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  • Overall approach
    6/16
    • Overarching commitment on deforestation
      4/6
      Deforestation commitment
      Zero-deforestation
      4/6
      Commodities (if applicable): 0
      "Paper suppliers must ensure that the paper procured by News Corp for its printed publications contains fiber that are [...] not contributing to deforestation"
      Open source document
    • Signatory to an initiative tackling deforestation
      0/1
    • Awareness of the value of forests
      1/1
      Awareness
      Yes
      1/1
      "Paper suppliers must ensure that the paper procured by News Corp for its printed publications contains fiber that are ...] not harvested in forests where high conservation values are threatened (e.g. areas of old growth and/or endangered forests)."
      Open source document
    • Deforestation as a business risk
      0/1
    • High-level management of deforestion
      1/1
      High-level management
      Yes
      1/1
      Which commodities does it apply to?: Pulp & Paper

      How often does the committee or board meet to assess company's progress on addressing deforestation-related issues?: Not disclosed
      Quoted in their CDP report - "Our Global Environmental Initiative (GEI), part of our "Corporate Citizenship" initiative that encompasses philanthropy and volunteerism in addition to environmental initiatives, provides the platform to reduce our environmental impact. The Global Head of Government Affairs reports to CEO, a member of the Board of Directors, and has direct responsibility for our GEI program. Day to day implementation and management of relevant climate change programs are handled by the corporate GEI Committee, made up of environmental team leaders at each business and led by News Corp's VP of of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) & Sustainability who provides EHS strategic and operational leadership for the global enterprise, including stewardship of the GEI sustainability initiatives, and reports to the Global Head of Government Affairs. Members of the board are periodically updated on GEI activities, and the CEO is ultimately responsible to make any final decisions on sustainability matters."
      Open source document
    • Executive compensation linked to deforestation
    • Target to reduce emissions from land-use change
      0/3
    • Reporting on emissions from land-use change
      0/3
    • Disclosure of conservation activity
    • Disclosure of reforestation activity
  • Commodity score
    35/84
    • Pulp & Paper
      35/84
      • Commitment Strength
        22/28
        • Commitment to protect priority forests
          9/12
          • Commitment details
            Zero-gross deforestation
            6/8
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Zero-gross deforestation
            6/8
            If Other, specify here: SFI, CSA

            Which certification schemes are used?: FSC; PEFC; Other certification
            "By 2025, 100% of all News Corp globally purchased publication paper will be sourced from FSC, PEFC, SFI or CSA certified material."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            "This Policy applies globally, to every director, officer, employee or representative of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries and divisions (Business Units). All stakeholders should understand, respect, implement and promote this Policy."
            Open source document
          • Target date
            2025
            0.5/1.3
            Target date
            2025
            0.5/1.3
            "By 2025, 100% of all News Corp globally purchased publication paper will be sourced from FSC, PEFC, SFI or CSA certified material."
            Open source document
          • Interim target date
            No
            0/0.7
        • Commitment to reduce use of virgin wood fibre
          6/8
          • Commitment details
            Yes
            4/4
            Commitment to reduce use of virgin wood fibre
            Yes
            4/4
            Type of commitment: Recycled content; Reduction of material inputs
            "News Corp strives to purchase recycled content paper for its printed publications and reduce its overall use of virgin fiber where possible. We seek to increase efficiency in the publication process by optimizing basis weights on products where appropriate in order to reduce the use of virgin fiber and raw materials consumed in the production of that paper."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            "News Corp strives to purchase recycled content paper for its printed publications and reduce its overall use of virgin fiber where possible"
            Open source document
          • Target date
            No target date
            0/1.3
            Target date
            No target date
            0/1.3
            "News Corp strives to purchase recycled content paper for its printed publications and reduce its overall use of virgin fiber where possible. We seek to increase efficiency in the publication process by optimizing basis weights on products where appropriate in order to reduce the use of virgin fiber and raw materials consumed in the production of that paper."
            Open source document
          • Interim target date
            No
            0/0.7
        • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
          7/8
          • Commitment details
            Traces to Point of production
            4/4
            Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            Traces to Point of production
            4/4
            Paper suppliers must ensure that the paper procured by News Corp for its printed publications contains fiber that are: [...] Verified and documented as coming from a traceable source, down to the origin forest."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            Paper suppliers must ensure that the paper procured by News Corp for its printed publications contains fiber that are: [...] Verified and documented as coming from a traceable source, down to the origin forest."
            Open source document
          • Target date
            Current/2020/Pre-2020
            1.3/1.3
            Target date
            Current/2020/Pre-2020
            1.3/1.3
            Paper suppliers must ensure that the paper procured by News Corp for its printed publications contains fiber that are: [...] Verified and documented as coming from a traceable source, down to the origin forest." 2019 CDP Forests Report states that it aims for 100% traceability by 2020.
            Open source document
            Open source document
          • Interim target date
            No
            0/0.7
      • Social Considerations
        1/18
        • Labour rights in the supply chain
          No
          0/4
          Labour rights in the supply chain
          No
          0/4
          Details of commitment: Discrimination
        • Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          No
          0/4
        • Gender equality in the supply chain
          Discrimination/Gender Rights/Harassment
          1/4
          Gender equality in the supply chain
          Discrimination/Gender Rights/Harassment
          1/4
          Suppliers are expected to adhere to what is contained within this code of conduct - "Non-discrimination Employment-related decisions (hiring, promotion, compensation, etc.) must be compliant with applicable anti-discrimination laws to ensure that the Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of a person’s race, color, religion, age, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, military or veteran’s status, marital status or any other characteristic prohibited from consideration by the laws of the countries, states and cities in which the Company does business."
          Open source document
        • Commitment to remediation
          No
          0/2
        • Commitment to ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          No commitment
          0/4
      • Reporting and Implementation
        12/38
        • Reporting against commitments
          4/6
          • Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            2/2
            Does the company report on the degree of compliance/progress with commitments, disaggregated by relevant factors such as origin or supply chain stage?: No
            "We will work with our paper suppliers using a self-assessment method to achieve progressive improvement and transparently report progress annually through the publicly available CDP Forests report." "our HarperCollins UK business has targeted 2020 to have 100% of their books printed on FSC certified material. And in 2018, HarperCollins UK achieved 99% FSC certified material." "In FY2018, we have reached 75% certified via FSC, PEFC, SFI, CSA or equivalent."
            Open source document
            Open source document
          • Commitment to reduce use of virgin wood fibre
            No
            0/2
          • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            Yes
            2/2
            What percentage of the commodity volume in the company's supply chain is traceable to applicable supply chain levels (e.g. direct suppliers/processing facility/production unit)?: 61% to forest level

            Does the company report on the degree of compliance/progress with commitments, disaggregated by relevant factors such as origin or supply chain stage?: Yes
            "We have also met our 2015 goal of traceability of all purchased paper down to the mill and country of origin, and plan to trace all purchased paper down to the forest level globally by 2020." Current status of the latter goal is 61-70% traceability.
            Open source document
        • Reporting is independently verified
          1/4
          • Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes: third-party
            1.3/1.3
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes: third-party
            1.3/1.3
            Which processes or groups does the company use for third party verification?: FSC, PEFC, SFI, CSA

            For what percent of the company’s supply volume is third-party verification of performance relative to commitments conducted?: 75%

            Which tools, approaches, third-party verification, including certification, schemes are used?: FSC, PEFC, SFI, CSA
            "In FY2018, we have reached 75% certified via FSC, PEFC, SFI, CSA or equivalent."
            Open source document
          • Commitment to reduce use of virgin wood fibre
            No
            0/1.3
          • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            No
            0/1.3
        • Deforestation cut off date
          No
          0/2
        • Collaborative actions
          No
          0/2
        • Risk assessments for forest risk
          Yes
          2/2
          Risk assessments for forest risk
          Yes
          2/2
          How frequently are assessments conducted?: "Six-monthly or more frequently"
          CDP Forests Report 2019: "Does your organization undertake a forests-related risk assessment?Yes, forests-related risks are assessed" [...] "Assessed as part of other company-wide risk assessment system" [...] Risks are assessed using "Internal company methods, External consultants [and] Global Security Operations Center"
          Open source document
        • Operations assessed to comply with law
          No
          0/2
        • Accessible grievance mechanism
          No
          0/4
        • Report volumes of commodity
          Reporting non-certified/non-compliant volume; Reporting certified/compliant volume
          4/4
          Report volumes of commodity
          Reporting non-certified/non-compliant volume; Reporting certified/compliant volume
          4/4
          What is the non-certified/non-compliant volume?: 180,456 tons

          For what percent of the company's supply volume is third-party verification of performance relative to commitments conducted?: 75%

          Which certification schemes are used?: FSC; PEFC

          What is the certified volume?: 541366 tons
          CDP Forests report from 2019 states that 721,822 tons of timber were used in FY2018 - "This covers the paper consumed by our publications globally"
          Open source document
        • Downstream: Publishing supplier lists
          No disclosure
          0/4
        • Downstream: Monitor compliance in supply chain
          Yes for its suppliers only
          3/4
          Downstream: Monitor compliance in supply chain
          Yes for its suppliers only
          3/4
          For what percent of suppliers does the company directly monitor compliance of production or processing operations?: 100%

          How frequently is compliance assessed?: Monthly and quarterly

          Details of monitoring: Using internal monitoring and verification systems

          For what percentage of suppliers does the company use/rely on external mechanisms to monitor compliance?: 0% Not Specified

          What percentage of the company's supply chain volume does that represent?: 100%
          We will work with our paper suppliers using a self-assessment method to achieve progressive improvement and transparently report progress annually through the publicly available CDP Forests report. This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure its efficacy and currency.
          Open source document
        • Downstream: Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          No engagement or exclusion
          0/2
        • Downstream: Disclosure of non-compliant suppliers
          No disclosure
          0/2
  • Commitment strength
    22/28
    Avg. score
  • Reporting and Implementation
    12/38
    Avg. score
  • Social considerations
    1/18
    Avg. score

Profile

News Corp is a media, information, and publishing service. News Corp owns many big newspapers, such as the Times, the Sun, the Wall Street Journal and New York Post. The large-scale publishing operations require vast amounts of pulp and paper. News Corp. is selected as a powerbroker for pulp & paper.

Sector
Industry sector 
Printing & publishing
Segments
Retailer
HQ
HQ 
United States
Company Type
Company type 
Public listed
Collective Commitments
Consumer Goods Forum member
New York Declaration on Forests signatory

Top Brands

The Times, The Sun, Wall Street Journal, The Sunday Times, 20th century Fox, Fox News, GQ Australia, Masterchef, Dow & Jones Company, Financial News, Talksport, Harper Collins

How we assess the Forest 500

To ensure deforestation free supply chains, companies need to adopt and implement timebound and measurable policies for forest risk commodities.

All assessments use policies published on company websites, some links may have changed or been removed since the time of assessment.

Full corporate sector performance data Forest 500 assessment methodology

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Disclaimer

This assessment has been carried out following the methodology developed for the Forest 500 project, available here. Please see our disclaimer applicable to all information contained within this site and our terms and conditions for use of data presented on this site.

All assessments use policies published on company and financial institution websites, and while we endeavor to keep them updated some links may have changed or been removed since the time of assessment.

Please contact us with any concerns or feedback about this or other assessments included in the Forest 500.