Valmet’s climate program takes concrete steps forward

Oct 19, 2022

Valmet launched its climate program – Forward to a carbon neutral future – in March 2021, with ambitious CO2 emission reduction targets set for the whole value chain: supply chain, Valmet’s own operations, and the use phase of technologies. After a year in implementation, the program is fully integrated into Valmet’s strategic and annual planning, and it has taken concrete steps forward.

The target of the climate program is to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% in Valmet’s own operations and by 20% in the supply chain by 2030 compared to the baseline year 2019. For the use phase of its technologies, Valmet targets to further enhance the energy efficiency of the current pulp and paper technologies by 20% and, ultimately, provide fully carbon neutral processes to its customers by 2030.

During the first year of program implementation, detailed roadmaps globally for all program parts were created and implementation has started. Valmet also launched a comprehensive e-learning to give its employees insights on climate change and circular economy, its impacts to our business environment, and the actions Valmet, its suppliers and its customers are taking to decarbonize the entire pulp and paper industry and other process industries. Below you can read more about the key achievements of each program part.

Key achievements

Supply chain

  • The level of recycled steel has been mapped at Valmet´s foundries.
  • Suppliers with very energy intense operations have been identified and will be engaged to reduce CO2 emissions.
  • New supplier innovation process and tool for collecting ideas including CO2 emission reductions has been taken into use globally.
  • The share of lower emission transportation such as rail over road transportations has continued to increase.
  • A specific climate change e-learning has been launched for suppliers to support their transition toward low carbon operations.

Own operations

  • Changing fossil fuels to carbon neutral fuels has started in selected Valmet locations.
  • 20% of Valmet´s annual electricity use now is CO2 free as implementation of CO2 free electricity purchasing plan has started using guarantees of origin certificates.
  • Multiple efficiency investment projects have been implemented in selected Valmet locations.
  • Valmet enables electric vehicle charging for employees in many Valmet locations.

Use phase of Valmet’s technologies

  • Existing process technologies that still use fossil fuels have been identified and plans how to change those to use electricity or renewables have been defined.
  • Target to increase energy efficiency is fully integrated in all of R&D projects.
  • Valmet’s offering for process technologies, automation and services to reduce CO2 emissions and other environmental impacts has been launched.