NCASI Highlights the Role of Independent Science in Advancing the Tissue Industry’s Sustainability Commitments
The organization emphasizes that independent, regionally relevant science is essential for tissue manufacturers to support environmental goals related to greenhouse gas emissions, fiber sourcing, water stewardship, and circularity
A review of publicly disclosed sustainability commitments from leading tissue manufacturers reveals common priorities and a remarkable level of alignment. Kimberly-Clark, Procter & Gamble, Essity, Sofidel, CMPC, and Georgia-Pacific operate across different regions, ownership structures, and supply chains, yet their environmental commitments converge around four key metrics: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fiber sourcing and forest protection, water consumption, and circularity.
These priorities align directly with the research areas in which NCASI has developed technical expertise through more than eight decades of independent, peer-reviewed science.
A SECTOR COMMITTED TO CLIMATE TARGETS
Most of the companies have Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-validated GHG commitments. Kimberly-Clark and CMPC each aim to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030. Sofidel targets a 40% reduction in emissions intensity per ton of paper by 2030, while Procter & Gamble has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.
Decarbonizing tissue manufacturing requires reliable data to identify emission sources and determine the most effective mitigation strategies. NCASI stated that its GHG research directly addresses this need through sector-specific calculation tools and life cycle studies on biomass-derived energy that quantify the emissions reduction potential of the industry’s fuel mix.
FIBER SOURCING: ANALYTICAL COMPLEXITY AND DATA REQUIREMENTS
Fiber sourcing is one of the areas where scientific analysis and robust data are particularly important. Commitments range from Kimberly-Clark’s goal to eliminate natural forest fiber from its portfolio beyond 2030 to Sofidel’s requirement that all virgin fiber be FSC or PEFC certified. CMPC manages more than 320,000 hectares of conserved land across South America, while Georgia-Pacific operates an endangered forest mapping program covering more than three million acres.
According to NCASI, quantifying these commitments from carbon, biodiversity, and land-use perspectives requires rigorous, independent methodologies. The organization’s life cycle assessment and forestry certification resources provide valuable scientific support for these initiatives.
WATER AND CIRCULARITY: OPERATIONAL PRIORITIES BUILT ON SCIENCE
Kimberly-Clark has already surpassed its 2030 target of reducing water use by 50% at facilities located in water-stressed regions. CMPC established a 2025 goal of reducing industrial water consumption by 25% per ton of production across its 43 mills in eight Latin American countries.
Regarding circularity, Sofidel and Kimberly-Clark each aim to reduce plastic use by 50% by 2030. CMPC set a 2025 target to achieve zero waste to landfill, although progress toward that goal has not yet been publicly confirmed. Essity’s Tork PaperCircle program promotes the recycling of used paper towels, while Georgia-Pacific processes more than 2.5 million tons of recovered paper annually.
NCASI noted that its research on water use, consumption, and recycling provides the facility-level scientific foundation required to support water stewardship claims. In addition, its studies on paper-versus-plastic life cycle assessments, recycled fiber, and the beneficial use of residuals help inform the circularity decisions manufacturers face today.
The organization concluded that as sustainability targets become more specific and reporting frameworks more demanding, the gap between corporate ambition and defensible performance claims can only be bridged through independent science a role NCASI has fulfilled for the tissue and forest products industries for more than eight decades.
