LISBON, Portugal
,
October 26, 2022
(press release)
–
More than 100 forestry producers convene in Luso Navigator organises event on profitability and management of smallholdings On 27 October, The Navigator Company is organising its Annual Meeting of Forestry Producers, an event which will bring together more than 100 participants on the theme of "Greater profitability and better management in smallholdings". The event will take place at the Grande Hotel do Luso and will be attended by several experts who will discuss issues such as Grouped Forest Areas (GFAs), Integrated Landscape Management Areas (ILMAs), and the value of biomass. The big challenge facing sustainable forest management in Portugal, the prevalence of smallholdings, is the theme for this meeting organised by Navigator. According to the National Strategy for Forests in Portugal, which was unveiled in 2015, there are more than 400,000 forest landowners in the country (84.2% of Portuguese forests are privately owned and 13.8% are on community land). On the other hand, there is a low rate of association membership, with only about 65,000 forest owners belonging to forestry organisations. In light of this, the event will hold a round-table discussion on "Smallholding Management" which will include Fátima Reis - director of the Portuguese Centre of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), Francisco Gomes da Silva The "Annual Meeting of Forestry Producers" will also include talks on the various tools that facilitate grouped territorial management. José Francisco Silva, from the Baixo Vouga Forestry Association, will talk about the example of the Panasqueira Grouped Forest Area, and the estate owner João Baeta Henriques will talk about his experiences with the first private Integrated Landscape Management Area (ILMA) in Portugal in Alvares. A talk will also be given by Nuno Borralho, head of the Forestry Research Unit of RAIZ The Annual Meeting of Forestry Producers will then be brought to a close with a field trip to a forestry estate, where there will be demonstrations on the use of innovative tools in forestry operations. This date will also coincide with the launch of another project promoting Portuguese forestry: the "Practical Guide to the Forestry Sector", a manual consisting of four booklets, which will be distributed free of charge with the next four issues of the magazine "Produtores Florestais" (Forestry Producers). Navigator works closely with forestry producers As a forestry-based company, The Navigator Company has developed relationships with producers based on sharing knowledge and learning on the values of sustainable forest management and certification. The project, which has now been running for two years, is an example of the Company's close relationship with the rural community and is part of its strategy to make a positive impact on the community. Promoting productivity, resilience and sustainability in Portuguese forestry are among the Company's top priorities. With this in mind, it seeks to involve stakeholders in the sector, thereby contributing to the development of the rural environment, the sharing of knowledge, and the enhancement of the economic, social, and environmental relevance of forestry. One of the commitments set out in The Navigator Company's corporate purpose states the following: "It is not only our results that we want to share with society, but also our knowledge, experience, and resources in the quest for a better future." The "Forestry Producers" community is the first initiative of its kind dedicated to all those who work in the forestry sector and has already been in operation for two years. Through this project, The Navigator Company has become increasingly active in debates on the main issues facing the sector. An example of this involvement includes its organisation of the Annual Meeting of Forestry Producers, which is to be held on 27 October in Luso. Images for illustration available here: https://we.tl/t-a7xj0Rrn9n About The Navigator Company The Navigator Company is an integrated producer of forestry, pulp, paper, tissue, sustainable packaging solutions, and bioenergy, whose operations are underpinned by state-of-the-art technology at world-class manufacturing facilities. It is recognised as a benchmark in quality in its sector throughout the world. People, their quality of life and the planet's future are what inspire and guide The Navigator Company. The company is committed to creating sustainable value for its shareholders and for society at large, making a better planet to hand down to future generations through sustainable products and solutions that are natural, recyclable and biodegradable, and that contribute towards carbon sequestration, oxygen production, the protection of biodiversity, soil formation, and the fight against climate change. The Navigator Company produces pulp and paper using forests which are planted exclusively for this purpose. Each year, Navigator nurseries give life to more than 12 million trees. These nurseries, the largest in Europe, produce 135 different species of trees and shrubs. Many of these, although not economically viable, are financed by the company to protect biodiversity and guarantee species' continuity. The forests under The Navigator Company's management in Portugal represent a carbon stock, excluding carbon in the soil, equivalent to 6.1 million tons of CO2. This stock has remained stable thanks to the sustainable management model followed by the company. The Group's forestry business is vertically integrated, with its own Forestry Research Institute. The Group is responsible for planting a vast forested area in mainland Portugal (1.2% of the country's land area), 100% certified by FSC1® and PEFC2 systems. The Company has a production capacity of 1.6 million tonnes of paper, 1.6 million tonnes of pulp, 130,000 tonnes of tissue, and 2.5 TWh of renewable energy per year. In 2021, 66% (vs. 60% in 2020) of energy produced by Navigator at its four industrial complexes came from biomass, giving it the leading role in the sector, with this ecological non-fossil fuel accounting for about 35% of the country's overall energy. In November 2021, the Navigator Company launched its latest line of packaging products, through the new gKraft brand, to help accelerate the transition from plastic to the use of natural, sustainable, recyclable and biodegradable fibres, once again demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and preserving the environment. The company is Portugal's third largest exporter, accounting for approximately 1% of GDP, around 2.4% of all the country's exports of goods and more than 30,000 direct, indirect and generated jobs. It is also the Portuguese exporter generating the most National Value Added. In 2021, The Navigator Company had a turnover of €1.596 billion. More than 90% of the Group's products are sold outside Portugal and are shipped to approximately 130 countries. Navigator became the first Portuguese company and one of the first in the world to make the ambitious commitment to move towards carbon neutrality at its industrial facilities within 15 years and it has already invested more than 200 million euros to this end. Part of this commitment has already been implemented with the construction of a Biomass Boiler in Figueira da Foz and another part has been applied for as part of the Decarbonisation in Industry component of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, which will enable the targets initially proposed in the Decarbonisation Roadmap for the end of 2029 to be achieved by the end of 2026. This commitment is the culmination of a responsible business management strategy that had already been distinguished by the CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project, now Disclosure Insight Action), in 2019 and 2020, with the classification of global leader in the fight against climate change. The Navigator Company was recognised for its efforts to reduce emissions, reduce climate risks and develop a low-carbon economy. At the end of 2021, The Navigator Company joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), having submitted its greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets based on the most current climate science at the time of joining, thus dispensing with the two-year grace period that companies have and typically use to do so. The Company has been developing a set of strategies to measure and reduce its total GHG footprint, as well as to promote mitigation and adaptation to the risks generated by climate change. By joining SBTi, the Company advances in its alignment with scientific-based criteria and methodologies that deserve international recognition within the scope of the global climate agenda, affirming its leadership in sustainability. In 2022, Navigator obtained a score of 14.3 in the ESG Risk Rating for 2021 - the best rating obtained since being added to Sustainalytics assessments - once again positioning itself among the best companies in the world in terms of sustainability. With this classification, the Company remains in the "Low Risk" category, meaning that it presents a low risk for investors, and occupies third place, both in the ranking of companies in the "Paper and Forest" industry group - in a total of 81 global companies that are part of this cluster - and in the "Paper and Pulp" subgroup, in a total of 60 companies worldwide. For more information, please contact: Lift Consulting +351 21 466 65 00 Catarina Frazão - catarina.frazao@lift.com.pt| +351 91 844 80 87 Tânia Nascimento - tania.nascimento@lift.com.pt| +351 915 292 914 Catarina Carneiro de Brito - catarina.brito@lift.com.pt| +351 914 310 661 Attachments Disclaimer The Navigator Company SA published this content on 26 October 2022 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 26 October 2022 15:34:56 UTC. (C) Copyright 2022 - The Navigator Company SA
* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.
