A Sonae Arauco, a leading company in the sector of sustainable wood-based solutions, accelerated its path to decarbonisation by reducing its CO2 emissions by 16% in the last year, according to a press release.
According to the 2024 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report, since the reference year 2019, the company reduced its total GHG emissions by 41%, contributing to achieving the Paris Agreement objectives. The carbon intensity per cubic metre produced also fell by 38% since 2019.
According to the externally audited 2024 GHG Emissions Report, total emissions of Sonae Arauco (Scopes 1, 2 and 3) amounted to 1.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2024, representing a 16% reduction compared to the previous year.
Cristian Knollseisen, Chief Financial Officer of Sonae Arauco, states: “Sonae Arauco conducts sustainable activity, whether through the products it brings to market, which are carbon dioxide sinks, through its circular economy model, or through its contribution to responsible forest management. The emission reductions now announced reinforce that we are committed to contributing to the Paris Agreement and aligned with the principles of the European Green Deal.”
Key initiatives in Portugal
In Portugal, among the main recent measures to reduce emissions, three deserve special mention: the elimination of natural gas use at the Mangualde unit, replaced by 100% renewable energy, in a project with Capwatt; the increase in the renewable energy mix in electricity purchases; and the electrification of the vehicle fleet, as well as the forklifts used at its facilities, further strengthening energy efficiency.
A global commitment
The measures to mitigate emissions are transversal across all of the group’s operations worldwide, from Portugal, through Spain, Germany, and up to South Africa. The emphasis on renewable energy production projects, on renewable energy procurement contracts (PPAs), and on the electrification of machinery and equipment has contributed most significantly to reducing both direct and indirect emissions.
Given that they represent around 82% of the group’s GHGs, special attention was given to Scope 3 emissions (emissions associated with the value chain), which showed a 39% reduction since 2019. This result was achieved through the selection and collaborative work with suppliers to obtain product-specific emission factors—especially for chemicals, which have a large impact—and by strengthening circular economy strategies, particularly with the recycling and reuse of waste and by-products from the wood industry.
Reduction of at least 58.8% by 2033
Despite the encouraging results achieved, the group’s decarbonisation commitment is ambitious. The target to reduce by 2033 at least 58.8% of emissions, relative to 2019, requires a continuous and shared effort, involving all areas of the group and stakeholders in the value chain. To reach this objective, Sonae Arauco has begun to integrate CO₂ metrics into CAPEX planning and to develop decarbonisation roadmaps specific to each industrial unit and to the categories with the greatest impact in the value chain.
The experience and the successes already achieved “serve as a model for the global decarbonisation strategy. This comprehensive commitment is intrinsically linked to the values and the identity of Sonae Arauco,” it concludes.
