, depending on the global region:
    • Sustainable forest management is applied in the Northern hemisphere by Lenzing’s wood and pulp suppliers in Europe and North America
    • Plantation forestry is conducted mainly in the Southern hemisphere by Lenzing’s pulp supplier in South Africa and by the new pulp plant in Brazil
  • Using wood from sustainably managed semi-natural forests supports biodiversity
  • When sourcing from plantations, considerable efforts are made to set aside conservation areas to protect and maintain biodiversity
  • By implementing circular thinking and high environmental standards in Lenzing’s operations, procurement and innovations, the company minimizes the impact on ecosystems
  • Lenzing has been working for many years with NGOs, customers and partners along the downstream value chain to raise public awareness of biodiversity and take active measures to preserve it

Objectives

  • Contributing to the preservation of biodiversity and forest ecosystems
  • Ensuring that pulp and wood are not supplied from endangered forests and deforestation, in order to avoid biodiversity loss and other ecosystem impacts
  • Collaborating with stakeholders in the value chain and beyond in a systemic approach
  • Engaging with leading industry standards and guidelines (e.g. Textile Exchange, Science-Based Targets initiative)

Achievements/activities in the reporting year

  • The Lenzing Group has joined the Advisory Group of Textile Exchange Biodiversity Benchmark
  • Lenzing proactively participates in conservation projects to protect the world’s ecosystems
  • CDP forests, climate change, and water security: triple “A” rating
  • Lenzing achieves the highest Hot Button category, the dark green shirt, for the second time
  • Lenzing participates in the Circular Fashion Partnership
  • Biodegradability of LENZING™ fibers confirmed by renowned marine research institute at the University of California, San Diego – effective alternative against environmental pollution from plastic waste

Responsible

  • Member of the Managing Board (Pulp)
  • Senior Director Purchasing Wood
  • Vice President Commercial Affairs Pulp

Supporting

  • Pulp Trading (PTG)
  • Corporate Sustainability

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