Metsä Group and Royal Wagenborg Collaborate to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions

April 24, 2023 - Metsä Group and the Dutch shipping company Royal Wagenborg have agreed to cooperate to reduce the climate impact of sea transport. The goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from sea transport of Metsä Group products by 30 percent (per ton/mile) by 2030 compared to the 2021 level.

"One of Metsä Group's strategic sustainable development goals until 2030 is to reduce fossil emissions and materials from our own operations,” said Jari Voutilainen, director of procurement and logistics at Metsä Group. “As far as the factories are concerned, we are already quite far in realizing the goal, and we want to achieve similar development steps in our supply chain as well.

“The majority of our products are delivered to our customers by sea, and Royal Wagenborg is an important partner for us. Shipping as a whole represents about three percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, and it is important to achieve emission reductions," Voutilainen explained.

Metsä Group and Royal Wagenborg are establishing a joint working group to define the concrete means by which the emission reduction goal can be achieved. The measures relate to, for example, the technical and operational measures of the existing Wagenborg fleet, including route optimization and fleet development. The use of new ship types is also being considered in order to achieve emission targets.

Egbert Vuursteen, CEO of Royal Wagenborg, stated, "At Royal Wagenborg, we are committed to achieving a better climate and environment. That is why we actively participate in our business in reducing carbon dioxide emissions with ambitious goals. Looking at our carbon dioxide emissions to date, we are one of the pioneers in the market.

“The Baltic Sea region has always been an important trade area for us and Metsä Group an important partner. I am convinced that carbon dioxide emissions can be reduces significantly only if measures are taken throughout the supply chain. I think this partnership with Metsä is the right way,” Vuursteen concluded.

SOURCE: Metsä Group