22 INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2024 Carbon Footprint An evident environmental indicator lies in measuring the carbon emissions associated with NCT’s road and rail transport. In the year 2023 alone, a noteworthy total of 11 209kg of carbon emissions reduction was accomplished. These reductions can be directly linked to strategic logistics choices made, including mode selection, technological advancements, and target market decisions. Mode/Market Tonnes Average KMs Carbon Factor Total Emissions Carbon Factor Savings Comments (g) (kg) (kg) Road 352 559 490 62 10 711 Rail 82 791 600 22 1 093 All Road 435 350 545 62 14 710 3 999.73 Savings using rail as an alternative mode PBS 201 240 490 50 4 930 20% less fuel and improved technology PBS to Standard Road 553 799 490 62 16 824 6 113.67 Savings using PBS vehicles SAPPI /NCT SWOP 80 371 220 62 1 096 1 096.27 Logistics savings Total Savings 11 209.67 To calculate the carbon emissions, the activity-based approach will be followed shown below as: CO2 = tonnes transported x average distance travelled x CO2 emissions factor per tonne – km / 1 000 000 Carbon Footprint Scorecard Brokered Volume as of March 2023 - February 2024 ultimately benefits members through improved forestry knowledge and products. A good example is the establishment agro-chemical trials for registration of new products. Biodiversity About 25% of the land area owned by NCT is managed as unplanted spaces. These include natural forests, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, and riparian areas. A comprehensive delineation programme has been implemented on farms to ensure that adequate buffers are maintained between plantations and streams and wetlands. These buffers or riparian areas protect the water resource and provide an important habitat for biodiversity. The riparian areas often link important conservation areas (forests, grasslands etc) and provide important corridors to link habitats and allow for movement of biodiversity. Several sites of conservation significance occur on NCT land, namely the 200ha Enon natural forest; the protected Natal cycad colony on the Lenjane Estate; and the 350ha grasslands on the Vergelegen farm which is part of the vulnerable Northern Midlands Moist Mistbelt Grasslands. Several threatened plant and animal species have been recorded in these protected areas including the rare Helichrysum woodii, Hilton daisies, Cape parrot, oribi antelope and some rare amphibians.
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