Suzano, the world's leading market pulp producer, has been selected for the 2025 Fortune China ESG Impact List - becoming both the only pulp industry representative and the sole Brazilian company on this prestigious ranking. This inaugural recognition underscores Suzano's exceptional achievements in environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance across its Chinese operations.
The Fortune China ESG Impact List, developed through a rigorous evaluation process conducted by Fortune China in collaboration with leading ESG research institutions, identifies companies that demonstrate exceptional commitment to sustainable development while creating measurable positive impacts. Suzano's inclusion reflects its comprehensive approach to sustainability and its successful integration of ESG principles across its operations in China.
Sustainability priorities
Suzano's recognition stems from several groundbreaking initiatives that align with China's sustainability priorities. The company maintains 2.8 million hectares of forests in Brazil, of which 1.1 million is for restoration and conservation. In this area, Suzano has identified 72 High Conservation Value Areas (HCVA), totaling 85,000 hectares, and seven Private Natural Heritage Reserves (PNHR) that are classified as category IV by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The company is also committed to connecting half a million hectares of priority areas for conservation in the Brazilians biomes Amazon, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest by 2030, helping address the global challenge of reversing biodiversity loss.
In the realm of green finance, Suzano has established itself as a pioneer by becoming the first non-financial corporation from the Americas to issue Green Panda Bonds in China. The RMB 1.2 billion bond issuance in 2024 demonstrates Suzano's innovative approach to funding sustainable development projects, with proceeds dedicated to responsible forestation in Brazil to produce bio-based materials that support China's transition towards a low-carbon economy.
Suzano's Shanghai Innovability Hub (I-Hub) represents another cornerstone of its sustainability strategy in China. As the company's first Asian research and development center, the facility focuses on developing renewable bio-based alternatives to fossil-based materials across multiple industries, ranging from elastomer, chemicals and energy. The I-Hub underscores Suzano's commitment to fostering cross-border collaboration in pursuing sustainable solutions through innovation, namely Innovability as in its name.
Pablo Machado, Suzano's Global Executive Vice President for China Business and Strategy, commented on this achievement,
"We are deeply honored to be included in the Fortune China ESG Impact List for the first time. This recognition validates our long-term commitment to integrating sustainability into every aspect of our business operations. China plays a pivotal role in our global sustainability strategy, whether through our Green Panda Bond initiative, sustainable bio-based product exports, or innovation partnerships. We view this acknowledgment as both an achievement and a responsibility to continue driving meaningful change in the years ahead."
The Fortune China ESG Impact List, launched in 2022, serves as a benchmark for corporate sustainability excellence in the Chinese market. The selection process incorporates comprehensive data analysis from third-party agencies, expert evaluations, and corporate sustainability disclosures. The list particularly emphasizes contributions to China's dual-carbon goals and high-quality development objectives. This year’s list comprises a total of 100 companies including 31 foreign companies in China.