Biodiversity
- Disclosure of bio-diverse habitats:
- Engagement to reduce the loss of biodiversity
- Water courses and wetlands
- Percentage of sites certified for forest products
- Policy commitment on biodiversity
Disclosure of bio-diverse habitats:
DS Smith is proud of its Supply Cycle business model which promotes the cyclical re-use of post-consumer waste (i.e. paper and board). This process ultimately reduces the demand for virgin wood fibre as a raw material in the paper making process. As a consequence of this less trees are harvested and we can say with confidence that our wood fibre Supply Chain Biodiversity impact risk is minimal.
As part of DS Smith's commitment to achieving GRI G4 Standard Sustainability Reporting in 2015/16 two new questions regarding bio-diverse habitats will now be part of the standard indicator set in CERTUS, DS Smith's CSR database. All of DS Smith's operating sites will be mandated to answer the following questions:
- Is the site located in a protected area?
- What is the distance to the nearest protected area?
Engagement to reduce the loss of biodiversity
Partnership with the Zoological Society London
Global agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have set stringent goals for biodiversity conservation. ZSL's Indicators and Assessments Unit (IAU) was formed in 2006 to develop scientifically robust indicators to track progress towards these goals and to effectively determine the status and trends of biodiversity globally.
With the support of the DS Smith Charitable Foundation, the IAU is undertaking a critical research project to investigate the impacts of global forest loss on biodiversity.
Water courses and wetlands
See table below for an analysis of the water bodies that we abstract from.
|
Water Body |
Water Body Category |
Protection Status |
Surface area m2 (lakes) / Length (Rivers / Streams) |
Average Flow (m3/s) |
Notable Species |
Notes |
|
Aschaff |
Stream |
None |
21 |
1 |
Salmon, Trout, Lamprey |
Heavily Industrialised and altered environments along the Rhine and its tributaries has had negative effect on migratory fish stocks. Rivers are now focus of attempt to remediate this. |
|
Bristol Channel |
Sea |
None |
Sea - N/A |
Sea - N/A |
Benthic arthropod/microscopic communities unique in Britain. |
Bristol Channel is significantly different to other UK estuaries, due to relatively higher sediment movement and suspension as well as higher water column turbidity. |
|
Frizzone |
River |
None |
|
|
None known. |
|
|
Gelster |
Stream |
None |
17.5 |
|
None Known. |
|
|
Ijssel |
River |
Special Protection Area (Birds Directive) |
125 |
300 |
|
Protected along its entire length, approx. 41.39 km2. |
|
La Quiaulne |
Stream |
None |
30.9 |
|
None known. |
Very small stream that mill abstracts from. Small operation, so mill probably "significantly" (>5% of discharge) affects flow. Does not discharge back into stream, as it discharges to landspread instead. |
|
Main |
River |
Special Habitats Area (Birds Directive) |
527 |
200 |
Salmon, Trout, Lamprey |
Heavily Industrialised and altered environments along the Rhine and its tributaries has had negative effect on migratory fish stocks. Rivers are now focus of attempt to remediate this. Birds’ habitat area downstream of mill. |
|
Serchio |
River |
None |
126 |
46 |
None known. |
|
|
Sonora |
Borehole |
None |
|
|
Aquifer - N/A |
Draws from Major Aquifer that supplies London municipal area. Kemsley Water usage insignificant compared to that. Not located in a Groundwater Protection Zone (defined by EA). |
|
Swale |
Estuary |
SSSI/RAMSAR |
65 |
Estuary - N/A |
Many invertebrates. Wildfowl and waders. Saltmarsh-grasses Puccinelliaand the glassworts |
Highly Important SSSI and RAMSAR site. |
|
Washford |
River |
Salmonid River |
16.8 |
0.854 |
|
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology states that the mill does not affect flow rates. |
|
Weiss |
Stream |
Target 2021: good ecological |
24 |
3 |
Trout |
Mill asked by local authority to introduce measures promoting the movement of trout up and down the river through the mill. Mill has a limit of 30 degrees Celsius on water temperature of effluent. |
|
Werra |
River |
Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive) |
299.6 |
46.5 |
|
Protected across only a short part of its length, and upstream of the mill. |
Percentage of sites certified for forest products
Each production site that converts or trades in wood fibre or other wood derivative products is mandated to pursue a recognised certification programme leading to a chain of custody for responsible fibre sourcing. Once complete, this will result in 100 per cent of relevant production sites holding a certification from a credible external body.
Policy commitment on biodiversity
Forests
The complex nature of recycling and reprocessing distribution networks means that it is not possible to verify the provenance of each fibre used in our products right back to the forest.
However, we believe that most of the fibres in our products originate from European commercial forestry operations.
We strongly believe that supporting responsible and sustainable forestry is a matter of strategic importance for our industry and, although we don't own any commercial forestry operations ourselves, we support initiatives that promote forest certification and chain of-custody certification schemes and we ensure that any virgin fibres in our products originate from sustainably managed forests and tree plantations.
We support the FSC® standard, the PEFC standard and all other credible international certification schemes.