SIG Combibloc as a Strategic Partner at the United Nations Business for the Environment Conference

"We as a company and, indeed, the entire carton packaging industry, are aware of our responsibility towards making an effective contribution to global environmental and climate protection“.

14 May 2010 --- SIG Combibloc supported this year’s Business for the Environment (B4E) Conference, which was held in Seoul, Korea from April 21 – 23, as a Strategic Partner. Heeding a call-to-action by the United Nations Secretary-General and the President of Korea, business leaders from the world’s largest global companies pledged to elevate and broaden their commitments to address the world’s most pressing environmental problems. Hosts of this international, high-profile conference were the UN organizations UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the UN Global Compact, alongside the WWF and Global Initiatives.

The B4E Global Summit is the world’s leading international conference for dialogue and business-driven action for the environment. CEOs and senior executives from some of the world’s largest multinational corporations joined leaders from governments, international agencies and NGOs to discuss resource and energy efficiency, green growth strategies, clean tech innovations and partnerships. Nearly 1,000 participants from more than 35 countries attended the Summit, featuring a range of international business leaders and executives from companies including Coca-Cola, Dow Chemical Company, Hewlett-Packard, LG Electronics, McKinsey & Co, Puma, Siemens, SIG and Virgin Group.

In addition to key note speakers such as Nobel Peace Prize Winner Al Gore, Academy Award Winner James Cameron and serial entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, a wide range of international business representatives took part in panel and parallel sessions on dedicated issues. ‘Green business – a new growth engine for the planet’ was the subject of the panel session in which Rolf Stangl, CEO of SIG Combibloc Group, also took part.

Contribution to a low-carbon economy
“We need green growth for our economic and environmental wellbeing”, said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “Climate change, desertification and declining biodiversity are themselves a threat to the Millennium Development Goals. We need action. Innovation. Resolve. I look to business to play a major role”.

"We as a company and, indeed, the entire carton packaging industry, are aware of our responsibility towards making an effective contribution to global environmental and climate protection“, declared Rolf Stangl. "Consequently, it was a particular concern for me to both personally attend the B4E Global Summit and to support it with SIG Combibloc as a strategic partner“. During the 45-minute panel session on the opening day of the conference, he explained what that contribution consists of.

Above all, it is the choice of a renewable, low-carbon primary raw material for the carton packages. At up to 75 per cent of the carton content, pulp fibre obtained from wood is the main component of aseptic carton packs. And this is what makes carton packs fundamentally different from all other types of packaging used for beverages and long-life foods. When sourced from responsibly managed forests, wood is a virtually infinitely available resource. Responsibly managing forests means sustainably maintaining their ecological, social and economic value. In 2007 already, the members of the European Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) committed to ensuring that, within 10 years all wood fibres used in beverage cartons can be traced back to legal and acceptable sources in their forest of origin.

Since 2009, SIG Combibloc is certified in accordance with the criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for a complete chain of custody verification (CoC). This system ensures that only timber from well managed forests and other controlled sources is used in the production of SIG Combibloc carton packs. "This allows us to make an effective contribution to sustainably maintaining one of the most important natural carbon dioxide sinks of all, our worldwide forests”, explained Rolf Stangl. "Using renewable, low-carbon raw materials is an important factor in creating a climate friendly economy“.

Packaging solution for the future
Rolf Stangl: “SIG Combibloc will continue to optimise its carton packs in terms of their environmental impact, while also maintaining the packages’ function in safeguarding the quality of the products. As part of this process, we examine the performance and impact of our carton packs along the entire product life cycle, from the production of the raw materials right up to disposal or recovery after use. By 2015, we aim to have achieved the following environmental business objectives: Reduction in specific usages in our production plants, e.g. energy by 35 per cent, waste by 25 per cent and CO2 emissions by 40 per cent”.