Impact and dependencies assessment
While DS Smith discloses its commitment to measure and improve biodiversity in its own forests by 2025, it has not holistically assessed its impacts or how it depends on nature, including biodiversity. It has an opportunity to start such an assessment across its value chains, focused on quantification of its impacts or dependencies.
Key areas and species
The company does not disclose key species or areas important for biodiversity affected by its operations or suppliers. It has an opportunity to increase its transparency.
Ecosystem conversion and restoration
The company does not disclose a commitment to ensure zero conversion. The company does not disclose activities to achieve conversion-free supply chains. The company does not disclose time-bound targets to achieve conversion-free supply chains. The company does not disclose a commitment to minimise ecosystem conversion. The company discloses some activities to minimise ecosystem conversion, including that 100 per cent of the papers it uses be recycled or chain of custody certified each year. The company does not disclose a commitment to restore ecosystems. The company does not disclose details and outcomes of ecosystem restoration projects in areas affected by its own operations or by its suppliers.
Resource exploitation and circularity
The company does not report quantitatively on its group-wide circularity performance. The company does not disclose efforts to improve soil health.
Water
While the company has a water withdrawal reduction target, no evidence of an absolute reduction group-wide target was disclosed. DS Smith discloses it re-ran its annual WRI Aqueduct Assessment, which shows that 31% of the Group’s water withdrawals happen in water-stressed areas. The company does not engage with suppliers to reduce water withdrawal. The company does not report a decrease in water pollution. The company does not disclose its processes for managing and monitoring discharge water quality. The company does not regularly report on water pollution. The company does not disclose targets to reduce water pollution. The company does not disclose a commitment to respect the right to water. The company does not disclose its processes for implementing preventive and corrective action plans for identified specific risks to the right to water and sanitation in its own operations.
Solid and air pollution
While the company discloses its hazardous waste performance data, this figure increased compared to previous year. The company is reducing plastic use and waste in its own operations. The company does not report on the amount of plastic waste generated and proportions directed from or to disposal. The company reports regularly on air quality parameters of emissions of harmful air pollutants, including SOx, NOx, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter. The company does not report time-bound targets to reduce air pollutants across the most material parts of its value chain.
Invasive species
The company has not identified any activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive alien species in its own operations.