Smurfit Westrock is accelerating its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) agenda through its Better Planet 2030 framework, a sustainability strategy designed to deliver measurable progress in climate action, renewable energy, water stewardship, waste reduction, responsible forestry, and community development.
Led by Garrett Quinn, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, the framework integrates sustainability priorities across the company’s global operations while supporting long-term environmental and social value creation.
The Better Planet 2030 roadmap establishes ambitious targets, including a 28 percent reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions, a 22 percent reduction in water intake, a 24 percent reduction in waste sent to landfill, and more than $40 million in community investments by 2030.
Renewable Energy Expansion Supports Decarbonization Strategy
Renewable energy remains central to Smurfit Westrock’s climate strategy. In 2025, biofuels accounted for 55 percent of the company’s direct fuel consumption, highlighting significant progress in reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The company consumed approximately 50,724 GWh of biofuels compared with 37,339 GWh of fossil fuels, making renewable fuels the largest energy source across its operations.
Smurfit Westrock Sustainability Report 2025 indicated that it has secured approximately 700,000 MWh of renewable electricity annually through large-scale Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs) in North America. During 2025, the company inaugurated two major VPPA projects in Texas, strengthening its renewable electricity portfolio and supporting grid decarbonization efforts.
Its renewable energy strategy leverages a circular manufacturing model that utilizes biomass, organic byproducts, wood residues, bark, black liquor, and biogas as renewable fuel sources. The company is also transitioning to CO₂-neutral electricity supplies across several countries, including Argentina, Austria, Chile, Colombia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Energy-efficiency investments continue alongside renewable energy deployment. Combined heat and power systems, advanced heat-exchange technologies, and operational improvements helped the company’s mill system achieve an energy intensity of 5.25 MWh per tonne of paper produced in 2025.
Climate Action Targets Drive Emissions Reduction
Climate change mitigation remains a core pillar of Smurfit Westrock’s sustainability strategy. The company has committed to reducing absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent by 2030 from a 2019 baseline, aligning its climate ambitions with global decarbonization objectives.
In 2025, total Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions reached 10,813 kilotonnes of CO₂ equivalent across all operations. Paper mills accounted for 9,528 kilotonnes of CO₂ equivalent, reflecting the energy-intensive nature of paper production. Total Scope 3 emissions were 11,499 kilotonnes of CO₂ equivalent, covering emissions associated with raw material sourcing, transportation, business travel, employee commuting, product processing, and end-of-life treatment.
Several factors contributed to emissions management during the year, including increased utilization of Renewable Energy Certificates and VPPAs, investments in energy-efficiency projects, adoption of lower-carbon fuels at U.S. paper mills, and lower production levels at selected facilities due to rationalization activities and operational downtime.
A significant decarbonization milestone was achieved at four facilities in France that reached net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 operational emissions. These projects are expected to reduce emissions by approximately 300 tonnes of CO₂ annually while lowering energy consumption by 230 MWh per year.
Water Stewardship Investments Improve Resource Efficiency
Water management remains another key sustainability priority. Smurfit Westrock has established a target to reduce water intake by 22 percent by 2030 through improved efficiency, water reuse programs, and advanced treatment technologies.
A major milestone during the reporting period was the completion of a $30 million wastewater pre-treatment and recycling upgrade at the Solvay mill in New York. The investment strengthens water recycling capabilities, reduces freshwater demand, and supports long-term operational resilience.
Circular Economy Model Drives Waste Reduction
Circularity remains embedded throughout Smurfit Westrock’s business model. The company operates 70 recovered fiber facilities and processes approximately 13.1 million tons of recovered fiber annually, making it one of the largest recyclers of paper-based packaging globally.
The company has committed to reducing waste sent to landfill by 24 percent by 2030. To achieve this target, Smurfit Westrock continues to expand recycling programs, improve material recovery rates, and identify opportunities to convert manufacturing byproducts into renewable energy and secondary raw materials.
These initiatives help maximize resource efficiency while supporting a more circular packaging ecosystem and reducing the environmental footprint of packaging production.
Responsible Forestry Supports Sustainable Fiber Supply
Responsible sourcing remains fundamental to Smurfit Westrock’s sustainability commitments. The company manages approximately 308,000 acres of forests and plantations, all certified under FSC or PEFC standards. These certifications support sustainable forest management, biodiversity protection, and responsible fiber production.
The company is also advancing supply chain traceability and maintaining a zero-deforestation approach to fiber procurement. Enhanced transparency helps strengthen stakeholder confidence while safeguarding the renewable resources that support packaging manufacturing operations.
Environmental Investments and Green Financing Accelerate Progress
Smurfit Westrock continues to invest heavily in environmental improvement projects. During the reporting period, the company allocated approximately $168 million toward environmental compliance, pollution prevention, emissions reduction, and sustainability-focused capital projects.
In addition, more than $1.3 billion in green bond financing has been directed toward renewable energy projects, circular economy initiatives, resource-efficiency programs, and low-carbon infrastructure investments. These funding mechanisms support long-term ESG objectives while reinforcing responsible capital allocation practices.
Community Programs Enhance Social Impact
Alongside environmental initiatives, Smurfit Westrock continues to strengthen its social impact efforts. During 2025, the company contributed more than $10 million to community programs focused on education, environmental conservation, biodiversity, and social development.
Employee engagement initiatives also expanded, including the rollout of the MySW safety and compliance platform in 27 languages, improving accessibility and training opportunities across its global workforce.
Looking ahead, Smurfit Westrock has committed to investing more than $40 million in community-focused initiatives by 2030, further strengthening its social responsibility agenda.
ESG Reporting Aligned with Global Standards
To enhance transparency and accountability, Smurfit Westrock aligns its sustainability reporting with leading global frameworks, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 2021 Standards, SASB Containers and Packaging Standards, and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
The company has also aligned reporting processes with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) to support future Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive compliance and evolving stakeholder expectations.
As sustainability requirements continue to evolve globally, Smurfit Westrock’s Better Planet 2030 framework provides a clear roadmap for advancing renewable energy adoption, reducing emissions, conserving natural resources, strengthening circularity, and delivering positive impacts across communities worldwide.
SHAFANA FAZAL
