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Brambles Ltd., with its CHEP brand in nearly 60 countries, has reached another milestone in the field of environmental protection: “Zero Deforestation”. In 2015 this target was added to the company's sustainability goals for 2020.
In line with its commitment to zero deforestation, Brambles has achieved its goal of sourcing 100 percent of the wood it uses from sustainably managed forests worldwide. These forests must be certified by either the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) or the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™). The two non-profit organizations only certify forest operations that work according to international guidelines for best practices, both in terms of planting new trees to replace those that have been felled, as well as having a positive impact on surrounding communities and local wildlife.
According to Fernando Martinez, Vice President, Global Procurement at Brambles, this important achievement has multiple implications. “With zero deforestation, we are not only addressing the problem of our planet’s scarce natural resources and eliminating deforestation in our supply chains,” he said. “Thanks to a program geared towards sustainability, we are also making global supply chains, our suppliers and our customers more efficient and competitive. ”
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), forests are the largest terrestrial store of carbon and deforestation is the third largest cause of greenhouse gas emissions after coal and oil. Certified forests ensure that the procedures are in accordance with a recognized management standard, according to which biomass is conserved and increased, the renaturation of land is ensured and soil and water resources are protected. The programs also have a positive social and economic impact on local communities in terms of human and labor rights.
Brambles was named the most sustainable company in the world by Barron’s Magazine this year and was given an A rating by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s “Circulytics” circular economy assessment tool. In Europe, CHEP achieved EcoVadis gold status for the fifth year in a row.
Brambles Achieves its 2020 Goal of 100 Percent Sustainably Sourced Wood