Weyerhaeuser makes great strides toward 2020 sustainability goals

News provided by

Jul 19, 2012, 12:26 ET

FEDERAL WAY, Wash., July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY) today announced its sustainability performance and progress for 2011 is available online at www.weyerhaeuser.com/sustainability. The website details Weyerhaeuser's sustainability strategy, which supports its vision to deliver superior sustainable solutions for the world. The current strategy builds upon the company's past sustainability performance, with an expanded set of commitments that are further integrated into business planning and processes.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/AQ34535LOGO)

The company's 2020 sustainability commitments and targets are organized under three pillars of sustainability: performance, people and planet. Each of the company's 19 sustainability commitments, and the 43 specific targets it intends to achieve by 2020, are described in detail in the Results and Strategy section of the website.

A few of Weyerhaeuser's 2011 sustainability achievements include:

Employees sustained their track record of safety excellence by maintaining a recordable incident rate of less than one. Seventy five percent of the company's facilities operated injury-free.
The company developed a plan to measure and report on a comprehensive set of 18 ecosystem services that its forests provide.
The company launched an inclusive leadership training series for Weyerhaeuser leaders to help them boost skills in building trust, expanding their circles of influence, ensuring equal opportunity for development and growth, and demonstrating commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The company donated $3.7 million in charitable-giving grants, and 1,364 Weyerhaeuser employees and retirees contributed 21,660 hours to volunteer projects through the company's Making WAVES and iWAVE programs.
The company's Cellulose Fibers business reduced water use by 19 percent compared to 2007, making progress towards its goal of 20 percent by 2012.
The company reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 31 percent compared to 2000 levels, making progress towards its long-term goal of 40 percent by 2020.
As further evidence of Weyerhaeuser's commitment to green-building practices, all five of its homebuilding subsidiaries now offer the LivingSmart® program to homebuyers.

"Last year, we focused on fully integrating sustainability into our systems and processes, developing sustainability training for employees, and continuing to drive progress against our 2020 targets," says Dan Fulton, president and CEO of Weyerhaeuser, in his message to stakeholders on the website. "In the coming years, we will work on addressing any gaps in our policies and practices, driving results in new target areas, and engaging employees at all levels of the company to understand their part helping us achieve our long-term sustainability goals."

In 2011, Weyerhaeuser was included on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World. The company has also recently received 28 other third-party awards and recognitions for its sustainability commitments, activities and results, including Fortune Magazine World Most Admired Companies (2012), the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World (2011), Corporate Responsibility Magazine 100 Best Corporate Citizens (2012), and the Ethisphere Institute World's Most Ethical Companies (2012).

Weyerhaeuser published its first annual environmental performance report in 1993 and its first citizenship report in 2001. In 2002, it combined these reports into a comprehensive sustainability report, following the guidelines recommended by the Global Reporting Initiative, a voluntary standard for corporate reporting on economic, environmental, and social performance.

Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest forest products companies, began operations in 1900. We grow and harvest trees, build homes and make a range of forest products essential to everyday lives. We manage our timberland on a sustainable basis in compliance with internationally recognized forestry standards. At the end of 2011, we employed approximately 12,800 employees in 11 countries. We have customers worldwide and generated $6.2 billion in sales from continuing operations in 2011. Our stock trades on the New York Stock exchange under the symbol WY. Learn more at www.weyerhaeuser.com.