Staying the Course: APRIL Group publishes 2024 Sustainability Report

The APRIL Group 2024 Sustainability Report, which we published this week, carries the theme — Staying the Course— reflecting our deep and solid commitment to our long-term sustainability agenda.

Where others have reset or reversed course, triggered by prevailing geopolitical and economic headwinds, we have maintained our focus on delivery. We have a consistency of purpose and a long-term vision that has helped us to sustain our response in a dynamic global context.

Our Sustainability Reports, first published in 2002, have publicly and credibly tracked our challenges and progress, including the launch of our Sustainable Forest Management Policy 2.0 in 2015 which committed to end deforestation in our supply chain and our ambitious APRIL2030 sustainability agenda.

This year’s report, which is independently assured by TÜV SÜD PSB Pte. Ltd., confirms once again our compliance with our key policy commitments, as well as giving a detailed overview of our progress towards our 2030 targets across climate, nature, people and sustainable business growth. We continue to demonstrate the production-protection model as a strategy for business growth through downstream diversification towards higher value products and fibre productivity increases without increasing our plantation footprint. At the same time, we have been increasing our investments in nature through our conservation fund.

One major business development last year, the commissioning of the new paperboard production line at our Pangkalan Kerinci site in January 2024, demonstrates the focus on downstream diversification. It has enabled us to move into new and dynamic markets for sustainable paperboard products, but it has also impacted our target of powering our mill from 90% renewables and cleaner energy. The report highlights other areas which will require greater focus in the coming year, notably recruiting more talented female employees and workplace safety.

In parallel with our sustainability goals, the report also underlines APRIL’s continued commitment to the Forest Stewardship Council’s Remedy & Association process. We view this as an opportunity to enhance forest conservation and foster partnerships with local communities in Indonesia. In mid-2024, APRIL organised a stakeholder forum in Bogor, Indonesia, to further these discussions. Our progress can be viewed on FSC Connect and on our own microsite which was launched last year.

Staying the Course

Our report is structured around our APRIL2030 agenda which outlines 18 ambitious targets across four pillars: Climate Positive, Thriving Landscapes, Inclusive Progress, and Sustainable Growth. Key achievements against these targets in 2024 include:

Climate Positive

• Reduction in emissions from land-use change, down to 3.5 MtCO2e in 2024 from 4.8 MtCO2e baseline.
• 84.9% of mill energy needs from renewable and cleaner sources.
• Installed solar capacity on-site increased to 26.3 MW, surpassing our 2030 target of 25 MW. That target has now been revised to 50 MW.
• Improved climate risk intelligence to develop an adaptation roadmap.
• 33.2% of fibre operations energy from renewable or cleaner energy sources, up from a 19% baseline.

Thriving Landscapes

• Continued increase in plantation productivity. Mean Annual Increment (MAI) of 22.8 t/ha/year in Sumatra — a 12.3% increase from 2019.
• We manage 465,886 hectares of conservation areas. That is 77% the area of our plantations (we are committed to reaching 1-for-1).
• US$14.8 million invested in conservation initiatives in 2024 — more than in any previous year. We have allocated US$67 million to conservation since 2020.

Inclusive progress

• New Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy launched.
• 214 households in 55 targeted villages aided through interventions to eradicate extreme poverty.
• 74 villages supported in achieving an infant stunting rate under 14% — up from 16 villages in 2019.
• 69% of community development programme participants are women.
• Survey of 7,700 households undertaken to assess extreme poverty levels.

Sustainable Growth

• Our waste-to-value initiatives are having an impact. In 2024 we sent 32.3 kg of waste to landfill per tonne of product — down from 71kg in 2021.
• Two new waste-to-value projects diverting mill by-products from landfill and repurposing them as fertiliser.

Embedding sustainability into our business strategy has not held back growth; nor have our commitments to nature and community.

We look forward to engaging further with stakeholders to listen more to their views and concerns as we collectively work to achieve more for climate, nature and communities.