The board and paper merchant has taken little over two years to double its 100,000 tonne milestone, reached in March 2022, demonstrating the growing importance of sustainable materials to the printing industry.
In January, it became the first national merchant in the UK to use Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated goals for carbon reduction, reducing emissions to 46% of their 2019 level by 2030, and reaching net zero by 2045.
Danny Doogan, Denmaur’s marketing and sustainability director, said: “The growth of our Carbon Balanced Paper sales is definitely a reaction to how the print industry is continuing to raise its sustainability profile; but it’s also reflective of how end-users increasingly want to reduce their impacts and promote the sustainability of their own printed media.”
Carbon Balanced is an audited scheme run by international conservation charity the World Land Trust (WLT) – with whom Denmaur works – for afforestation, reforestation and habitat restoration work that can be used to offset emissions from organisations’ own activities.
With every project carried out by local community partners and carried out according to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degredation Plus (REDD+), the charity is able to map its carbon offsets and put them towards companies’ goals set out in the (SBTi).
Doogan told Printweek: “We’ve partnered with the WLT since 2016. They provide an effective, relevant and transparent offsetting solution, made available purely as a result of their conservation activities.
“Through WLT we’re investing directly into their projects which are based on the REDD+ framework, accepted as one of the most immediate and effective systems for addressing atmospheric carbon emissions.
“At Denmaur, we operate a dual approach to our carbon policy – reduction and offsetting. Our ongoing carbon reduction programme now sits within our SBTi near term and net zero targets, whilst our audited carbon footprint is measured annually and offset via the Carbon Balanced Paper scheme.”
Paul Opie, partnership director for sustainability consultancy Carbon Co, which manages Carbon Balanced Paper for WLT, said: “The Carbon Balanced Paper and Print programme gives leading, environmentally focussed businesses in the print and paper industry an essential tool to deliver positive action today.
“Denmaur’s position and commitment to sustainability in the industry goes well beyond accounting for its own business impacts by providing publishers, brands and consumers with a way to meet their own sustainability objectives when using print media.”
Catherine Barnard, CEO of the World Land Trust, added: “The global climate is changing at an unprecedented rate due to human-created climate change. So we are delighted to see that Denmaur celebrate this milestone as part of their contribution to society’s transition to a low-carbon economy.”
