Sappi Limited is a global producer of woodfibre-based products, supplying pulp, paper, and biomaterials to packaging, publishing, and specialty markets worldwide. The company operates across multiple regions, with significant forestry, manufacturing, and supply chain activities in Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
In CDP’s 2025 scoring cycle, Sappi achieved an ‘A’ rating for Forests, placing the company among a small group of top performers globally. Out of nearly 20,000 companies assessed, only 877 earned a place on CDP’s A List, underscoring the rigor of the evaluation. Sappi also received strong scores for Climate Change (A-) and Water Security (B)—areas the company has identified as priorities under its 2030 sustainability targets.
CDP’s scoring framework has evolved beyond a transparency exercise. For investors, procurement teams, and regulators, CDP scores increasingly function as a stress test for whether sustainability data can support decisions, not just disclosures.
That shift matters as sustainability metrics become linked to:
An ‘A’ score reflects comprehensive disclosure, mature environmental governance, and demonstrable progress—signals that sustainability data is structured, auditable, and comparable across markets.
Sappi’s top score in the Forests category reflects its long-standing focus on sustainable forest management and deforestation-free supply chains. The company manages its own landholdings in South Africa, works with local landowners, and maintains 100% chain-of-custody certification across its pulp and paper manufacturing operations.
These practices are increasingly scrutinized by customers and investors seeking assurance that environmental commitments extend beyond corporate boundaries and into upstream supply chains.
“It is difficult to overstate the immense effort and dedication that underpin this achievement,” said Tracy Wessels, Group Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability at Sappi. “We’re delighted to be acknowledged as a leader in corporate transparency and action on advancing deforestation-free supply chains.”
Beyond forests, Sappi’s CDP results highlight progress on climate and water stewardship—two areas that are increasingly tied to operational resilience and capital allocation.
The company’s climate strategy focuses on expanding renewable energy use, improving energy efficiency, investing in low-carbon technologies, and integrating carbon considerations into capital planning. On water, Sappi is working to reduce freshwater withdrawals, increase reuse and recycling, and improve the quality of water returned to surrounding ecosystems.
These metrics matter not only for disclosure, but for evaluating long-term operational risk—particularly in water-stressed and energy-constrained regions.
The 2025 CDP cycle included disclosures from more than 22,100 companies worldwide, representing significant global market capitalization. Only 4% achieved A List status, and just 23 companies earned the rare “Triple A” across climate, forests, and water.
Within Africa, representation remains limited compared to Europe and Asia. However, Sappi’s inclusion reflects a gradual strengthening of environmental transparency among South African firms. Nearly half of Johannesburg Stock Exchange Top-100 companies disclosed environmental data in 2023, signaling growing engagement with global sustainability frameworks—even as capacity gaps remain for smaller suppliers.
As investors representing more than $100 trillion in assets under management call for reliable environmental data, CDP scores are increasingly referenced in procurement, financing, and regulatory contexts.
Sappi’s performance demonstrates how credible, decision-ready sustainability data can support market access and stakeholder confidence. For peers, it also underscores the rising expectations facing companies operating in global supply chains—where disclosure quality is becoming a competitive differentiator rather than a reporting exercise.
