EANS-News: Lenzing AG Lenzing Showcases New Sustainability Strategy on "World
Earth Day"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely
responsible for the content of this announcement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Company Information
- Support of World Earth Day's Canopy Project with a donation of USD 27,000
that
supports the planting of 27,000 trees
- Core strategy elements include the model of the circular economy and the "net
benefit" concept
- Presentation of the new Sustainability Report of the Lenzing Group
Lenzing - Lenzing AG, globally leading producer of wood-based cellulose fibers,
presented its new sustainability strategy within the context of the "World Earth
Day" organized by the worldwide Earth Day Network. Each year millions of people
actively participate in Earth Day on April 22 and stand up for the preservation
of a livable environment. In this connection, Lenzing donated a total of USD
27,000 to the Canopy project for its ongoing tree planting program. With this
amount, Lenzing completes Earth Day Network's ambitious target of raising USD
150,000 for Earth Day 2017 (earthday.org/trees). The United Nations estimate
that for every dollar spent on reforestation, USD 2.50 is generated in local
downstream income and benefits.
"We're very grateful for Lenzing Group's generous donation", said Earth Day
Network president Kathleen Rogers. "With the help of partners such as Lenzing,
we're not just planting trees, we're also helping build sustainable communities
in areas of the world most in need of reforestation."
The new sustainability strategy ,,Naturally Positive" of the Lenzing Group is
the result of the new Group strategy sCore TEN adopted in the autumn of 2015.
"The concept of sustainability is an integral feature of our Group strategy.
This is because Lenzing is in the unique position to be able to operate a truly
circular business model. We produce functional, aesthetic and emotional products
by utilizing the raw material wood from CO2 and sunlight", says Stefan Doboczky,
Chief Executive Officer of the Lenzing Group. "At the end of their useful lives,
our fibers are biodegradable and thus once again serve as the basis for new
plant growth."
This model of the circular economy pervades the entire Lenzing sustainability
strategy. It is based on the three "P" cornerstones, People - Planet - Profit.
Crucial operational components being implemented include the sustainable
procurement of wood and a responsible handling of water. The raw material wood
is completely converted into valuable industrial raw materials and bioenergy at
the biorefineries of the Lenzing Group. Largely closed chemical cycles ensure
the environmentally compatible production of LenzingTM fibers. Accordingly, more
than 99 percent of the solvent used to manufacture TENCEL® fibers is recovered.
Other key aspects of the sustainability strategy applied by Lenzing are the
decarbonization of production for the sake of improved climate protection as
well as the promotion of sustainable innovations designed to replace resource-
intensive, environmentally harmful products. Maintaining the required innovative
strength is also a crucial element of the Group strategy sCore TEN.
This approach is complemented by a close cooperation with the value chain in
order to jointly develop and implement systemic solutions. "That is why we
closely work together with multi-stakeholder initiatives and actively support a
range of NGOs devoted to propagating sustainability principles", states Robert
van de Kerkhof, Chief Commercial Officer of the Lenzing Group. "With this in
mind, we are pursuing a policy oriented towards the long term which features
transparency and mutual trust with all our stakeholders."
Effective immediately, the "net benefit principle" comprises the new parameter
Lenzing has introduced as an internal benchmark. It enables an objective
assessment of products. The principle measures whether the product contributes
added value to the environment and society as well as to Lenzing's partners. In
this regard, the additional benefit considered over the product's entire life
cycle must be considerably higher than other alternatives available on the
marketplace. Examples of "net benefit" products manufactured by Lenzing are
TENCEL® fibers, Modal COLOR® fibers or the new Refibra(TM) fibers made from
recycled cotton scraps.
The new sustainability strategy is described in detail in the newly published
Sustainability Report 2016, which is available now for downloading on the
Lenzing Website (http://www.lenzing.com/sustainability-reports).
Canopy Project
Through the Canopy Project, Earth Day Network works on the ground with
organizations worldwide that strengthen communities through tree planting. Using
sapling and seed distribution, urban forestry, agroforestry, and tree care
training, we have empowered rural and urban people alike to conserve, repair,
and restore tree cover to their lands. This project has led to millions of trees
being planted on six different continents. Considering the United Nations
estimates that for every dollar spent on reforestation, USD 2.50 is generated in
local downstream income and benefits.
Since 2016, The Canopy Project has taken on even broader significance. Now the
important work of planting trees and improving lives around the world also
supports Earth Day Network's Trees for the Earth campaign. Trees for the Earth
was the first of five new, ambitious, and goal-oriented campaigns to be launched
in the run up to Earth Day's 50th anniversary in 2020. Its goal: to plant 7.8 bn
trees worldwide by 2020 - one for every person projected to be on earth.
Photo download:
https://mediadb.lenzing.com/pindownload/login.do?pin=RRPTS
PIN: RRPTS
1) This organization is not identical with the NGO Canopy Planet Society who
Lenzing collaborates with on wood sourcing.
Further inquiry note:
Lenzing AG
Mag. Waltraud Kaserer
Vice President Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Tel.: +43 (0) 7672 701-2713
mailto:w.kaserer@lenzing.com
end of announcement euro adhoc
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
company: Lenzing AG
A-A-4860 Lenzing
phone: +43 7672-701-0
FAX: +43 7672-96301
mail: office@lenzing.com
WWW: http://www.lenzing.com
sector: Chemicals
ISIN: AT0000644505
indexes: WBI, ATX, Prime Market
stockmarkets: official market: Wien
language: English