Nine Dragons Paper

No leading practices were identified in the governance and strategy area.

Resource exploitation and circularity 
Nine Dragons Paper provides some inputs and information on its material footprint.

No leading practices were identified in the social inclusion and community impact area.

Sustainability strategy and accountability
While Nine Dragons Paper discloses its major sustainability risks and response strategy, no evidence that the company discloses its process for identifying and prioritising its most relevant sustainability topics and impacts could be found in the public domain. The company also does not disclose group-wide targets on key sustainability topics for the most material parts of its value chain. The company has an opportunity to link performance criteria in senior executives’ remuneration policies to targets and objectives which cover nature, including biodiversity, and social issues. The company does not disclose whether its highest governance body has expertise regarding nature-related topics.

Stakeholder engagement
While Nine Dragons Paper discloses how often and through which channels it engages with various stakeholder groups, it does not disclose an overview of the issues raised during its stakeholder engagement activities.

Lobbying
Nine Dragons Paper does not report on its lobbying and advocacy practices on nature-related issues, nor whether these activities align with its sustainability strategy.

Impact and dependencies assessment
Nine Dragons Paper 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
No evidence was found regarding Nine Dragons Paper ‘s efforts to avoid ecosystem conversion, including deforestation, or promote restoration. The company has an opportunity to develop a strategy and publicly report on specific, time-bound targets. The company discloses some activities to minimise ecosystem conversion.

Resource exploitation and circularity
Nine Dragons Paper does not disclose activities to improve soil health or agrobiodiversity in its production or sourcing practices nor does it disclose a target to improve soil health in its production or sourcing practices.

Water
Nine Dragons Paper does not disclose a time-bound target to reduce water withdrawal across its own operations nor does it report how much water is withdrawn for its own operations in water-stressed areas. The company also does not engage with suppliers to reduce water withdrawal. While the company regularly reports on water pollution, it also has an opportunity to disclose targets to reduce water pollution. Furthermore, Nine Dragons Paper does not disclose a commitment to respect the right to water nor 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
Nine Dragons Paper is reducing the production of hazardous waste and plastic use and waste in its own operations. However, the company does not report on the amount of plastic waste generated and proportions directed from or to disposal. The company  also reports regularly on air quality parameters of emissions of harmful air pollutants but has an opportunity to report time-bound targets to reduce air pollutants across the most material parts of its value chain.

GHG emissions
While Nine Dragons Paper aims to lower the intensity levels of direct (scope 1) and indirect (scope 2) emission of greenhouse gases to approximately 8,500 tonnes/ten thousand tonnes of paper and approximately 330 tonnes/ten thousand tonnes of paper by FY2025, it does not disclose if it will result in absolute emission reductions. The company also does not report progress against its scope 1 and 2 emissions target. No evidence that the company’s scope 1 and 2 emissions target is aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory was found. No evidence that the company reduces its scope 3 emissions was found. Nine Dragons Paper has an opportunity to disclose a time-bound target to reduce its scope 3 emissions and report progress against it.

Invasive species
The company has not identified any activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive alien species in its own operations.

Safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment 
The company does not disclose a commitment to respecting local communities’ right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment or to zero tolerance for acts of violence, threats, intimidation or judicial harassment committed against land and environmental rights defenders.

Indigenous peoples’ and land rights
Nine Dragons Paper does not disclose a commitment to respecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights or land rights of local communities.

The company has an opportunity to describe a comprehensive process for identifying its human rights risks and impacts across all its activities, especially through its business relationships. The company has an opportunity to describe a process for assessing the human rights risks it has identified and to disclose what it considers to be its salient human rights issues. A description of this process would include how relevant factors are considered, such as geographical, economic and social factors. No evidence was found that the company has a global system to act on its salient human rights issues. While the company discloses the categories of stakeholders it engages with generally on sustainability issues, it is not clear if these stakeholders are those whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities. No evidence that the company provides examples of its engagement with stakeholders whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities was found.

The company discloses a statement related to respect for the health and safety of workers, however, a statement in annual report is not considered to be a part of formal policy commitment. The company has a publicly available policy statement which shows it expects its suppliers to commit to respecting the health and safety of their workers. The company has an opportunity to disclose a time-bound target for paying all workers a living wage or that it has achieved paying all workers a living wage. The company has an opportunity to describe how it determines a living wage for the regions where it operates. The company has an opportunity to disclose the coverage of collective bargaining agreements. The company has an opportunity to describe how it works to support the practices of its suppliers in relation to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

No evidence that the company has a publicly available global tax strategy was found. No evidence that the company describes the process for identifying its bribery and corruption risks and impacts in specific locations or activities covering its own operations was found. The company includes anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in its contracts with direct business relationships. The company does not disclose its approach to lobbying and political engagement in a public policy document.