Holzindustrie Schweighofer publishes its first Sustainability Report
- Sustainability Report as a result of intensive discussions with stakeholders
- Report prepared according to the Global Reporting Initiative standards
- Commitment to open and transparent communication
The Schweighofer Group, one of Europe’s leading wood processors in Europe, presents the first sustainability report in the company’s history. Following the clear objective of demonstrating maximum transparency, the company thus aims at providing a sound basis for further dialogue with environmental groups and decision-makers. The report focuses on the year 2017 and gives an outlook on the current year. With this report, Holzindustrie Schweighofer provides a comprehensive and structured insight into its core business as well as an in-depth explanation of its supply chain’s security architecture.
Criticism as a driver for transparency and dialogue
Michael Proschek- Hauptmann, responsible for sustainability and compliance at Holzindustrie Schweighofer: “Sustainability is an essential part of our mission statement. With our Sustainability Report, which we will publish every two years, we want to underline our commitment to transparency and dialogue. We hope to send a clear signal of our commitment and to convey that we see criticism as an engine for greater transparency and dialogue and are thus taking appropriate measures.” With this report, the company wants to give an overview of its commitment to a sustainable timber industry, particularly in Romania, its main production location. Mr. Proschek-Hauptmann: “With our security architecture, which has been continuously expanded in recent years to fight illegal timber harvesting in Romania, we by far surpass all legal requirements.” According to Mr. Proschek-Hauptmann, the process of improvement is a continuous one and work on the security mechanisms is ongoing. Input from civil society is very much appreciated in this process.
Planting “Tomorrow’s Forest”
In addition to providing a detailed description of Holzindustrie Schweighofer’s value chain and the company’s business environment, the report also describes a new sustainability initiative. “We continue to see our future in a circle economy and want to further expand our position in this area by using our resources as efficiently as possible. We are already using almost 100% of the incoming resources, the largest part of this goes into durable wood products. This actively binds carbon dioxide and contributes to climate protection. With our afforestation project Tomorrow’s Forest we are also pursuing this goal," said Mr. Proschek-Hauptmann.
Proschek-Hauptmann concluded: "For Holzindustrie Schweighofer 2017 was a year of intense debates and critical self-questioning. As a result, we have committed to transparency and dialogue with a clear goal: Doing everything within our ecological and economic means to act as a best-practice example in our field of activity. At the same time, we are continuing our policy of open doors and, of course, also look forward to positive feedback."
