2024 Sustainability Report
Introduction
A Message From Our President and CEO A Message From Our Chief Sustainability Officer Highlights Vision, Values, and Pillars Materiality Assessment History and Product Growth Our Products and Services Our Value Chain Our Stakeholders Our Sustainability Approach
Environment
Sustainable Forestry and Biodiversity Climate Change Energy Management Circular Bioeconomy and Resource Use Water Management Air Quality
Social
Health and Safety Employee Engagement and Well-being Community Involvement Indigenous Relations Customer Engagement
Governance
Board Oversight Supply Chain Management Human Rights Responsible Business Conduct and Ethics Industry Associations, Memberships, and Partnerships
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Appendix
Key Methodologies Report of Independent Accountants Performance Data Tables and Frameworks Sustainability At Work Report Downloads Glossary Forward-looking Statements

Water Management

Water is an essential resource both in our operations and the forests we manage. We are committed to reducing water usage and protecting water quality in a way that is environmentally sustainable and socially responsible.

GOAL

By 2030, reduce our pulp mill water withdrawal intensity by 10% compared to a 2019 baseline.

At Mercer, we recognize the fundamental importance of responsible water stewardship across our operations. Our pulp mills are our most water-intensive operations. 100% of the water used in the kraft pulping process is withdrawn as surface water from rivers near our operations. All our pulp mills’ environmental management systems are aligned with the ISO 14001 standard, providing a comprehensive framework to reduce water use and continuously improve the quality of our water discharges.

We strive to minimize the impact of our operations on water availability and quality. Our mills actively pursue opportunities to enhance water efficiency and increase water reuse and recycling, supported by various research and development initiatives.

WATER WITHDRAWAL

Our process water withdrawal per tonne of pulp has been relatively stable over the past six years. The 5% increase in water withdrawal intensity in 2024 compared to 2023 was primarily due to lower total pulp production as a result of unplanned downtime events. Included in our withdrawal metric is process and cooling water sourced from freshwater rivers at all our pulp mills. Non-contact cooling water is necessary to ensure safe and efficient power generation from the condensing turbines at the pulp mills. Although availability of water is critical to our operations, water consumption is low in relation to the volume of water withdrawn. Of all the water withdrawn from the environment, approximately 91% was returned back to nearby rivers as surface water after use in 2024.

WATER WITHDRAWAL (m3/ADMT)

91%

of water withdrawn by our pulp mills was returned to its source in 2024

MERCER’S WATER RISK ASSESSMENT

Recognizing the vital role of water in our operations and the broader ecosystem, we are committed to comprehensive water risk management overseen at the highest level by our Board of Directors. This involves assessing, mitigating, and monitoring water-related risks across our value chain to ensure sustainable water use, and the protection of local watershed health. Mercer continues to assess and manage its exposure to water risks, integrating our findings into our enterprise risk management processes and business strategy.

Mercer has conducted a comprehensive water risk assessment, guided by tools including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Water Risk Filter and the World Resource Institute (WRI) Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas. This assessment, which is reviewed annually for changes, evaluates risks from both regional and operational perspectives, considering the conditions of river basins and the impact of our operations on water resources. Our analysis reveals that Mercer Rosenthal operates in an area of high water stress. With water being so essential to the operations of our mills, particularly in our pulp manufacturing facilities, it is imperative that we carefully monitor and sustainably manage water use. Mercer Rosenthal continuously seeks to identify and implement strategic water risk mitigation and adaptation initiatives such as water recirculation, reverse osmosis filtration, and enhanced effluent cleaning protocols. These efforts at the mill aim to optimize water reuse, minimize freshwater withdrawal, and improve both water consumption efficiency and wastewater quality.

Water (Pulp Mills)
2023
2024
Water withdrawal
1,000 m3
107,748
112,262
m3 / ADMT
59.1
62.2
Water consumption
1,000 m3
10,855
9,952
Water consumption in areas of high water stress
1,000 m3
1,833
1,864

MEETING LOCAL REQUIREMENTS FOR WATER USE

While the mills in Germany operate under a unique set of regulations due to the size of their waterways versus the larger and wider rivers in Canada, all Mercer mills operate in accordance with the water treatment guidelines set by local authorities. The German government provides incentives to support improved water quality. Mercer’s mills employ an internal quality control system that tracks values and flags any discrepancies or deviations between the mill values and those sampled by the authorities.

MAINTAINING AND MONITORING WASTE WATER QUALITY

In 2024, we completed the second phase of a project to aid in replacing fresh water with condensate in wastewater treatment at Mercer Stendal. It involved the installation of a tank, a pump, and another pipeline to collect and transfer the condensate following the construction of a 40-meterlong pipe bridge that began in 2022. This project is an example of Mercer’s commitment to the responsible use of water. Mercer Stendal promotes sustainable water use by reducing reliance on freshwater from the River Elbe and aligning operations with environmental protection efforts to help support the river’s ecological health.

Treated effluent intensity has been relatively stable over the last six years. Lower 2024 total pulp production driven by unplanned downtime events contributed to a slight increase in treated effluent intensity as compared to 2023.

TREATED EFFLUENT (m3/ADMT)

We maintain internal water monitoring processes to measure the quality of our water discharge against key water quality parameters. All water discharged from our pulp mills is treated and returned as surface water back to the nearby rivers it originally came from. Through careful monitoring, spill control and containment protocols, we prioritize responsible water management and ensure we meet the requirements set out in our mills’ effluent permits.

Water Emissions (Pulp Mills)
2023
2024
AOx
kg/ADMT
0.056
0.062
BOD
kg/ADMT
0.21
0.26
COD
kg/ADMT
10.14
10.46
TSS
kg/ADMT
0.75
0.86
Water (Pulp Mills)
Treated effluent discharge
1,000 m3
72,383
72,985
m3 / ADMT
39.7
40.5
Total water discharge
1,000 m3
96,894
102,311

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