At Essity’s Annual General Meeting today, several environmental organizations are demonstrating, all of which are urging the tissue group to follow Nestlé and Zalando and stop buying forest raw materials from the controversial forest company SCA. The organizations demand that the company take its responsibility for sustainability and point to the significant business risk it entails for international consumer companies to trade in the increasingly questionable Swedish forestry.
Essity – wipe off the SCA stain. That was the invitation that greeted Essity’s shareholders when they arrived at the company’s Annual General Meeting today. (C) Johanna Hanno / Greenpeace
“By continuing to purchase raw materials from SCA, Essity is contributing to the large-scale felling of the last unprotected natural and continuity forests and the slow suffocation of natural grazing-based reindeer husbandry. It is neither a timely nor a fresh action by a group with such a high tail wagging on sustainability issues as Essity has,” says Karolina Carlsson, campaign manager at Greenpeace.
Global players such as Nestlé and Zalando have already chosen to leave SCA, citing the company’s controversial forestry. Environmental organizations are now increasing the pressure on Essity to wipe clean in its own supply chain.
“Essity cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the disgrace they have in their supply chain. Other large international companies have already realized that SCA’s practices pose a business risk they cannot accept. It is high time that Essity shows leadership and cuts ties with a supplier that systematically depletes biodiversity and causes enormous climate emissions,” says Daniel Rutschman, International Campaign Manager at Protect the Forest.
SCA – a driving force in the felling of Sweden’s natural forests
The Swedish Forest Agency recently published a high-profile report in which they emphasize that the felling of remaining natural and continuity forests needs to stop if Sweden is not to violate its national and international environmental goals. The Swedish Forest Agency also points out that continued felling of these forests creates irreversible damage that is considered to threaten the national economy. Analyses have shown that more than a third of the forests that SCA plans to harvest are located in these irreplaceable forests, which are crucial for biodiversity, the climate and reindeer husbandry.
At the same time, a recent study in the journal Science shows that old-growth forests and unmanaged natural forests store 83 percent more carbon than managed production forests, and that the climate benefits of leaving older forests with long continuity in place are far greater than previously estimated.
“As long as SCA continues with its climate-damaging operations and harvests in natural and continuity forests, companies that strive for sustainability cannot continue to buy their raw material. It’s as simple as that,” says Karolina Carlsson.
Requirements for the Board of Directors and shareholders
The organizations present at the Annual General Meeting are now calling on Essity’s Board of Directors and shareholders to act to protect the company’s brand and financial stability by making definitive demands on their suppliers and leaving SCA completely.
“The sustainability of Swedish forestry and the credibility of everyone who buys the products stands or falls with the remaining continuity forests. Here, SCA has clearly shown that it does not listen to the demands of scientists, expert authorities and the environmental movement that natural and continuity forests must be protected. On the contrary, they want to continue with their old business model, where these are replaced by pure production stocks,” says Daniel Rutschman.
Outside Essity’s Annual General Meeting, Greenpeace, Protect the Forest, Fridays for Future, the Forest Rebellion and the Rebel Mothers will demonstrate.
Pictures from the demonstrations outside Essity’s Annual General Meetinghttps://media.greenpeace.org/Detail/27MZIFJR72N0K
Read more about SCA’s forestry and the claims against Essity and other companies that trade with SCA on ForestSCAndal.org and sca-files.skyddaskogen.se
Contact:
Karolina Carlsson, campaign manager at Greenpeace, 073-986 50 96
Daniel Rutschman, International Campaign Manager at Protect the Forest, 076-112 88 26