The ESG Cost of Paper and Paper Guarantees: the Hidden Impact

Did you know?

Printing just one A4 sheet of paper consumes:
💧 2 liters of water
💨 2.5 grams of CO₂
⚡ 20 Wh of energy

Sounds small? Now imagine the impact of ONE single paper guarantee.

📝 5 sheets for the initial guarantee
🔄 4 changes, each requiring 2 additional sheets = 8 sheets
👥 3 participants (applicant, guarantor, beneficiary) each needing a copy = 39 sheets in total

That’s 39 sheets per paper guarantee! ⚠️

Real Environmental Impact of One Paper Guarantee

📊 Using the DVS ESG Calculator, we can measure the environmental footprint of just one single paper guarantee:

💧 Water Consumption:
39 sheets x 2L = 78 liters (equivalent to the amount of drinking water for 2 people in a month!)

💨 CO₂ Emissions:
39 sheets x 2.5g = 97.5g (equivalent to driving a car for 0.8km, same as 3 city blocks!)

⚡ Energy Consumption:
39 sheets x 20Wh = 780Wh (enough to power a 10W LED bulb for 78 hours, which is over 3 days!)

🌲 Impact on Deforestation:
1 tree = 8,333 sheets of paper
If a large company issues 210 paper guarantees per year, that means 1 full tree is lost.

For 100 customers? Let’s see the BIG impact:

40 Construction/Infrastructure customers with 200 guarantees per year = 33.7 trees

30 Manufacturing/Export customers with 60 guarantees per year = 11.2 trees

30 Services/Technology customers with 30 guarantees per year = 4.7 trees

⚠️ TOTAL TREES LOST PER YEAR = 50 trees! 🌲

The Environmental Costs of Paper Usage

Water Consumption:
The production of paper requires vast amounts of water. In fact, printing just one A4 sheet uses more than 2 liters of water. This water is used in the pulping process, where raw materials are broken down to make paper, and it has a broader impact on global water resources.
CO₂ Emissions:
Each sheet of paper produced contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Printing one A4 sheet emits about 2.5 grams of CO₂, as paper production and printing typically rely on energy from fossil fuels.
Energy Consumption:
Producing paper is energy-intensive. The process of creating a single A4 sheet consumes about 20Wh of energy, adding to the environmental footprint of traditional printing.
Deforestation:
Paper production is closely linked to deforestation, as trees are harvested for raw materials. If a large company issues 210 paper guarantees per year, one full tree is lost. Across multiple industries, this leads to thousands of trees lost annually for guarantees only.
Waste and Pollution:
The paper production process generates waste materials, including chemicals used for treatment, as well as water runoff. Additionally, discarded paper, if not properly recycled, contributes to waste and landfill issues.