Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Sustainable Corporate Governance and Compliance
• Environmental Sustainability
• People Focus
• CSR and Community Development
• Sustainability in Company, Customers and Products

Environmental Achievements

• First carbon-neutral certified industrial zone in Africa
• Conserved 100 hectares of mangroves (approx. 10% of the industrial zone land area) + 30,000 tCO2 sequestered per year.
• Mangroves restoration project with government and communities of Akanda covering approx. 1,000 hectares.
• An average of 30,000 tCO2 saved per year by converting wood waste into particle board.
• 7,000 tons of plastic collected and recycled in Nkok SIZ since 2019.
• Approx. 50,000 tCO2 diverted from being emitted in the atmosphere via our biochar manufacturing facility.
• Decarbonization of transport with the opening of the multimodal logistics area in 2023, saving around 15 kg of CO2 per container shipped.

Social Achievements

• Provided 20,000 jobs to locals
• 65% Reduction in Injuries in 2023 compared to 2022.
• Supported income-generating activities for women in several villages.
• Implemented various health and safety initiatives including safety signage, road safety improvements, cancer awareness workshops, and menstrual leave.
• Provided social subsidies to employees during significant life events.
• Established employee feedback and grievance mechanisms.
• Organized sports and wellness events.

Governance Achievements

• Adherence to the highest level of environmental and social corporate governance standards and compliance
• Implemented a Due Diligence System ensuring transparency throughout the supply chain.
• Implemented a Forest Legal Verification (FLV) team.
• Partnered with TRACER – a Due Diligence System to ensure the legality of all logs entering the zone.
• Complied with Gabon’s environmental laws and the Local Development Fund (LDF) legislation.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Not disclosed

Mitigation Strategies

• Not disclosed

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Responsible sourcing and procurement of timber products
• Traceability and Due Diligence System
• Forest Legal Verification (FLV) team
• Partnership with TRACER

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: UN SDGs, IFC performance standards, World Bank’s general environmental, health and safety guidelines, International Labour Organization’s (ILO) fundamental and governance conventions, World Health Organization’s guidelines

Certifications: FSC-C149179 (Forest Stewardship Council), ISO 14064-1 (Carbon Neutral)

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action

GSEZ's sustainable Timber Value Chain operations positively contribute to these SDGs.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Particle board from wood waste
• Activated charcoal from wood waste
• Reinforcing steel from scrap metal
• Packaging straps from recycled plastic bottles

Awards & Recognition

• FDi Intelligence-Financial Times ranked GSEZ Nkok as best industrial zone of the world in the wood sector in 2020