Striving for Excellence: APRIL Group Publishes its 2023 Sustainability Report
APRIL Group has published its 2023 Sustainability Report, marking two decades of progress in sustainable business practices. This is APRIL’s 20th report since adopting the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework in 2002, and it has been independently assured by KPMG PRI.
Themed ‘Striving for Excellence’, the report highlights APRIL’s ongoing commitment, headways and challenges to advancing sustainable practices in Indonesia and the global forestry and manufacturing sectors. Through collaborative efforts with stakeholders, APRIL is increasingly recognised as a driving force for positive change.
Highlights include:
- An overview of APRIL’s progress towards its ambitious APRIL2030 goals across climate, nature, people and sustainable business growth.
- The strengthening of APRIL’s governance framework by integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks and strategic risks into its Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) system and enabling the company to manage a wide range of risks, from financial and operational to human rights, climate, and ecosystem impacts.
- Full disclosure of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the entire value chain. As the GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance continues to evolve, APRIL remains actively engaged in seeking clarity and collaborating with stakeholders to ensure the adoption of appropriate accounting and reporting standards.
Also a notable achievement in 2023 is the publication of a five-year study on peatland emissions in Nature, the world’s leading multidisciplinary science journal. In collaboration with a team of renowned global scientists, our peatland science team investigated the effects of land-use change on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in tropical peatlands in Sumatra. This study has generated valuable insights into the region’s ecosystem and established emissions factors appropriate to the tropical ecosystem in which the company operates, thereby advancing national and global scientific understanding.
Aligned with the recommendations of Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), APRIL conducted a comprehensive climate scenario analysis to identify and assess climate-related risks and opportunities. The insights derived from this analysis will be instrumental in developing a company-wide adaptation roadmap.
The report also reaffirms APRIL’s ongoing commitment to leverage its remedy process under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to deliver more positive environmental and social remedy outcomes.
Delivering Positive Impact
Central to APRIL’s sustainability ambitions is APRIL2030, which outlines 18 ambitious targets across four key areas: Climate Positive, Thriving Landscapes, Inclusive Progress, and Sustainable Growth. Key achievements in 2023 include:
Climate Positive
- Reduced product emissions intensity by 20% against our 2019 baseline.
- Achieved 88.24% clean and renewable energy use for operations.
- Installed an additional 2.5 megawatts (MW) of solar panels at the mill, increasing solar power generation capacity to 13.5 MW in alignment with the revised goal of installing 50 MW of solar capacity at the mill by 2030.
- Published a landmark study on the effects of land-use change on GHG fluxes in tropical peatlands in Sumatra.
- Completed the full scope of GHG emissions footprint across the entire value chain
- Zero fires detected within our concessions.
Thriving Landscapes
- Celebrated a decade of success with the Restorasi Ecosystem Riau (RER).
- Increased productivity (MAI) by 10% to 22.4 t/ha/yr compared to 2019, without increasing land footprint.
- Invested close to USD15 million in conservation and restoration initiatives, for a total of USD60 million from the launch of this target in 2020.
- Established 43,471 hectares for community livelihood plantations.
Inclusive Progress
- Increased female representation in the workforce to 18.4%.
- Engaged 49 villages in poverty eradication programs.
- Signed a first public-private partnership MOU with Ministry of Health to improve primary healthcare access.
- Launched the Children’s Welfare Code of Practice.
Sustainable Growth
- Achieved a 47% reduction in solid waste sent to landfill compared to 2019 baseline.
- Successfully manufactured viscose fibre using a 50% recycled textile pulp.
To access the full report, please click HERE.
For detailed updates on APRIL2030 commitment pillars, please click the links below:
Climate Positive
Thriving Landscapes
Inclusive Progress
Sustainable Growth
