A new version of the Environmental Paper Assessment Tool (EPAT) is now available, empowering buyers of paper-based products to gain deeper insights into the sustainability of their supply chain.

The newest iteration of EPAT introduces detailed reporting on Corporate Sustainability Initiatives of suppliers of paper-based products, including their commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For the past 15 years, EPAT (www.epat.org) has been a recognized tool to assist North American buyers of paper-based products in evaluating the sustainability of their supply chain. It is a sophisticated web-based platform designed for suppliers and buyers to share sustainability metrics. Leveraging measured data from pulp, paper, and packaging mills, EPAT evaluates over 30 performance indicators across the lifecycle of paper-based products.

Key enhancements in EPAT 4.1 include a new section on Corporate Sustainability Initiatives which provides information on to the following:

· United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) - Many companies have made formal commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which provide a holistic framework for addressing the world’s most urgent sustainability challenges. SDGs consist of 17 goals which are composed of 169 targets.

· Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi) - The SBTi is a collaboration of the World resources Institute, the Carbon Disclosure project, World Wildlife Fund, the UN Global Compact and We Mean Business. Over 4,000 companies and one third of global market capitalization have committed to climate action through the SBTi, and 1.5 billion metric tons of CO2 are covered by the SBTi (scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions). Science-based targets show companies how much and how quickly businesses need to reduce their GHG emissions to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, leading them on a clear path towards decarbonization.

· Sustainability Reporting / Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) - GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) standards are the most widely used sustainability reporting standards globally. GRI is an independent, international organization that works with businesses, investors, policymakers, civil society, labor organizations and other experts to develop the GRI Standards and promote their use by organizations around the world. The Standards are advancing the practice of sustainability reporting, and enabling organizations and their stakeholders to take action that creates economic, environmental, and social benefits for everyone.

· Carbon Disclosure Project - Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is a not-for-profit charity that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Each year CDP supports thousands of companies, cities, states and regions to measure and manage their risks and opportunities on climate change, water security and deforestation. Several pulp and paper companies file with CDP annually as a show of transparency regarding climate change impacts.

· EcoVadis Ranking - EcoVadis is a recognized provider of business sustainability ratings with a network of more than 125,000+ rated companies. The EcoVadis sustainability assessment methodology is an evaluation of how well a company has integrated the principles of Sustainability/CSR into their business and management system. The EcoVadis Scorecard illustrates performance across 21 indicators in four themes: 1) Environment 2) Labor and human rights 3) Ethics 4 Sustainable procurement. Participating companies are scored (0 to 100) for each category and they also receive an overall score.

EPAT Version 4.1 now includes rankings related to the participation and performance of suppliers in the above programs.

Sustainability in the paper and paper-based packaging industry is constantly evolving, and as a result, EPAT seeks to continuously evolve by including the latest programs and indicators being used by suppliers of paper and paper-based packaging.