Why reduce carbon emissions from publishing and printing?
All parts of the supply chain behind printed communication have undergone major change over the latest decades, and our knowledge about what’s causing environmental impact has increased.
Some advances can be attributed to adaptation to the structural transformation of the market. Some are due to laws and regulations becoming more comprehensive or strict over time. But most companies have also committed to actions, standards, and certifications beyond what is mandatory, to proactively minimise our climate footprint.
Our industry is transforming, but we need to work faster. Not only to sustain our business and thrive economically, but for all of us to sustainably thrive as people.
United Nations says we need to speed up
The UN Paris Agreement guides all nations to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions through various actions and strategies. It is a legally binding international treaty, which works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action.
According to the UN, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Everyone needs to strengthen their commitment over time.
The UN International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) research indicates that crossing the 1.5°C threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate impact than we have seen so far, including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall.
How Holmen is contributing to eco-friendly printing
As a paper producer, we at Holmen can lead the way and provide better alternatives on the market. But we can also share our process to encourage others in our value chain, in a collective effort to embrace sustainable paper and printing practices.
When we reduced our dependence on fossil fuels in our paper production it made a large difference for our carbon footprint. Thanks to fossil-free electricity and resource-efficient production, we have been able to reduce the CO2 emissions from our paper mills by 95% since 2005. This is why Holmen has one of the lowest carbon emission figures per tonne of paper in the entire world.