The journey of paper starts in the forest. We plant 50 million trees every year. We support sustainable forestry practices through forest certification, biodiversity programmes, and supply chain control.
Climate positive forestry
We love trees. That's why we plant more than we use.
The carbon capture effects of sustainably managed forests are higher than those for unmanaged forests.
What does sustainable forestry mean in the paper industry?
With clear management rules and strict controls of the forests as well as the wood-supply chain, sustainable forestry ensures a number of benefits from forests: A perpetual supply of the renewable resource wood, an increase in the forests' capacity to pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in trees, soil, and wood products, the promotion of biodiversity and the support of people who seek income and recreation from forests.
The use of fibre wood is beneficial to forest stability
The use of fibre wood - logging residues, small wood from thinnings and stumps – is of tremendous importance to forest landowner livelihoods. The so-called thinning prevents trees from growing too tall and thin and reduces the risks from snow, wind, fire and pests. With the increased growth rate caused by global warming, thinning is becoming increasingly important for forest stability. In addition, thinnings provide regular income to forest landowners, making forest management affordable, while waiting for trees reserved for construction to grow large enough for harvest.
The strength of our resolve
SELECTIVE HARVESTING
FOR HEALTHIER FORESTS AND BETTER PAPER
The harvesting method called thinning prevents trees from growing too tall and thin, which makes them susceptible to risks from snow, wind, fire and pests. Thinning promotes biodiversity by stimulating the forest’s composition and structure. With the increased growth rate caused by global warming, thinning is becoming increasingly important for forest stability. In addition, thinning increases the forest’s capacity to pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in trees, soils and wood products. Last but not least: Only small-diameter stems, harvested during thinning, are used for papermaking. Income from thinning is of tremendous importance to the livelihoods of family-forest owners.
RELIABLE PAPER
100% RESPONSIBLE, TRACEABLE, CONTROLLED
The wood we use to produce paper is legally logged and traded in accordance with all national and international laws and UPM‘s own wood-sourcing guidelines, which often are stricter than national regulations. All our wood supplies are from 100% controlled sources, 100 % traceable and covered by a third-party verified chain of custody.
MORE FOREST AREA
WE STRIVE TO PLANT 4 TREES FOR EVERY TREE WE HARVEST
UPM Communication Papers is a forest-based business. That’s why we actively ensure a healthy balance of forest use and growth. By planting 50 million seedlings every year, we are helping to ensure that forests continue to grow for many generations to come and playing a significant role in climate change mitigation. As one example of the effectiveness of sustainable forest management, the total forest area in Europe has increased by 11 million hectares in the last two decades.
ZERO TOLERANCE
NO DEFORESTATION AND NO RAINFOREST CONVERSION
We have zero tolerance for deforestation and strict processes in place to ensure that forests always grow more than they are used. Sustainable forestry preserves forests and increases carbon sinks. We do not use wood from tropical rainforests or work with plantations that destroy the rainforest. In sum: The wood we use for our papers comes from sustainably managed forests and rainforests are off limits.
GREEN LUNGS
FORESTS ARE SECOND ONLY TO OCEANS IN ABSORBING CO2
For good reason forests are called the lungs of our world: Growing forests store carbon from the atmosphere in wood, creating a carbon sink. In Finland, the annual growth rate of trees has increased from 50 million m3 in the 1960s to 107 million m3 today, and our own forests and soil in Finland store 0.9 million tonnes of CO2e annually.
GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY
WE’VE SUPPORTED THRIVING HABITATS FOR OVER 25 YEARS
More than a quarter century ago, we became the first company in the forest industry to launch a global biodiversity programme. To improve the level of biodiversity in our own forests, we have set biodiversity indicators to monitor our progress and we are continually developing better methods for biodiversity measurement. We protect biodiversity with a target of net positive impact.
Wood sourcing and forestry
Three regional UPM Wood Sourcing organizations ensure that all wood and wood fibre used in our paper products is sourced responsibly. All UPM Wood Sourcing organizations trace the wood according to the supply chain standards of FSC®-C014719 and PEFC/02-31-80 . All of UPM’s own forests are certified according to the FSC® and/or PEFC certification schemes. In addition, UPM has an FSC® and PEFC Group Certificate in Finland , which are open to private forest owners. For purchased wood fibre, we have set the target of 100% certified wood fibre by 2030 and in addition we promote a global increase in the use of certified wood.
Learn more
Harvest sustainably, protect habitats
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Webinar: Healthy forests and high-quality paper
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Augsburg – where sustainable forestry meets sustainable paper
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Mixed forests rather than monocultures – Q & A with Prof. Dr. Josef Settele
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Virtual Forest
UPM’s new Forest Life site offers users a unique way of getting to know forestry practices and the species inhabiting Finnish forests. The website takes its user on a tour in the forest and explains the ins and outs of sustainable forestry and forest management.
Biodiversity in good company
The 'Biodiversity in Good Company' Initiative is a cross-sectorial collaboration of companies that have joined forces to protect and sustainably use our worldwide biological diversity. UPM is part of the initiative.
Dive deeper into our sustainability agenda
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