LENZING – Austrian speciality fibre maker, The Lenzing Group, has confirmed its position as a sustainable frontrunner in the wood-based cellulose fibre sector with the publication of its latest sustainability report. The report follows closely on the back of Lenzing’s best ever financial results which saw the fast growing business achieve annual revenues of 2.26 billion Euros for 2017.
Among the sustainability report’s highlights are a commitment to introduce the acclaimed Higg Facility Environmental Module to Lenzing’s production facilities, ambitious goals to further cut carbon emissions, plans to have the EU Ecolabel granted for all its production sites and a reaffirming of its circular economy commitments.
Said Stefan Doboczky, CEO of the Lenzing Group: “Climate protection and thus the preservation of forests as carbon sinks storing CO2 are two key issues with respect to societal acceptance of the textile and nonwovens industry. In recent years we have contributed to a positive shift in awareness in the industry thanks to our exemplary wood procurement policy based on sustainability principles.”
The report states that Lenzing has committed to a further substantial reduction of specific emissions by the year 2022, with a specially designed eco-investment programme to be implemented for this purpose. The Lenzing Group also aims to have the EU Ecolabel granted for all its production sites.
A further goal of the company is to evaluate the sustainability scorecard of 80 per cent of its most important suppliers by 2022.
Lenzing confirms it will optimise the ecological and social sustainability impacts of all its production facilities and ensure widespread transparency by the end of 2019 by introducing the Higg Facility Environmental Module.
“We are at the beginning of the value chain and can contribute much to improving the situation thanks to our activities and a maximum level of transparency, especially with partnerships,” added Lenzing’s chief commercial officer, Robert van de Kerkhof.
“We will also press ahead even more with the systemic transformation of our industry on the basis of our products, for example by expanding our business with lyocell fibres manufactured in a particularly environmentally responsible manner and innovative solutions such as our REFIBRATM technology which partly uses cotton scraps for fibre production. Consumers can be certain of one thing: when they purchase products with our fibres, this will also translate into a positive contribution to a better world.”
Image courtesy of Lenzing
