Summary of SCA’s annual report 2024
Here you can read a brief summary of our annual report for 2024. You can also read the entire annual report, see link further down the page.
SCA is Europe's largest private forest owner with 2,7 million hectares of well-managed forest in northern Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – an area nearly the size of Belgium. The forest is the core of SCAs operations and around this renewable resource SCA has built an integrated and well-invested industry that uses the entire tree to maximize its value and climate benefits. This strategy ensures that SCA produces a broad portfolio of renewable products, ranging from wood products, pulp and packaging materials to renewable energy and green chemicals that benefit customers around the world.
In 2024 SCA demonstrated its ability to maintain strong profitability, despite a weaker economic climate and global uncertainty. The company delivered an EBITDA margin of 35 percent for the full year, with net sales of 20 232 MSEK and an EBITDA of 7 143 MSEK. Earnings per stock amounted to 5,18 SEK. This strength was enabled by efficient industrial operations and a high degree of self-sufficiency in strategically important areas such as wood raw material, energy and logistics.
SCAs competitive advantages include a high degree of self-sufficiency, where approximately half of the wood raw material in 2024 were sourced from own forests and wood chips from own sawmills. SCA also operates an extensive transport network including its own vessels and terminals which contribute to security, stability and strong profitability. In recent years SCA has made significant strategic investments, such as one of the world’s largest paper machines for kraftliner in Obbola, a CTMP facility in Ortviken, a biorefinery for biofuels in Gothenburg and a new planing mill in Bollsta with world-unique X-ray equipment. These investments strengthen SCAs competitive advantages and position the company well for the future.
SCA is deeply committed to sustainable development and aims to contribute to a fossil-free world and valuable forests, in line with the UN's global goals. In 2024 SCAs forests and renewable products generated a total climate benefit of 12,3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, offsetting over 25 percent of Sweden’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond climate benefits SCA manages and nurtures its forests to preserve and enhance biodiversity, and creates social value through thousands of jobs in northern Sweden. Among other initiatives the company has launched its own training program for forestry machine operators to ensure future skills supply in rural areas. By utilizing the entire tree within an industrial ecosystem an efficient resource use is ensured, which is central for a circular economy.
As a shareholder in SCA you own part of the company’s growing forests and our strong well-invested industrial network. Since 1956 SCAs forest assets have delivered an annual total return of approximately 10 percent, offering protection against inflation and stable profitability. With SCAs strategy for profitable growth focused on increasing forest resources, generating more value from each tree and maintaining a high degree of self-sufficiency, SCA ensures long-term growing returns for our shareholders.