Via Triple Pundit, IP has published its latest sustainability report, detailing its achievements thus far, and outlining its goals for the remainder of the decade. From the Message from the Chairman:

Around the world, millions of acres of sustainably managed forestland exist because of increasing demand for paper and packaging. Here in the U.S., we continue to play a leading role in an industry that maintains more than 500 million acres of healthy, working forests. Through industry efforts, more trees exist in the U.S. today than a century ago—despite a population increase of more than 230 percent. Healthy, abundant forests represent the core of International Paper’s business model. Ensuring that forests continue to thrive globally, and in the U.S., is a key part of our commitment to a better tomorrow.

Some of the specific objectives IP identifies include:

• Energy Efficiency: 15% improvement of energy efficiency in purchased energy use by 2020
• GHG Emissions: 20% absolute reduction in global GHG emissions (Scope 1 and 2) associated with the production of our products by 2020
• Fiber Certification: 15% global increase in third-party certified fiber volume
• Air Emissions: 10% reduction in criteria pollutant emissions (SO2, NO X, PM) by aligning with our Energy Efficiency Initiatives by 2020

One potential red flag is the “mere” 15% increase in certified fiber volume, but as Triple Pundit points out, “companies like IP are often locked into long term contracts with vendors from which they source raw materials. The demand for certified, sustainably grown fiber for paper products exceeds supply, too.” They add:

IP’s sustainability program is a lesson in how stakeholder engagement directs a company’s corporate responsibility agenda. While customers and local community groups were vocal about an increased focus on sustainability, investors and suppliers “have not raised any significant concerns” about the issue. IP’s challenges are similar to companies across all industries: the difficulty in nudging suppliers to be more socially and environmentally responsible, as well as convincing cranky investors that sustainability is not a luxury, but a long term business necessity.

The report does a good job of identifying the challenges large companies like IP face, and turning in more sustainable directions is like steering an aircraft carrier.