Mettmann, 26.-27. October 2011. The megatrend of sustainability was the focus of the Environment Conference of SCA Graphic Paper in Mettmann. The high-profile speakers came from academia, industry, associations, non-governmental organizations and agencies. They spanned a wide range and illuminated the subject with all its facets from different angles. The results were interesting discussions, mutual inspiration and many thought provoking ideas for sustainable action.
Rainer Swidersky and Christian Jung from SCA Graphic Paper provided information about the role of the paper industry in Germany and worldwide. They illustrated the international nature of paper and cardboard by means of international commodity flows. They demonstrated the many ways in which we encounter paper products in our industrialized market economy on a daily basis, how environmental labels work and how by means of responsible and sustainable materials purchasing companies can operate successfully at the same time.
Sustainable action encompasses environmental, social and economic aspects. On the first day Tobias Heimpel, (Project: Agency), and Alexander Rossner, (one sustainability GmbH) gave a presentation in the form of a dialogue in which they discussed issues such as energy and energy efficiency, climate and politics, and CO2 emissions trading. The ecologically and socially correct behaviour was contrasted with mass behaviour and thus reality. It was found that expectations and reality often do not fit together. The controversial contribution by Heimpel and Rossner was an ideal introduction to the topic and made for lively discussion among the approximately 70 participants at the Conference dinner.
The lecture by Prof. Dr. Dr. Franz Josef Radermacher demonstrated even more clearly that sustainability is a global issue. The world population continues to rise and a greater number of people are consuming more and more resources. Add to this the rise in living standards in countries such as China, which is also associated with an increasing requirement for resources. The task of the future will be to solve these challenges. Professor Radermacher pointed out the importance of forests as reservoir of CO2. A massive reforestation programme could help achieve the climate target.
Paper is a valuable commodity - the demand for paper is growing continuously throughout the world. It is therefore even more important to protect the last remaining natural forests.
Rüdiger Maaß (CEO of the Fachverband Medienproduktioner e.V. and founder of the media industry initiative Media Mundo) showed why sustainable print media are definitely an essential component of a more responsible corporate culture. This topic, however, has not been readily accepted by the communications and printing industry.
Due to a lack of standards and guidelines an uncontrolled dynamic has developed in certain sub-sectors. As action is often only taken under pressure from the customer sustainable print media is often reduced to a platform for an ambiguous positioning in the form of label communication.
Dr. Martina Eisenbeis of SCA Tissue Europe informed the conference that the Swedish SCA Group had anchored the theme of sustainability firmly in its corporate philosophy, and had formulated clear goals, for example, the reduction of CO2 emissions and water consumption.
With an area of 2.6 million hectares SCA is the largest private forest owner in Europe and one of the largest suppliers of Forest Stewardship Council certified products.
As early as 1999 the forests of SCA were certified in coordination with the Forest Stewardship Council. In 2008 SCA joined the UN Global Compact and was lauded again in 2011 by the Ethisphere Institute, USA, as one of the most ethical companies. SCA identified at an early stage the importance of sustainability and introduced measures in order to operate more sustainably.
That sustainability should be more of a pleasure than a duty was made clear during the speech by Sabine Braun, managing partner of Accents and Communications Consulting GmbH. She made it clear that real value can be created for business by sustainable economics.
Dr. Uwe Sayer, Managing Director of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Germany explained the objectives that the FSC pursues. Numerous examples have shown that the purchase of products with the FSC label ensures the implementation of rigorous ecological and social forest management standards with conservation of forest resources.
It is appropriate in this respect that the WWF guidelines for paper purchasing include steps for reduction, recycling, using FSC paper and cleaner production. As the previous speakers had done Johannes Zahnen WWF Germany also stressed that companies using wood from questionable sources run the risk of massive damage to their corporate image. The mission of the WWF presented by Johannes Zahnen, Corporate Communications Officer at WWF Germany, brings the issue to the point “Creating a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.“ But how this can be implemented in our world in concrete form? Is there any hope of achieving this goal? What can each of us contribute to that?
Last but not least, Bettina Willmann of the Institute for Business Research (IFH) verified with current studies and numerous examples that consumers are more sensitive in everyday life. Forms of media that communicate environmental issues and ecology are now part of our everyday experience. Consumers can talk to each other on a variety of platforms on the Internet and companies would do well to actually operate in an environmentally and socially acceptable fashion rather than implementing a policy of superficial "greenwashing".
The conference participants were impressed not only by the environmental lectures, but also in particular by the open, constructive and divergent approach to the issue of sustainability.