Federal Way, WA, Jun. 2--What do the planting of 132 million trees, preserving endangered caribou and recovering six million tons of paper have in common?
They are all examples of Weyerhaeuser Company's commitment to the environment and society highlighted in the "2003 Roadmap for Sustainability," currently available at http://www.weyerhaeuser.com. A print version will be available in late June.
In the report, readers learn about Weyerhaeuser's stand on old-growth forests, boreal forests, tropical forests, reducing pollution, and recycling. Hundreds of facts detail the company's performance--from how many trees the company planted in 2003 to the amount of energy co-generated to the number of employees trained in business ethics. The report also includes facts such as number and amount of environmental fines, safety performance, and progress toward a diverse workforce.
"Weyerhaeuser commits to operate in a way that is consistent with society's values and that is environmentally, economically and ethically sustainable," Steven R. Rogel, chairman, president and chief executive officer, writes in the report. "We carry out that commitment through values and systems that help make doing the right thing also the natural thing."
Among the annual accomplishments highlighted in the report:
--Weyerhaeuser planted 132 million seedlings last year throughout the world.
--To help preserve endangered caribou in the boreal forest, Weyerhaeuser agreed with the province of Alberta to impose a five-year delay on harvesting more than 200,000 acres to allow time to implement a caribou recovery plan.
--Weyerhaeuser's pulp, paper and wood products mills in North America have reduced waste going to landfills by 24%, energy consumption by 22%, and water usage by 24% since 1999 as measured on a per ton of production basis.
Although the company has published an annual environmental report since 1993 and a citizenship report since 2001, last year it combined the two reports into a single "triple bottom line" review of environmental, social and economic performance. Like last year's report, the 2003 edition follows guidelines recommended by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
GRI was launched in 1997 as a joint initiative of the U.S.-based Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) and the United Nations Environment Programme. The GRI guidelines and a set of 97 performance indicators aim to broaden corporate disclosure and provide a yardstick to measure corporate social responsibility and sustainable development.
