Taking Stock of Progress on APRIL’s ‘Most Important Journey’

APRIL Group has published a new report, Progress & Pathways: An Update on APRIL2030 Sustainability Commitments and Targets, marking the halfway point of the implementation of APRIL2030 – the company’s 10-year sustainability agenda to deliver a positive impact on climate, nature and people by 2030. The report presents a detailed stock-take on the progress and challenges of implementation so far, as well as a summary of achievements.

Unveiled in November 2020, APRIL2030 represents the company’s response to the Decade of Action issued by the global community to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals while cutting global carbon emissions by half by 2030.

“APRIL2030 is an opportunity to play our part in achieving a lower carbon economy and to make a positive impact on climate, nature and people by 2030,” says RGE Managing Director Anderson Tanoto. “Four years on, as we take stock of progress so far, we have delivered on what we said we would do, while demonstrating that business growth and sustainability transformation can go in hand-in-hand as an effective business strategy.”

APRIL2030 comprises 18 ambitious targets, organised under four commitment pillars – Climate Positive, Thriving Landscapes, Inclusive Progress and Sustainable Growth. Baselines were set for each of these targets and were independently assured along with the methodologies for the data collection and reporting to ensure there is a robust framework of transparency and reporting.

For each target, the company defined indicators, resulting in 35 performance metrics that served as measurable goals for APRIL to meet by the end of the decade. Progress is reported in its annual Sustainability Reports.

Since the start of the decade, the company has grown significantly through investment in downstream diversification into new growing markets for sustainable textiles and packaging. This responds to the growing global demand for sustainably produced everyday consumer products. While expanded production capacity has made meeting some of the original APRIL2030 targets more challenging, it has also demonstrated the company’s ability to stretch ambitions and adapt to changing economic or market conditions.

“Collectively, the targets have helped move the company from a reactive to a strategic approach to sustainability, and from a focus on managing risks, to also pursuing opportunities to deliver more value sustainably,” says Lucita Jasmin, APRIL’s Director of Sustainability and External Affairs.

Among the highlights reported, emissions from land use change are down by more than 20%, and APRIL now sends less than half as much solid waste to landfill per tonne of product than it did prior to the start of this decade.

Solar panels now generate 26.3 MW, as part of APRIL’s wider push towards renewable energy.

APRIL2030 has also entailed a concerted push on renewable energy. Solar panels now generate 26.3 MW, allowing the company to double its target to 50 MW by 2030. Out in the plantations, shifting from B30 to B35 biodiesel fuel blend for machinery and wood-hauling trucks has boosted the proportion of energy from renewable and cleaner sources to 33.1% last year, from a 19% baseline in 2019. APRIL plans to go on increasing its use of renewable fuels.

The company has also achieved vital progress in conservation. Building on its Sustainable Forest Management Policy 2.0 in 2015 which mandated no deforestation on APRIL’s concessions or in its supply chain, and a unique commitment to conserve a hectare for every hectare of plantation, the company now manages over 360,000 hectares of conservation land. Much of this is peat swamp forest that is highly valuable both in biodiversity terms and as a significant carbon store.

Another unique commitment is the adoption of a conservation levy where USD1 is allocated for conservation for every tonne of fibre delivered to the mill. Since 2020, the company has allocated more US$60 million to conservation work and made significant contributions to conservation and climate science. The peatland science team alone has published more than 20 papers in peer-reviewed publication, including one in Nature and regularly contributes to scientific meetings around the globe.

APRIL has allocated more than US$60 million to conservation work since 2020 through its conservation fund.

In support of local government efforts, APRIL has contributed to a reduction in infant stunting in the villages that surround its plantations. The number of villages with 14% or less stunting has gone from 16 in 2019 to 74 now and this trend continues to improve.

These successes have required a whole-company approach. “From its inception, there was a clear acknowledgment that our APRIL2030 commitments and targets could only be delivered through the efforts of the entire organisation,” says Jasmin. “That involved raising the awareness and understanding of sustainability at all levels through leadership communication, education and importantly, by incorporating APRIL2030 targets into individual KPIs.”

“Recognition of our responsibility. Consistency of purpose and ambition. Agile execution integrated into APRIL’s planning and operations. Full buy-in from all our people,” says APRIL’s Chairman Bey Soo Khiang. “It is these attributes that will guide the next five years of APRIL2030 and beyond, on what is now fully recognised as our most important journey.”

The full report – Progress & Pathways: An Update on APRIL’s 2030 Sustainability Commitments and Targets – can be downloaded here.