Stewardship is Krelyne Andrew’s north star at Sappi Verve

Paper, pulp and packaging solutions provider Sappi recently joined the ZDHC Foundation Roadmap to Zero programme.

The programme, under the multi-stakeholder organisation, aims to eliminate hazardous chemicals from the global fashion, textile, footwear and leather supply chains.

ESG Global spoke with Krelyne Andrew, head of Sustainability Sappi Verve to better understand her top enduring personal sustainability principle, what joining the programme means for daily operations and the practical value for consumers.

You’ve been with Sappi for more than 20 years. Looking back, how has the company’s approach to sustainability evolved, and is there one sustainability practice or principle that has stayed with you throughout your career?
Having been with Sappi for more than 20 years, I’ve seen sustainability evolve from being largely focused on compliance and environmental management to being embedded throughout the value chain, from responsible forestry and resource efficiency to climate action, biodiversity and circularity.

The one principle that has remained constant for me is stewardship. Whether we’re managing forests, water, energy or relationships with stakeholders, it’s about leaving things better than we found them. Over the years, I’ve also come to appreciate that sustainability challenges cannot be solved by any one company acting alone.

If we are to bring about meaningful change in complex and often fragmented value chains, we need to take a long-term view and adopt a systems-thinking approach. That means understanding how decisions made in one part of the value chain affect outcomes elsewhere, collaborating across industries, and focusing on solutions that create lasting value for both business and society. That mindset has stayed with me throughout my career and continues to shape how I approach sustainability today.

For people who may not be familiar with it, what is the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero programme, and what does it mean for Sappi Verve’s day-to-day operations?
The ZDHC Roadmap to Zero programme provides the industry with a common, science-based framework to manage and eliminate hazardous chemicals across complex global supply chains. It is particularly important to the fashion industry as it helps brands to reduce chemical and reputational risk, supports regulatory compliance, improves supply chain transparency. Unlike ISO standards, which primarily focus on whether appropriate management systems and processes are in place, ZDHC is quantitative and performance-based.

We regularly monitor wastewater quality and, increasingly, air emissions against defined ZDHC parameters and performance expectations to ensure our operations meet industry benchmarks and customer requirements.

How will joining the ZDHC Foundation ultimately benefit Sappi Verve’s customers, and what practical value does it add for them?
Our participation demonstrates that sustainability performance is being managed from the very start of the value chain. This helps to reduce supply chain risk and supports the growing demand for responsibly sourced cellulosic fibres.