“We empower our customers with innovative, functional and lightweight specialty paper solutions.“
Sustainability has moved from ambition to action across Austria’s industrial landscape. GrECo Austria’s Roland Litzinger sat down with the CEO of delfort. Martin Zahlbruckner, to discuss how a global specialty-paper group is driving emissions reductions, securing energy supply, and staying competitive, while keeping customers, employees and partners on the journey. Throughout their conversation one message comes through clearly: net zero is not a single project but a long-term operating model, powered by efficiency, electrification, renewable sourcing and transparent sustainability management
Why paper, and why net zero now?
Litzinger: You work with specialty papers every day; where do you see paper delivering the most value for consumers today, and what does “sustainable” have to mean for it to stay competitive?
Zahlbruckner: For us, it starts with what we enable for customers. We empower our customers with innovative, functional and lightweight specialty paper solutions. Delivering high-quality products tailored to meet the evolving needs of our clients, we consistently uphold responsible operations, fairness and equality in all our partnerships. As experts for specialty papers, we are dedicated to forward-thinking solutions and responsible supplier management, striving for net zero GHG emissions and the responsible use of renewable fibers. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, we enable our employees worldwide to unlock their full potential, which supports our customers across the globe to achieve their goals.
From forestry to production: climate neutrality reshapes the industry
Litzinger: As expectations around climate neutrality rise, how do you turn sustainability into a structured approach across the Group, beyond individual projects?
Zahlbruckner: We do that through a programmatic approach. The delfort climate care programme has been in place for years, consistently evolving to meet our commitment to environmental stewardship and our customers’ sustainability needs while remaining economically viable. We regularly update it to address dynamic factors such as changes in our product portfolio, energy and water supply security, geopolitical shifts, regulatory requirements, technological advancements and the impacts of climate change. Our climate care program is yielding significant results.
Decarbonizing energy: efficiency, electrification and renewables
Litzinger: The paper industry is energy intensive. What are the most practical levers you’re initially using to cut emissions and move away from fossil fuels?
Zahlbruckner: We’ve focused a significant portion of our investments on energy efficiency projects directly aimed at reducing GHG emissions. Many of these initiatives are long term in nature, and in recent years we concentrated on further planning and advancing them through the following key areas:Decarbonizing energy: efficiency, electrification and renewables
- Boiler electrification: The electrification of our heat and steam generation significantly contributes to our decarbonization efforts and stands as a cornerstone of our roadmap to net zero.
- Efficient energy use: In line with our strategic sustainability plan, we have also begun upgrading the lighting systems to energy-efficient LED technology at several sites, with the full conversion completed at one site in early 2025.
- Photovoltaic generation: Investing in on-site electricity generation through PV systems supports our commitment to renewable energy and reduces emissions.
- Long-term power purchasing strategy: CO2-free and renewable power purchasing provides long-term and reliable access to energy at stable prices, supporting our commitment to net zero.
Litzinger: You’ve pointed to Tervakoski (heat pump plus electrode boiler) as a breakthrough example. What did that project change for the site in practice?
Zahlbruckner: With the installation of the heat pump as the final step in the site’s energy-supply decarbonization project, one of the world’s most modern and highly efficient paper production facilities has been created, in which fossil fuels can be completely replaced. With a total investment of more than 50 million euros, delfort is reducing energy consumption, eliminating the use of fossil fuels, and enabling the site to achieve zero emissions. For us, this is a major step toward decarbonization, increased efficiency, and long-term resilience as it significantly strengthens our overall performance.
Competitiveness and resilience: making the transition affordable
Litzinger: How do you keep transformation affordable and the business stable, especially with volatile energy markets and geopolitical uncertainty?
Zahlbruckner: For us, financial stability is essential to our stakeholders. Our suppliers, customers, employees and the wider communities in which we operate rely on the confidence that we are financially secure and well-positioned for the future. The geopolitical landscape and ongoing energy challenges continue to impact market stability, adding to the complexity of regulatory shifts, especially within the EU. We are responding with a measured approach, addressing the effects of rising energy costs, inflation and disruptions in global supply chains. Despite these obstacles, we remain resilient, ensuring consistent service delivery to our customers and maintaining stability for our employees.
Recognition, governance and momentum
Zahlbruckner: It reinforces the direction we’re taking. In addition to continuous efficiency gains achieved through modern technologies, further electrification, and investments in sustainable in-house energy generation, this marks a significant milestone for us. The renewed EcoVadis Platinum rating confirms that we are among the global leaders in sustainability management and performance (89/100, top 1% globally) and underlines our commitment to achieving net zero emissions.
About delfort
Founded in 2006 in Austria, delfort is a global leader in specialty papers. With over 3,300 employees in more than 20 countries, their family-owned company operates six paper mills and delivers 1,500 types of specialty paper to customers in over 100 countries.
Roland Litzinger
Head of International Business GrECo Austria
T +43 664 210 50 13
Dr. Martin Zahlbruckner
CEO
delfort
