In reference to Goh Lin Piao, Managing Director of APP's response in the Mongabay article as to whether other Sinar Mas businesses fell outside our Forest Conservation Policy, his answer specifically refereed to Golden Energy and Resources, which is a public-listed coal mining operation. He underlined the point that each industry and each supply chain has its only unique production and sustainability challenges and hence requires its own unique policy in line with the industry in which it operates in – even within companies that are part of the same brand. The sustainability challenges faced by a forest company will be different from those of a mining business. The Forest Conservation Policy was drafted specifically for APP and its wood supply chain. It has done tremendous good for it. Nevertheless, it is too simplistic to imagine that APP’s FCP is a one-size fits all solution for all companies in different industries. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Choose Water bottle, developed by a British scientist, James Longcroft, aims to replace plastic bottles and help save the world’s oceans from plastic waste. The outer lining of the bottle is made out of recycled paper, while the waterproof inner lining is made with a composite material which was developed in-house. All elements of the bottle can fully decompose within three weeks when left in water or landfill and can be eaten by sea creatures without harm. The steel cap on the bottle will also rust and fully decompose within a year whereas, plastic usually takes hundreds of years to break down. Longcroft, who lives in Scotland, is finalising patents and started crowdfunding in order for the bottles to be mass produced and stocked in supermarket shelves. He has raised just over £35,000 and expects the water bottle to be launched in September 2018. Click Read More below for additional information.

Each year on June 5, World Environment Day is observed and celebrated in over 100 countries. Since 1974, the United Nations has used this day to promote awareness about the protection of our environment worldwide. The World Environment Day website perhaps says it best, “Above all, World Environment Day is the ‘people’s day’ for doing something to take care of the Earth. That something can be focused locally, nationally or globally; it can be a solo action or involve a crowd. Everyone is free to choose.” There are many misconceptions about the printing industry with regard to paper manufacturing and environmental responsibility. In celebration of World Environment Day, we’d like to share some facts and educate our audience about our use of paper materials. Although we use large quantities of paper for commercial print production, we strive to be environmentally sustainable in all facets of our business operation. Click Read More below for additional information.

Every year in the spring and summer, JDI Chief Naturalist Kelly Honeyman and JDI Fish & Wildlife Manager John Gilbert team up to coordinate over 800 hours of training to over 200 contractors and foresters in the regions where JDI operates. The environmental training includes: • Rare Plant Habitat Identification and Training • Stick Nest Identification and Protection Policy • Operating near watercourses, including vernal pools and wetlands • Unique Areas Program • Review of Species of Concern Guide • Review of Forest Certification Process and Successes. JDI’s biodiversity strategy encompasses research, training, and the application of technology to ensure that our forestry operations meet our biodiversity objectives. JDI’s international award-winning Unique Areas Conservation Program has grown from 29 sites in the 1980’s to 1,454 sites in 2018. Click Read More below for additional information.

After studying in detail the report put together by the Koalisi Anti Mafia Hutan (KAMH), we are unsure of what wrongdoing they are alleging APP have committed. It is not unusual for any company to have significant economic or operational relationships with other companies in their supply chain. This is especially so in highly integrated supply chains like ours. APP’s key focus is to ensure that our wood supply is free from deforestation. Our links and influence over our suppliers play a major part in ensuring that. As stated in the KAMH report’s disclaimer, all the information presented about the ownership structures of companies in our supply chain are from publicly available sources, including our own disclosures. We are unsure as to how KAMH has arrived at the conclusion that this information is being deliberately hidden from public view. Click Read More below for additional information.

Using wood in construction is fantastic. It looks good, is easy to work with, is healthy for the people living and working within it and is great for our planet – but only if it comes from a sustainable source. Whatever timber you choose, whether solid wood or engineered wood such as CLT and glulam, it is vital that it comes from a forest that is managed sustainably, ensuring it is around for generations to come. But how can you be sure that the wood actually came from such a sustainably managed forest? The answer, of course, is PEFC certification! Click Read More below for additional information.

Do you want to give your feedback as we revise our benchmark for sustainable forest management? But feel like you need more information on how this vital document is changing? Then make sure you register for our upcoming webinars! Taking place 12 and 14 June, these webinars will introduce and explain the main proposed changes to PEFC ST 1003 – the international benchmark that provides the basis for the requirements that forest owners or managers must meet to achieve PEFC certification at local level. Make sure you register now so you don’t miss out. Click Read More below for additional information.

SCA is aiming to become completely fossil free. The Ortviken paper mill has taken a major step in the right direction and last year reported the lowest level ever of emissions from fossil fuels. In conjunction with BioCoop, Ortviken invested in a new combustion unit which made it possible to replace oil and LPG with wood powder. In 2012, Ortviken emitted 43,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, a figure that dropped to 17,000 tonnes in 2017. "This is the lowest level of emissions of fossil carbon dioxide from oil and LPG ever. In 2017, we emitted 26,000 tonnes less carbon dioxide compared with five years ago. This is equivalent to 283,000 journeys in a Volvo car between Sundsvall and Stockholm," says Charlotta Lindberg, environmental engineer at the Ortviken paper mill. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Austrian, Canadian, UK and Uruguayan national forest certification systems have successfully achieved PEFC re-endorsement, confirming they continue to meet our globally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks. Combined, these four systems account for over 40 million hectares of sustainably managed forest. For both Austria and the UK, this is the fourth time these systems have achieved PEFC endorsement; it is the third time for Canada and the second for Uruguay. Click Read More below for additional information.

Greenpeace announced its decision to withdraw its engagement with APP after 5 years of cooperation. The issues flagged by Greenpeace that resulted in this disengagement came to light when Associated Press raised some of these concerns in an article in December last year. Since then APP has worked specifically to address the problems that fall within the scope of responsibility of the company, including agreeing on a detailed action plan with TFT to address these issues. Despite concerns raised by Greenpeace, our teams remain confident that maintaining an open dialogue and a strong working relationship with APP and all its stakeholders is essential to achieving success. We have witnessed this along our journey of supporting APP’s Forest Conservation Policy since 2013, where we faced similar challenges and found solutions collectively. Hence, TFT recommends that customers stay engaged with APP and their supply chain, closely tracking the company’s progress till the issues are resolved. Markets should also not move away from the transformation journey. Their support for transformation is essential to make sure this positive move happens. Click Read More below for additional information.

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is disappointed by the statement released by Greenpeace today. Greenpeace has been an integral partner in our sustainability journey since 2013, and their engagement and support has resulted in much progress in the fight against deforestation in Indonesia. Greenpeace were instrumental in the drafting of our Forest Conservation Policy (FCP), which has helped APP achieve a deforestation-free supply chain. Among many other achievements, APP has also identified and protected more than 600,000ha of natural forest through the implementation of High Carbon Stock Approach and High Conservation Value studies within its concessions and those of its third party suppliers. Their statement today, however, has expanded the issue to the rest of the Sinar Mas Group, which is outside the scope of the FCP. Over the past three months, we have been communicating with Greenpeace transparently to address the issues raised by Associated Press (AP) report. Click Read More below for additional information.

For nearly two decades, our Rainforest Alliance partnership has helped preserve the integrity of North American forests and promote biodiversity conservation through responsible paper production and fiber sourcing. Our shared initiatives include some of the earliest forest certification projects as well as ongoing landowner education efforts. The Rainforest Alliance’s CEO, Han de Groot, recently spoke about changes at the organization since their merger with UTZ this past January and the enduring relationship and shared goals with Domtar. Q: Our Rainforest Alliance partnership has endured since 2000, thanks to our shared ideas on sustainable forestry. What makes this partnership unique? Click Read More below for additional information.

Smurfit Kappa has achieved a 26% reduction in CO2 emissions three years ahead of time, according to its annual Sustainable Development Report, which was published today. The packaging leader had set an ambitious target to reduce the relative total fossil CO2 emissions in its mill system by 25%. In today’s report, the packaging leader confirmed that it had surpassed the target, which had a 2020 deadline, at the end of 2017. While Smurfit Kappa’s paper-based packaging is renewable and recyclable, the paper production process itself is energy intensive. Reaching the climate change goal further reinforces the company’s ongoing commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by focusing on energy efficiency and the use of renewable sources of fuel such as biomass, where feasible. Click Read More below for additional information.

From the high use of water and pesticides to produce cotton, to the climate impact of manufacturing synthetic fibres, the fashion industry is one of the most resource intensive industries in the world. In response, the fashion industry is increasingly looking to implement sustainability within its supply chains. This week, we are at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit to promote our solution directly to fashion brands and retailers. The solution? Forests, of course! Forests provide materials and fibres for many of the common consumer products we use today. Yarn from cypress, beech and eucalyptus trees can make fibres for clothing. Cork and wood can be used for not only clothing, but accessories too. Check out the shoes we are taking to the Summit, made from eucalyptus and natural rubber. Click Read More below for additional information.

Domtar’s safety culture is founded on the idea of human performance improvement (HPI), which acknowledges that people are inherently fallible and they will make mistakes. However, HPI isn’t about fixing the worker; rather, it holds the entire organization accountable by understanding the context surrounding events and why individuals exhibited behaviors that lead to safety incidents. Both individual actions and organizational weaknesses can result in unwanted outcomes. Therefore, HPI-based initiatives are proactive in nature. They focus on risk reduction and continuous improvement by implementing solutions to prevent errors that could lead to a negative outcome. Click Read More below for additional information.

What are the most common causes of global deforestation? The answers might surprise you. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines deforestation as the conversion of forests to another land use or a permanent loss of forest cover. Deforestation is not a major issue in North America. In fact, in the United States, net total forest area has actually increased in the past 60 years, while in Canada, forest cover remains stable. However, this is not the case in other regions of the world, where the rapid loss of tree cover has reached alarming rates. Despite the fact that the pulp and paper industry is not a major contributor to deforestation in many regions, myths continue to persist about the role our industry plays in this growing problem worldwide. That said, consumers who purchase pulp and paper products without considering the source drive demand in regions where less sustainable practices are common. Click Read More below for additional information.

Port Hawkesbury Paper has compiled the mill's sustainability numbers for 2017. We are proud of the progress we have made in reducing water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and solid waste. The mill continues to innovate and find new ways to maximize the efficiency of the resources used by the mill.

Our revised Sustainable Forest Management benchmark is now up for public consultation, and we are asking you to share your insights and knowledge to help us further improve this vital document. Our Sustainable Forest Management benchmark is at the core of what we do. It provides the basis for the requirements that forest owners or managers must meet to achieve PEFC certification at local level. We therefore need to ensure that it continues to meet the demands and expectations – now and in the future. From expanded social requirements to refined definitions within the forest, and even the opportunity to broaden the scope of sustainable forest management; together with our stakeholders we have moved this benchmark forward – and now we need to hear from you. Click Read More below for additional information.

“Paper recycling brings continued economic, environmental and social benefits to communities across the country,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. “We thank the millions of Americans who choose to recycle every day for their essential contributions to paper recycling’s success.” “Paper is one of the most successfully recovered and recycled commodities in the U.S. because of our strong, market-driven voluntary system,” said AF&PA Board Chairman and GEC Packaging Technologies CEO John Rooney. “Our industry will continue to support and implement education programs and initiatives that drive awareness and increase access to paper recycling.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Apple has introduced a new campus called the ‘Apple Park’ in Cupertino, California. It is reported that 80 percent of it will feature landscaping, which is set to include 9,000 trees. The new structure spans about a mile in circumference and is a single ring. The entire facility is powered by renewable energy. Solar panels on the roof generate up to 17 megawatts of power, enough for 75 percent of demand during peak times. The rest of the building’s needs are met by onsite fuel cells powered by biofuel or natural gas. Click Read More below for additional information.

Hachette Book Group has been one of the most steadfast publishers in reporting its annual progress on meeting its environmental goals—and late last week, the company reported it had made steady, if small, gains towards its targets. During 2017, HBG reduced its carbon footprint by 2%, slightly below its annual reduction goal of 2.5% for the 2017 to 2020 period. The company noted that expansion at the publisher—which included the integration of Perseus, the growth in title output, and the growrth in number of employees and office locations—had played a role in the slight miss of the 2.5% carbon reduction goal. Click Read More below for additional information.

Resolute reports on business and sustainability results together – an approach that reinforces our vision that profitability and sustainability drive our future. The 2017 Annual and Sustainability Report features three principal components. The Economic section outlines our corporate business and sustainability strategies, the Environmental section includes updates on our sustainability performance; and the Social section provides insight into our continuous efforts to be a better employer, a stronger business partner, and even more deeply engaged in the communities in which we live and work. I invite you to learn more about Resolute’s rewarding culture by reading the online version of our 2017 Annual and Sustainability Report. Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM Biofuels' continuous efforts for a more sustainable supply chain and operations has been recognized by the world's first RSB (Roundtable of Sustainable Biomaterials) low ILUC (indirect land use change) risk certification. The certificate was received for crude tall oil, the feedstock used for UPM BioVerno renewable fuels production at the Lappeenranta Biorefinery in Finland, and for UPM's cultivation of the Brassica carinata oil crop in Uruguay. The RSB low ILUC risk certification is an additional proof of sustainability for UPM Biofuels, showing that the company's use of crude tall oil and Brassica carinata oil for biofuels production has a low risk of causing indirect emissions elsewhere. The low ILUC risk RSB certification places UPM Biofuels' raw materials, crude tall oil and Brassica carinata oil in the category of most sustainable feedstocks. Click Read More below for additional information.

“We applaud the Administration for reflecting long-standing scientific principles and Congressional direction in recognizing as carbon neutral the paper and wood products industry’s use of renewable biomass for energy production. We are one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the nation, eager to strengthen the economy and boost U.S. job creation with the support of public policy that levels the playing field with competitors around the globe. This new EPA policy is an important milestone in implementing the Congressional directive to produce clear and simple policies and acknowledges the scientific record on the carbon neutrality of forest-based, renewable biomass. We look forward to working with EPA as it develops regulations to fully implement this policy.”

For the fourth year in a row, BPM Inc., northeast Wisconsin paper mill, has received recognition as a Green Professional in the Wisconsin Green Masters Program. The Green Masters Program recognizes and assesses Wisconsin businesses on their sustainability performance in a variety of sustainability categories. According to a letter received from Kevin Banas, Green Masters Program Director, BPM is also in the running to achieve the highest rank as a Green Master, to be announced the end of October with Masters level certificates given out in person at the annual conference in December. “Participation in the Green Masters Program validates BPM’s continued commitment to the environment, sustainability and social responsibility,” said Jim Koronkiewicz, BPM General Manager. “It’s a hands-on tool that BPM can use annually to review areas of sustainable potential. With an increased score of 20% over last year, the BPM team has worked hard for this impressive accomplishment.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Students from area schools will join together to recognize Earth Day by picking up trash, litter and garbage to make area communities cleaner. For the past seven years, BPM has donated garbage bags and gloves for area students. Schools and organizations which have volunteered to clean up surrounding areas of school grounds and communities include Central Elementary, Coleman Elementary and Middle, Lena Public, M&M Love Where You Live Volunteers, Marinette Middle and High, Merryman Elementary, Oconto Falls Elementary, Oconto Middle, Park Elementary, Peshtigo Elementary and Middle High, St. Thomas Aquinas Academy and Suring Public. With the excellent response and interest, the company provided bags and gloves to 15 schools and organizations for an estimated 2100 students, teachers and volunteers. “The Earth Day Clean Up is a community event we look forward to every year,” said Mitchell Mekaelian, VP of Sales and Marketing. “Since 2009, BPM has coordinated the donation and partnerships with area schools. Year after year, we receive positive feedback from teachers and students. This is a hands-on way to have kids involved in making a difference within the community in which they live.” Click Read More below for additional information.

As we kick off the FSC US Forest Management (FM) Standard revision process, FSC US is looking for several consultants to apply their knowledge and experience. We have identified areas of work needed to address issues identified by stakeholders, in combination with requirements embedded in the revised FSC Principles & Criteria (Version 5) and associated International Generic Indicators. Materials, analysis and recommendations developed by these consultants will inform the efforts of the FM Revision Working Group in the following areas: •Protections for Indigenous Peoples and their rights; •Family Forest indicators and guidance and associated terminology used in the standard; •FSC US Region boundaries and regional requirements. Click Read More below for additional information.

Two Sides North America has released the first of three engaging new infographics on Why do so many people love print on paper? The first of three infographics focuses on the fact that the majority of Americans feel that print on paper is safe and secure, sustainable and trusted. “Overall the survey results are very positive in favor of print and paper, in some cases surprisingly so. Although we regularly hear corporations tout going digital or “paperless” as safe, secure and more green – this is clearly not a shared opinion by a large majority of the public who seem to trust paper for many applications,” says Phil Riebel, President Two Sides North America. Click Read More below to download a copy.

Klabin has published the Public Summaryof the 2017 Forestry Management Planforits forestry operations in the region of Angatuba in the interior of São Paulo state. The Summary outlines the company’s efforts to promote adequate management of its forests, the indicators of its social and environmental actions and investments made in line with its Sustainability Policy. One of the highlights in the period was the inauguration of the Rolim Rosa Community Center in Angatuba. The Community Center will host educational and cultural activities, music and dance workshops, as well as cooking and fitness classes. Developed and executed by Klabin as social compensation for the city, the project benefits over two thousand residents of Jardim Elisa Volpi and Residencial Vital Rolim Rosa. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sappi North America has released its 2017 Sustainability Report showcasing its industry leading sustainability performance. The report includes up-to-date information on the company's progress against five year goals measuring environmental, economic and social responsibility commitments as well as providing insights into its continued technical innovation. "Sappi North America is committed to a holistic approach to sustainability. We believe that we best create sustained value for our customers, communities, employees and shareholders by committing to the right actions across our operations and company, from improving operating efficiencies, reducing waste, to investing in our employees and our mills," said Mark Gardner, President and CEO, Sappi North America. Click Read More below for additional information.

To the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. sustainability is not simply an initiative, it is integral to every aspect of its operations. The company has won numerous local, state and national awards for its efforts and its Chico, California, headquarters has onsite wastewater treatment and composting facilities as well as the largest solar installation of any craft brewer. Sierra Nevada has taken another step in its sustainability journey - diverting thousands of pounds of nitrile gloves from its manufacturing waste stream through The RightCycle Program from Kimberly-Clark Professional. Since 2016, the company has diverted more than 6,800 pounds of gloves, equivalent to the weight of more than 450 bowling balls. Click Read More below for additional information.

Established by APRIL Group in 2013, RER is an ecosystem restoration programme that works to protect and restore ecologically important peatland forest within Indonesia’s Riau Province. Located on Sumatra’s eastern coastline, RER is comprised from five government ecosystem restoration licenses totalling 150,000 hectares of peatland forest, with 130,000 hectares located on the Kampar Peninsula and an additional 20,000 ha located on nearby Padang Island. The restoration area at Kampar Peninsula is twice the size of Singapore. Another notable highlight was the discovery of the restoration area’s 300th bird species. Known as the Blue-winged Pitta (Pitta Mollucensis), it joins several IUCN-listed endangered or rare species, and now means that representatives of 18 per cent of Indonesia’s bird species have found safe haven inside RER. Click Read More below for additional information.

The virtual forest developed by Metsä Group, Tieto and CTRL Reality runs on all VR devices, and it can simulate different forest management methods and their impact on income and the landscape, for example. The solution can replace actual visits to the forest, and it helps to illustrate the impact of forest management activities, among others, to forest owners. "Being the digital pioneer in its industry, Metsä Group built the first version of its virtual forest in autumn 2017. The version has been tested with forest owners ever since and, on the basis of feedback, we are developing the final version, which will be completed in autumn 2018. We demonstrated the virtual forest with Tieto at Slush in November 2017, and received tons of positive feedback from professionals in the digital sector", says Juha Jumppanen, senior vice president for member services at Metsä Group. Click Read More below for additional information.

In an annual air report prepared for Kamloops city council by Domtar, the company will invest $3.5 million towards new machines. One is an electro-static precipitator that is used to remove smoke and dust particles from gases and the other is a scrubber used to clean and reduce air emissions. It will also eliminate the need for liquid sulfur dioxide - one of the most hazardous liquids used at Domtar mill. The 2017 pulp mill data also shows air emissions and odour from the manufacturer has decreased in the last few years, but the report does not say if the new equipment will reduce odour caused by air pollution. Click Read More below for additional information.

About a year ago residents spotted debris floating in the Humber Canal waters. Corner Brook Pulp and Paper then hired divers, who located two sunken barges used during the original construction of the canal between 1923-1925, and two barrels from the 1940s or '50s. "It's certainly something from quite a number of years ago," said Darren Pelley, the general manager for Corner Brook Pulp and Paper. Pelley said they're not sure if the items were sunk in the canal intentionally, but said Kruger is committed to removing them. Click Read More below for additional information.

The company announced that, as part of its commitment to combat climate change and create a healthier environment, its global facilities are now powered with 100% clean energy. The achievement includes all of Apple’s retail stores, offices, data centers and co-located facilities in 43 countries — including the United States, the United Kingdom, China and India. “After years of hard work we’re proud to have reached this significant milestone,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’re going to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the materials in our products, the way we recycle them, our facilities and our work with suppliers to establish new creative and forward-looking sources of renewable energy because we know the future depends on it.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Preliminary results of a research project conducted by Virginia Tech on the disposal of wood pallets at landfill sites reveal that 95% of wooden pallets are being recycled. The landfill avoidance study was independently conducted at Virginia Tech over two years. Both municipal and solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition (C&D) landfill facilities were surveyed to better understand how pallets were being handled at these facilities. According to the study, the number of pallets entering the landfill reduced by 86%, for both MSW and C&D facilities. Environmental awareness, limited space and a desire to be more waste efficient have driven many of these facilities to sort and recover certain types of waste. The overall presence of wood pallets at landfill facilities also significantly decreased. Click Read More below for additional information.

South Carolina's paper industry has had just about enough of environmentally conscious email senders asking their recipients to resist the urge to hit the print button. Take ArborGen, the Ridgeville-based company that breeds new varieties of trees. It was originally founded by a group of paper manufacturers, including the former MeadWestvaco Corp. It hasn't forgotten its roots since being sold last year. "Notice: It's OK to print this email. Paper is a biodegradable, renewable, sustainable product made from trees," reads the signature on its spokeswoman's email. "Thanks to improved forest management, we have more trees in America today than nearly 100 years ago." Fort Mill-based Domtar — one of the state's largest corporations — is pushing a similar message companywide. Its pitch: "Paper informs us, persuades us, educates us and organizes us. It's OK to use paper." Click Read More below for additional information.

Nestlé announced its ambition to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or re-usable by 2025. Its vision is that none of its packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfill or as litter. Nestlé believes that there is an urgent need to minimize the impact of packaging on the environment. Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider said, "Plastic waste is one of the biggest sustainability issues the world is facing today. Tackling it requires a collective approach. We are committed to finding improved solutions to reduce, re-use and recycle. Our ambition is to achieve 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025." The company focuses on three core areas: eliminate non-recyclable plastics; encourage the use of plastics that allow better recycling rates; and eliminate or change complex combinations of packaging materials. Click Read More below for additional information.

Kohl’s is proud to announce that it has received the 2018 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award for continued leadership and superior contributions to ENERGY STAR. Kohl’s accomplishments will be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 20, 2018. "Kohl's is honored to receive the 2018 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award," said Steve Thomas, Kohl's chief risk and compliance officer. "We are committed to seeking solutions, including those that maximize energy efficiency, that encourage long-term sustainability to ensure Kohl's is able to leave a smaller footprint and create a more sustainable tomorrow." Click Read More below for additional information.

Kruger Specialty Papers is proud to announce that it has joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), a membership-based collaborative that believes in the power of industry to make packaging more sustainable. Kruger Specialty Papers shares the SPC’s vision of a world where all packaging is manufactured responsibly using processes that minimize environmental impacts.

When it comes to providing supply chain assurances, producing conservation outcomes, and supporting education and community engagement - Forests are the Answer. The 2018 SFI Annual Conference will explore this theme and engage you in a discussion focused on why Forests are the Answer to so many of the most important sustainability challenges we face in the sector and in our communities. The SFI Annual Conference brings together thought leaders and influencers: forest sector representatives, conservation and community partners, and Indigenous leaders as well as some of the most engaged forest product customers in North America. This year's conference will discuss topics relevant to national and international initiatives across the forest sector. Come to the 2018 SFI Annual Conference to learn more and engage with the SFI community.

The mandate has been designed to address the growing crisis in water and sanitation in many parts of the world by implementing a range of strategies and policies. Through the initiative, Smurfit Kappa will be collaborating with global brands including ABInBev, Danone, Heineken and Unilever to identify, explore and solve water challenges. Smurfit Kappa has long been committed to sustainable water practices and recently reached an ambitious water quality target three years early when it reduced the chemical oxygen demand in its water discharge. The packaging leader has also invested over €60 million in sustainable water treatment technology implementing processes that use less energy. One such treatment transforms water pollutants into biogas which is then reused as fuel in the company’s combined heat and power plants.

Routa Premium is a new, exclusive rum brand from Finland, with a special packaging manufactured by Starcke Oy. The box is totally unprinted – its brilliant graphics are entirely achieved with black and silver hot-foil stamping on the snow-white surface of the board material, Ensocoat by Stora Enso. The smoothness, whiteness, and brightness of Ensocoat provide an ideal surface for foil stamping and the design that plays with the contrast of silver, black and white.

Greenpeace International has informed the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) that it will discontinue its international membership with FSC for the year 2018. In line with its overall decentralization approach, Greenpeace will allow national offices to determine if and how to best engage with FSC and forest management more broadly. In some countries – Canada, the United States and New Zealand for example – Greenpeace will remain members of FSC International.

PEFC is moving its office. Beginning April 3, 2018, its new office address will be: PEFC International ICC Building C Route de Pré-Bois 20 1215 Geneva 15 Switzerland

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman thanked Congress for reaffirming that federal regulatory policy should reflect the carbon-neutrality of forest-based renewable biomass. The fiscal year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which has passed the House and Senate, includes legislative language to that effect.

A household carbon footprint refers to the overall amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by all the energy and materials consumed by those who live in a home as they go about their daily lives. It is a common measure of the contribution of a single household to climate change. Understanding your carbon footprint can show opportunities for decreasing your consumption of energy and materials, and in turn, reducing your production of carbon emissions. By far the largest source of human-induced carbon emissions, is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gasoline, diesel and natural gas. In GHG inventory and carbon footprint studies, the use of fossil fuels is usually the cause of elevated GHG emissions.

On World Water Day, attention is focused on the global risk of water scarcity due to increased demand and the effects of climate change. To address this challenge, Kimberly-Clark Corporation has partnered with research firm Deltares to launch WaterLoupe, an interactive, web-based tool to monitor local freshwater supplies and consumption trends and generate actionable insights to mitigate local water risks.

Yupo Corporation America has joined the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, (SGP), as a Silver Level Patron. SGP is the leading authority in sustainable printing certifications for print manufacturers. Through its patronage, Yupo joins other print industry leaders dedicated to promoting sustainability, supporting the aims of SGP and keeping costs low for certification of print facilities. “Supporting SGP not only aligns with Yupo’s corporate sustainability functions, but demonstrates the company’s leadership and advocacy for sustainable print operations,” according to Marci Kinter, Chair SGP Technical Committee. “Although SGP does not certify Yupo products, it does recognize the role the company plays within the print value chain.”

Lineo™by Stora Enso, a renewable replacement for oil-based phenolic materials, has been awarded ‘Bio-Based Product of the Year’ at the Bio-Based World News Innovation Awards 2018. Shortlisted alongside products from Clean Plus Inc. and The Chemours Company, the judges recognised the potential of Lineo, made from versatile wood-based raw material lignin. Lineo can be used in a range of applications where fossil-based materials are currently used. Markus Mannström, Executive Vice President of the Stora Enso Biomaterials division, says, “We are delighted that Lineo™ by Stora Ensohas been recognised as an innovative, important bio-based product. Made from lignin, an abundant product and one of the main building blocks of a tree, Lineo is a step towards replacing fossil-based products with renewable solutions. Click Read More below for additional information.

To say that forests are important for life is an understatement. We depend on them for food, medicines, shelter, biodiversity, fuel, pulp and paper, jobs, recreation, fresh water, clean air, and even the climate. The biggest threats to the world’s forests today are deforestation and forest degradation. Both can be drivers of accelerated global warming, loss of biodiversity, and disruption of livelihoods, among other negative impacts. A ‘working forest’ aims to ensure long-term availability of a wide range of forest products and services. So that forests are protected and continue to function and provide benefits in the long-term, we have to take into account the entire landscape, with its different land uses and numerous stakeholders. Click Read More below for additional information.

Forests and trees store carbon, which helps mitigate the impacts of climate change in and around urban areas. Trees also improve the local climate, helping to save energy used for heating by 20-50 percent. Strategic placement of trees in urban areas can cool the air by up to 8 degrees Celsius, reducing air conditioning needs by 30 percent. Urban trees are excellent air filters, removing harmful pollutants in the air and fine particulates. Trees also reduce noise pollution, as they shield homes from nearby roads and industrial areas. Local populations use the fruits, nuts, leaves and insects found in urban trees to produce food and medicines for use in the home, or as a source of income. Moreover, wood fuel sourced from urban trees and planted forests on the outskirts of cities provides renewable energy for cooking and heating, which reduces pressures on natural forests and our reliance on fossil fuels. Click Read More below for additional information.

Gap Inc. unveiled a new sustainable manufacturing goal to conserve a total of 10 billion liters of water by the end of 2020; those water savings would be the equivalent volume of the daily drinking water need for 5 billion people. Product innovation and efficiency improvements at fabric mills and laundries will be key to achieving these water savings. Progress towards the goal is already underway: since 2014, Gap Inc.-led projects have saved more than 2.4 billion liters of water. “Water is critical to nearly all aspects of our business, and we recognize the responsibility and the opportunity we have to reduce the amount of water used to create our products. Leveraging the power of product innovation and improved manufacturing practices, we can help ensure that our customers not only look great in their favorite jeans and t-shirts, but also feel good about how their purchases are helping to make a positive impact for communities and helping to tackle global water scarcity,” said Christophe Roussel, Executive Vice President of Global Sourcing at Gap Inc. Click Read More below for additional information.

At UPM Raflatac, responsible sourcing is the foundation of responsible business. With a diverse global supplier network such as ours, working together in partnership is essential in our journey toward a more sustainable future. To demonstrate the importance of responsible sourcing and to commit our suppliers to sustainability, we have created the Label Life Awards concept. This year, the Label Life Awards event will take place at the UPM-Kymmene head office in Helsinki, Finland on March 22, 2018. "The Label Life Awards are the most visible way to demonstrate UPM Raflatac's commitment to responsible sourcing and responsible business practises. They are a special recognition for those UPM Raflatac suppliers who operate responsibly and enable us to identify potential areas for cooperation in the field of sustainability", says Maria Seppälä, Vice President, Sourcing, UPM Raflatac. Click Read More below for additional information.

INTERFOR CORPORATION announced that it has published its first corporate sustainability report; it can be viewed online: www.interfor-sustainability.com. The report highlights Interfor’s commitment to making quality lumber products, managing forests sustainably, providing meaningful and safe jobs for employees, investing in our facilities, operating to strict environmental parameters and supporting local and First Nations communities. Click Read More below for additional information.

Klabin’s Beekeeping and Meliponiculture Program has recently expanded its activities to the cities of Otacílio Costa, Santa Catarina, and Angatuba, São Paulo, where the company already has forest and industrial operations. With this expansion, the program now includes 49 beekeepers and 78 apiaries, with another 24 partners expected to be added from the two new cities by the end of 2018, to reach more than 100 apiaries, spread over forests in 12 cities in the states of Paraná, São Paulo and Santa Catarina. For 80 million years bees have been performing the crucial task of pollinating plants and are thus considered the most efficient animals to transport pollen from one flower to another. One such example is the melipona bee that is native to Brazil, which is responsible for 40% to 90% of the pollination of our native forests. Due to environmental changes caused by the actions of human beings, bees in general run the risk of extinction and, without them, honey and more than 80% of the food consumed by human beings today will cease to exist. Click Read More below for additional information.

The world of the future must run on renewable raw materials instead of fossil fuels. Wood is the best renewable raw material, and in Finland it grows faster than it is used. Digitalisation is transforming the Finnish forest industry, providing unprecedented solutions that make forests more intelligent. Data can be collected from forests using innovative methods, and modern data can be used to optimise forest use and management. Virtual forests are also emerging. Metsä Group, a Finnish forest industry company, has developed innovative digital services for forest owners and leads the way in the industry. Finland is the most forested country in Europe: forests cover more than 75 per cent of the country’s area. As a result of sustainable forest use and management over the decades, the amount of wood that grows every year exceeds clearly the amount used. Click Read More below for additional information.

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of New Source Review (NSR) emissions accounting guidelines. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced the agency’s new approach on Tuesday, March 13. “Clear EPA New Source Review emissions accounting guidelines are a long-overdue step to provide our industry and all U.S. manufacturers with a common-sense, realistic approach to air permitting. We are one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the nation, have invested billions of dollars on environmental stewardship and remain committed to innovative and sustainable business practices. Click Read More below for additional information.

Domtar Corporation announced improvements to its award-winning supply chain transparency tool, The Paper Trail ® ( www.domtarpapertrail.com ), offering customers a deeper look into the company’s products and the people and places behind their manufacture. The latest enhancements build upon Domtar’s commitment to openness and honesty, showcasing corporate efforts focused on caring for people and communities, efficient manufacturing and responsible sourcing and logistics. Significant updates to the website include the addition of the environmental, social and economic impacts of Domtar’s pulp products, including Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK), Southern Bleached Softwood Kraft (SBSK) and Fluff pulp. Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM is one of the first companies to offer copy paper with the Singapore Green Label logo under the enhanced Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS), which is managed by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC). The enhanced SGLS criteria was announced in January 2017, and plays a critical role in reducing the risk of another damaging haze incident in Singapore by requiring paper companies to comply with one of the toughest environmental standards in the world. The newly certified products include: • UPM Office Multifunction Copy Paper (70/75/80 gsm) • UPM Yes Silver Multifunction Copy Paper (70/75/80 gsm). The enhanced SGLS logo confirms that these products have been sustainably produced. In total, 16 pulp and paper products have been certified under the enhanced SGLS scheme. Click Read More below for additional information.

WestRock has renewed its membership with The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit that leverages corporate funding to improve recycling efforts in communities across the U.S.. The company signed on as a funding partner for the fourth straight year. "WestRock is an industry leader that has consistently put sustainability at the forefront of its operations," says Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership. "Without the support of our funders, our goal to improve recycling across the country would be unachievable. By renewing their membership, WestRock is helping advance our mission of building stronger recycling systems, creating jobs, and protecting the environment." Click Read More below for additional information.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced it has won a 2018 Climate Leadership Award for Excellence in the Greenhouse Gas Management (Goal Setting) category, the company's second Climate Leadership Award in two years. The Climate Leadership Award is presented by the Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and The Climate Registry, and celebrates organizations that set and achieve aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals. In a separate event earlier this week, Kimberly-Clark also was honored with a Smart Energy Decisions Innovation Award for its programs focused on creating a culture of energy conservation at its manufacturing sites. The Smart Energy Decisions Innovation Award recognizes the use of innovative technologies and progressive practices among large electric power users. Click Read More below for additional information.

Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) sees some encouraging opportunities for Canada’s forest products sector in today’s federal budget including measures to support our transition to a low carbon economy, skills training, and expanding trade. In the budget tabled by Finance Minister Bill Morneau entitled “Equality & Growth a Strong Middle Class”, he earmarked: * Over $2 billion to support skills training to help build a workforce for the future * Commitment to protect and expand markets * Over $3 billion for environmental initiatives to help address climate change, support conservation and move to a low-carbon economy. “Budget 2018 sends some positive signals that support the forest sector’s priorities, with investments to build capacity to address climate change, skills training to build a workforce for the future, and supports the further diversification of our export markets,” said FPAC CEO Derek Nighbor. Click Read More below for additional information.

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), part of Sinarmas, received the Special Commendation for Early Adopted GRI Standards at the Sustainability Reporting Awards (SRA) in Solo, Indonesia. This is the fifth award that APP received from the SRA and recognizes APP as a trailblazer in the adoption of the newest GRI Standards for its sustainability reporting in the country. Issued by the independent standards organization Global Reporting Initiative in early 2017 to replace the earlier version “G4 Guidelines”, the GRI Standards is the world’s first standardized sustainability reporting structure to be applied globally. The organization recommended early adoption of the latest GRI Standards, which otherwise would be officially effective from 1 July 2018. Heeding the call, APP had applied the latest standards in developing its 2016 Sustainability Report. Click Read More below for additional information.

Leonard Cronin, Regional Manager of Finch Forest Management, was presented the 2017 Forester of the Year award by the New York Society of American Foresters (NYSAF). This honor recognizes Len’s outstanding contributions to the profession of forestry, the stewardship of forest resources in New York, and the objectives of the Society of American Foresters. Bruce Breitmeyer, NYSAF awards committee chair, notes “Len has had an outstanding career with over 30 years of ‘feet in the forest’ in the Adirondacks and Upstate New York. His leadership at Finch in his forestry profession has been outstanding and his efforts directly contributed to the excellent condition of some of the most prestigious lands in the Adirondacks.” Click Read More below for additional information.

UPS announced it plans to deploy 50 plug-in electric delivery trucks that will be comparable in acquisition cost to conventional-fueled trucks without any subsidies – an industry first that is breaking a key barrier to large scale fleet adoption. The company is collaborating with Workhorse Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WKHS) to design the vehicles from the ground up, with zero tailpipe emissions. “Electric vehicle technology is rapidly improving with battery, charging and smart grid advances that allow us to specify our delivery vehicles to eliminate emissions, noise and dependence on diesel and gasoline,” said Carlton Rose, President, Global Fleet Maintenance and Engineering for UPS. “With our scale and real-world duty cycles, these new electric trucks will be a quantum leap forward for the purpose-built UPS® delivery fleet. The all electric trucks will deliver by day and re-charge overnight. We are uniquely positioned to work with our partners, communities and customers to transform freight transportation.” Click Read More below for additional information.

In keeping with our commitment to respect for the environment and our focus on sustainability, Lecta carries out its business activity with the aim of minimizing environmental impact in the communities and areas where we operate, thereby contributing to their wellbeing. In spite of challenging economic circumstances, this entails allocating a significant portion of our budget to this goal. Over the past ten years, nearly 135 million euros have been invested in projects to minimize environmental impact. These investments have been allocated to many ambitious projects at our manufacturing sites. The primary goals have been to increase energy efficiency, decrease air emissions and optimize the use of natural resources in the manufacture of our distinct multiproduct portfolio, based on paper as a natural, renewable raw material. Click Read More below for additional information.

Forest health and innovation challenges and opportunities don’t observe borders and that is the spirit in which delegates will be participating in the 4th Canada-U.S. Forest Health Summit, February 21-23 in Ottawa. “Trade irritants or disputes may generate headlines but beneath that is a successful history of collaboration between Canada and the United States,” says Derek Nighbor, CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada, who is participating in the summit. “On both sides of the border, we face complex challenges from addressing climate change to protecting communities from wildfires; to preventing pest outbreaks, supporting species at risk, and protecting watershed health. This week’s Summit provides a great opportunity for cross-border information sharing.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Sumitomo Forestry, a Japanese company is planning to build the world's tallest wooden skyscraper to mark its 350th anniversary in 2041. Only 10% of the 70-storey W350 tower would be steel, combined with about 180,000 cubic metres of indigenous wood which will make up for 90% of the building. This will limit the carbon footprint of the building as the wood will store the carbon instead of emitting it into the atmosphere. There will be about 8,000 homes, with trees and foliage on balconies at every level, creating a pleasant space for plants and living organisms and in turn contributing to the biodiversity of the city. In doing so, the company will be on track to meet its wider objective to create environmentally-friendly and timber utilising cities and maintain the livelihood of the forest ecosystem. Click Read More below for additional information.

The environmental rationale for protecting forests is well known. Lesser known, but equally significant, is the role of forest products. Forest products are key to a green economy, an economy that relies on sustainable materials with a minimal environmental footprint. Rovaniemi Action PlanThis is the spirit of the Rovaniemi Action Plan, a regional blueprint to support the contribution of the forest sector to the transition to a green economy. Approved in 2013, the Rovaniemi Action Plan remains the main framework to guide the transition to a green economy in the forest sector in the UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) region. Click Read More below for additional information.

Owens-Illinois, Inc. is the first food and beverage packaging company to achieve a gold rating in material health on the Cradle to Cradle Product Scorecard. The Cradle to Cradle Certified(TM) Products Program is one of the premier sustainability certifications for products around the world and across industries. "The certification provides brand owners, consumers, regulators, and shareholders tangible validation of our company's ongoing commitment to sustainability," said Jim Nordmeyer, VP, Global Sustainability at O-I. "It's an important baseline and helps us identify next steps to improve our environmental and social performance." Nearly 90 percent of O-I's glass operations were certified across product categories and for certain container colors in the beer, non-alcoholic beverage (NAB), spirit, wine and food markets. The certification is based on five categories: material health, material reutilization, water stewardship, renewable energy use, and social fairness. Click Read More below for additional information.

SCA will commence an environmental impact assessment of a possible investment in a new paper machine at the paper mill in Obbola. Under investigation is a production increase from the…

On track to reaching its commitment of achieving a 74% paper recycling rate across Europe by 2020, the European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC) today revealed its latest figure of 72.5%.…

There has been a further increase in in double certified forest area in absolute terms, according to the most recent data released by PEFC and FSC, the two global forest…

Today Two Sides North America confirmed that over 100 leading North American companies have removed or changed inaccurate anti-paper claims as a result of the group’s efforts. The list includes…

As one of the forerunners in the global packaging industry, BillerudKorsnäs has received approval for its climate goals by the Science Based Targets initiative. The initiative was initiated by the…

With the deadline of 18 February fast approaching, make sure you do not miss your opportunity to give your feedback on our revised Group Certification standard. Take part in the…

UPM has been listed in the RobecoSAM’s Sustainability Yearbook 2018 with the Gold Class and Industry Mover distinctions. The company that has achieved the largest proportional improvement in its sustainability…

Regional workshops, extensive stakeholder engagement in the field and a countrywide public consultation… just some of the work undertaken by the multi-stakeholder group responsible for developing the national forest certification…

What’s one “concrete” action you can take to help tackle climate change? Use wood from Canada’s responsibly managed forests. For more detail go to: https://millarwestern.com/news/tackle-climate-change-use-wood/

With just 13 percent of its surface area covered in woodlands, the UK is the least leafy country in the European Union, ZME Science reported. The situation is even more…

Natural Resources Magazine’s third annual Industry Excellence Awards has named Jim Irving the Industry Person of the Year. “Mr. Irving was named Natural Resources Magazine’s Industry Person of the Year…

“We are delighted to welcome Olam International and Mondi Group as International Stakeholder members,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, following the acceptance of the two new members. “By…

The renewable materials company Stora Enso has become the first forest products company to set ambitious science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets to address significant emissions along the company’s…

UPM Biofuels and the Zero Emission Resource Organisation have started cooperation in promoting green shift in the transport and petrochemicals sectors. The work focuses on creating a predictable long term…

UPM has been recognised as a Water Efficiency Frontrunner in Jiangsu Province and China at large. As a frontrunner, UPM will serve as a benchmark for the industry and lead the promotion of water efficiency in China. In total, 11 companies received the highest recognition nationwide. UPM is the first, and only, company to obtain the highest recognition in Jiangsu Province. "Located next to Shanghai, Jiangsu is an important industrial base; with an economy of 7.6 trillion Chinese Yuan (EUR 972 billion) the province has second highest GDP in China, right after Guangdong. Jiangsu also has the strictest water and air emission permit limits in China", says Lisheng Jin, Environmental Manager, UPM Changshu Mill. "When putting this recognition in this context, we can be extremely proud of our achievement," he continues. Click Read More below for additional information.

For the third time in a row Klabin has been included in the Environmental Paper Company Index 2017 (EPCI), published every two years by WWF. EPCI is based on voluntary disclosure by companies of more than 50 indicators that measure the environmental performance and changes in them over time with regard to Responsible Fiber Supply, Clean Production and Environmental Management System reports. Klabin achieved a high level of performance by reaching a score of 100% on Responsible Fiber Supply, and a 6% increase in the Clean Production indicator compared to the previous measurement, while maintaining its score above 50% in Environmental Management reports. All the indicators considered the operations of the company’s 18 current production units (17 in Brazil and one in Argentina), compared to 14 units the company had in the previous edition. The company’s results and inclusion in the Index underscore sustainability as the foundation of Klabin’s business management, being the link in the continuous creation of value, which prioritizes a balance between the economical, social and environmental spheres. Click Read More below for additional information.

Do you want to give your feedback as we revise our standard for group certification? But feel like you need more information on how the standard is changing? Then make sure you register for our upcoming webinars! Taking place Monday 5 and Wednesday 7 February, these webinars will introduce and explain the main proposed changes to PEFC ST 1002 – the standard that defines the general requirements for forest certification systems with group forest management certification. There will also be an open question and answer session – make sure you register now so you don’t miss out. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Czech Forest Certification System and the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) have successfully achieved PEFC re-endorsement, confirming they continue to meet our globally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks. Launched in 1941, ATFS is one of the oldest initiatives for certifying sustainable forestry in the world. It now represents 74,000 tree farmers sustainably managing more than 7.5 million hectares of PEFC-certified forestland. ATFS first achieved PEFC endorsement in 2008, with subsequent re-endorsements in 2013 and now 2017. The Czech Republic, one of the 11 original national members of PEFC, first achieved PEFC endorsement of their forest certification system back in 2002. This was followed by three more successful endorsements in 2006, 2012 and 2017. In this time, more than 1.8 million hectares of forest have achieved PEFC certification, equaling more than two thirds of the country’s forest area. Click Read More below for additional information.

Christmas is round the corner. Time for us to head into town, to a Christmas market or to see the festive lights. But what city square would be complete without a Christmas tree? “These stunning trees, several meters tall and often over a hundred years old, are certainly special,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. “And thanks to PEFC certification, we can all rest assured that these giants come from sustainably managed forests that will produce such trees for generations to come.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Thermal Energy International, a global provider of industrial and institutional energy efficiency solutions, has been engaged by Resolute Forest Products to design, develop and implement an energy efficiency improvement and greenhouse gas reduction project. The $11-million project — which includes the installation of two Thermal Energy FLU-ACE Heat Recovery Systems and the conversion of the mill’s steam traps to Thermal Energy EM Steam Trap system — aims to meet the energy savings and greenhouse gas reduction goals of Resolute’s Thunder Bay, Ont., mill. Earlier this month, the Ontario government announced the project secured $5 million in funding from the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science through the TargetGHG Industrial Demonstration Program administered by Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE). Click Read More below for additional information.

Working with smallholders is at the heart of our work. This is why group certification is an extremely important instrument in our forest certification toolbox. Our revised Group Certification standard is now up for public consultation, and we are asking you to share your insights and knowledge to help us further improve this important standard. Group certification is a mechanism through which groups of small-forest landholders can organize themselves, pool their resources and work together to achieve certification. This makes certification accessible for small-forest owners. The key to successful group certification is to balance the need for robust implementation of our requirements with the need to be as resource efficient as possible. Click Read More below for additional information.

UPS, which operates one of the largest commercial trucking fleets in the world, announced it has placed a reservation for 125 of Tesla’s new fully-electric Semi tractors. The new tractors will join UPS’s extensive alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle fleet, comprised of trucks and tractors propelled by electricity, natural gas, propane and other non-traditional fuels. “For more than a century, UPS has led the industry in testing and implementing new technologies for more efficient fleet operations. We look forward to expanding further our commitment to fleet excellence with Tesla,” said Juan Perez, chief information and engineering officer. “These groundbreaking electric tractors are poised to usher in a new era in improved safety, reduced environmental impact, and reduced cost of ownership.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Advocating for free and fair recovered fiber trade policies with China, American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman announced the association’s filing of formal comments with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Chinese authorities: “We believe China has violated their obligations under the WTO and will disrupt international trade and the global market for recovered fiber by their import limiting actions. Specifically, China has mischaracterized certain valuable raw material as ‘solid wastes,’ has taken action not proportional to its own regulation, is favoring its domestic industry over imports and has not provided enough time for U.S. operators to respond. We urge Chinese authorities to immediately engage with the U.S., other WTO member states and appropriate recovered fiber operators and address a number of concerns in order to ensure a free and fair global recycling system.”

As companies strive to move their customers towards digital communication, we examine whether this business decision is the right one for the consumer. It’s no secret that businesses and organisations prefer to communicate with their customers digitally. Whether it’s financial institutions sending statements via an app or utility companies emailing your latest bill, companies are keen to make every document for every customer digital. For businesses with thousands of customers, you can understand why. With no paper, print or postage, the relatively low cost of emailing or texting is a major factor, but so is the ease of automation and the collection of data that can be used to target other products or packaged up and sold. Companies have even begun to charge people to receive their communications by paper. Click Read More below for additional information.

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) to commence with a pilot audit of one of its supplier concessions, an event that marks the commencement of the assessment process for the enhanced Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS) certification. The agreement was signed today by Sinar Mas Group Country President and APP Managing Director, Mr Bernard Tan. Under the agreement, the enhanced SGLS pilot audit will commence this month, with a full audit to follow. In accordance to the label’s enhanced criteria, APP will provide full disclosure of its supply chain, including those not involved in products sold to Singapore1, for the assessment. Click Read More below for additional information.

The national forest certification system of Belarus has successfully achieved PEFC re-endorsement, confirming it continues to meet our globally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks. This re-endorsement also ensures that certified forest owners and companies in Belarus continue to benefit from the global acceptance of PEFC. The Republican Association of Forest Certification System, PEFC’s National member for Belarus, first achieved endorsement of its national system in 2010. Since then, almost nine million hectares of Belarusian forests have been PEFC-certified – equating to virtually all of the country’s forest area. Click Read More below for additional information.

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to retain federal Human Health Water Quality standards for the state of Maine. The Department of Justice stated EPA’s position in its filing with the U.S. District Court in Maine on Friday, Dec. 8. “We are disappointed in the EPA’s move to retain the fundamentally flawed approach to federal Human Health Water Quality Standards final rule in a state known for consistently applying stringent, conservative standards to protect all of its waters. EPA’s action overrides the state’s protective water quality standards, ignores sound science, is legally unsound, and could result in extremely high costs with negligible benefit. We will continue to advocate for fact and data-driven public policy that respects the role of the states in our regulatory system and does more good than harm.”

The 22nd PEFC General Assembly closed with voices from the future, as countries actively developing national forest certification systems took to the floor. As has become the tradition during our General Assembly, representatives from countries that have or are not yet PEFC members were invited to speak. This year Croatia, Kenya, Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam all seized the opportunity to share their views. “We are in the process of developing and formulating forest certification in the Philippines,” said Dr. Priscila Dolom, University of the Philippines. “We started in 2014 and have since formed our interim national governing body.” “A technical working group has crafted a forest certification standard and we’re working on a chain of custody standard based on PEFC requirements.” Click Read More below for additional information.

The FSC International Board of Directors has approved the revised Trademark Standard FSC-STD-50-001 (V2-0) Requirements for use of the FSC trademarks by certificate holders. The revised standard will become effective on 1 March 2018. The standard specifies the requirements for use of the FSC trademarks on FSC-certified products, for promotion of FSC-certified products, and for promotion of the organization’s status as an FSC certificate holder. Adherence to this standard is mandatory for all FSC certificate holders that are eligible to use the FSC trademarks. This standard also forms the basis for evaluation and approval of all certificate holders’ uses of FSC trademarks. Click Read More below for additional information.

PEFC invites stakeholders around the world to comment on the South African national forest certification system, following its submission to PEFC for endorsement. To give your feedback, head to our Online Consultation Tool. The South African Forestry Assurance Scheme (SAFAS) is one of our newest national members, joining earlier this year in May. This means it is the first time they have submitted their national system to PEFC for endorsement. Make your comments now! The deadline is 9 January 2018. Click Read More below for additional information.

The prestigious Portafolio Awards are held annually in Colombia to recognise people and companies who have demonstrated exemplary achievements in areas including the environment, customer service, business and social initiatives. A large group of companies, including some of the world’s leading brands, were gathered at the event along with the country’s president, Juan Manuel Santos. Alvaro Henao, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Colombia, said: “We are excited and proud to receive this award. It recognises Smurfit Kappa Group´s commitment to initiatives that help improve the environment and develop the communities in which we operate. “At Smurfit Kappa, we believe in sustainability in every fibre and this includes running our plants and mills in a sustainable way and being socially responsible.” Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM Raflatac is expanding its RafCycle® recycling solution to China. RafCycle services were launched in Changshu on December 6, 2017 during a customer event. RafCycle is also being promoted at Labelexpo Asia in Shanghai on December 5-8. Hangzhou Changli is also the 100th RafCycle partner globally.The number of RafCycle partners has grown increasingly over the years as sustainability has become one of the key drivers in the labeling industry. Today more than 10 000 tons of label liner waste is being recycled in Europe through the RafCycle program. UPM Raflatac is actively searching for new RafCycle partners and the expansion to China is an important step in this process. The paper liner waste generated by the RafCycle partners in China will be delivered to Hangzhou Fulun Ecology Technology Co., Ltd. where the paper liner waste can be recycled back into pulp and paper. Click Read More below for additional information.

Patagonia.com features a forceful push back at President Donald Trump’s move yesterday, in which he signed a proclamation that seeks to dramatically reduce the boundaries and management of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. If put into effect, the revised boundaries would reduce the size of the 1.3-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument by 85% and cut Grand Staircase-Escalante’s 1.9 million acres in half. Recreational Equipment Inc., or REI, also made a forceful declaration, making a statement that declares: “Today we are witnessing an unprecedented attack on our public lands, despite more than 100 years of bipartisan work to protect this country’s parks, waters, mountains and forests.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Representatives from nature conservation, tropical forestry and the forest industry have all be elected onto the PEFC International Board, following a unanimous vote by the PEFC General Assembly in the Helsinki, Finland. Alongside two returning Board members, Riikka Joukio (forest industry and processing) and Hervé Le Bouler (NGO), we are delighted to welcome two new board members: Gerald Pfiffinger (ENGO and conservation) and Mohd Nurudeen Iddrisu (tropical forestry). "We need forest certification in developing countries," said Dr. Iddrisu, following his acceptance onto the Board. "Now as part of the PEFC Board, I want to take it upon myself to reach out to my fellow ‘countrymen’ in the tropical countries in order to get certification into the national agenda." Click Read More below for additional information.

The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations’ (ICFPA) launched its 2017 Sustainability Progress Report. It is the sixth biennial report highlighting ICFPA members’ progress on the sustainability commitments agreed upon in the 2006 CEO Leadership Statement on Sustainability. “We are proud to announce our global industry’s continuous progress, which represents our commitment to social and environmental aspects associated with forest management and the manufacture of forest-based products,” said ICFPA President Jane Molony. “We look forward to continuing to supply the growing global demand for sustainable products, including fuel, fiber and forest products, while moving towards a greener economy.” Click Read More below for additional information.

In November 2017, Ahlstrom-Munksjö committed to the United Nations Global Compact's ten principles for ethical business practices by joining the initiative. The company is now among nearly 8,000 companies worldwide that have affirmed their dedication to respecting human rights, labour rights, environmental quality, and anti-corruption practices. As a signatory, the company commits to: •Continue to improve business operations so that the UN Global Compact and the principles become part of strategy, culture and day-to-day operations; •Communicate annually with its stakeholders on efforts to implement the ten principles, and post this Communication on Progress (COP) on the UN Global Compact website to support transparency. ''At Ahlstrom-Munksjö, we are dedicated to sustainability and responsibility from the highest levels of leadership to the most local concern in our supply chains or at our production sites'', said Jan Åström, President and CEO of Ahlstrom-Munksjö. Click Read More below for additional information.

Mondi has again improved its ecological footprint in the three WWF reporting categories: Graphic Paper, Packaging and Pulp. For Graphic Paper, Mondi has achieved a result of 85.5% in 2017, up from 81.4% in 2015 and 74.9% in 2013. Mondi’s overall 2017 result for Graphic Paper is based on sub-category scores of 82% for sourcing, 76% for clean production, and 100% for transparency. In the category of Packaging, Mondi received an overall score of 85.6% in 2017, up from 83.8% in 2015 and 73.7% in 2013. Mondi’s sub-category scores for Packaging in 2017 were 88% for sourcing, 87% for clean production, and 82% for transparency. In the Pulp category, Mondi received an overall score of 70.4% in 2017, up from 69.4% in 2015 and 63.2% in 2013. The group’s sub-category scores for Pulp were as follows: 72% for sourcing, 73% for clean production, and 65% for transparency. Click Read More below for additional information.

Interfor Corporation and shíshálh Nation have announced the recent signing of a five-year relationship agreement for mutually beneficial forestry operations in the Nation’s swiya (territory). Interfor is a major forestry tenure holder in the shíshálh Nation swiya on BC’s Sunshine Coast. The agreement is a new milestone for Interfor and the shíshálh Nation who have had a strong working relationship for more than twenty years. “This agreement was built on trust, opportunity and a long-standing relationship. It creates predictability for both Interfor and shíshálh Nation and will support further growth of our partnership over the next five years,” said Interfor’s Vice President and Chief Forester, Ric Slaco. Click Read More below for additional information.

With an increase of almost two million hectares of PEFC-certified forests in Indonesia over the past year, the Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation (IFCC) took top prize for growth during our PEFC Forest Certification Week award ceremony. “Without the tremendous support from everyone within the PEFC family and without the strong commitment and hard work from all members of the IFCC family, we would have never arrived at this proud state,” said Dradjad Wibowo, Chairman of IFCC. “So, IFCC thanks everyone from the PEFC and IFCC families for this! Though we still face huge challenges, we are confident, that together we will prevail," Mr. Wibowo concluded. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) is pleased to announce that Poison Springs State Forest, the Arkansas state forest managed by the Agriculture Department's Forestry Commission, has earned certification to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard through a rigorous third-party audit. Certifying to SFI sends a strong signal about Arkansas's commitment to sustainable forest management, conservation, and economic opportunity for its citizens. "It shows we are working to ensure that our forests will remain healthy and productive for generations to come. Certification to SFI also boosts our competitive position in national and international markets because we can demonstrate that our forest products come from well‑managed forests," said Joe Fox, Arkansas's State Forester. Click Read More below for additional information.

Metsä Group has been participant in the international Environmental Paper Company Index (EPCI), arranged by the WWF, for evaluating companies’ transparency. This year, Metsä Group participated in the pulp (Metsä Fibre) and tissue paper (Metsä Tissue) categories, improving its overall scoring in both. The tissue overall scoring improved from 77.3% in 2015 to 80.5% in 2017, and the pulp overall scoring from 68.9% in 2015 to 72.3% in 2017. Metsä Group’s investment in clean manufacturing can be seen as improved scores in both categories. The tissue category scoring improved from 64% in 2015 to 70% in 2017, and the pulp from 76% to 85% in corresponding years. The criteria for clean manufacturing includes energy use, energy sourcing, fossil CO2 and other emissions to air and water as well as the amount of landfill waste. Click Read More below for additional information.

“Once technologies have been incorporated adeptly into certification systems, we'll begin to see a shift to where certification systems are data brokers for social and environmental performance,” highlighted Wiebke Herding, ON:Subject, during her keynote presentation to the PEFC Stakeholder Dialogue. “Such a future, however, will require a shift in the use of technology and in the organizational purpose. If done well, it will enable more and real-time information about product flows through the supply chain, enable information feedback loops that benefit and add value to all participants, whilst ensuring that confidential data remains confidential.” With Ms. Herding’s forward-looking and provocative keynote address, PEFC’s Stakeholder Dialogue on ‘Making Certification SMART’ got off to a dynamic and enthusiastic start. Click Read More below for additional information.

"At Clearwater Paper, we look at sustainability as a continuous improvement journey that reflects our strong commitment to being part of the solution in a changing and challenging world," said Linda Massman, president and CEO. "As such, we are pleased to present this CSR report, which was developed using current Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 guidelines." Highlights from the report include: •68 percent reduction in waste to landfill since 2012. •10 percent reduction in water usage since 2012. •23 percent reduction in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) since 2012. •9 percent reduction in recordable safety incidents since 2012. Click Read More below for additional information.

Cascades today launched a pilot transportation electrification project for its employees. To encourage them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by acquiring an electric vehicle, the company has installed twenty-two 240‑V charging stations and one 480‑V fast charging station at its various plants in Kingsey Falls . In addition, Cascades announced it would be offering a $2,000 financial incentive for employees who acquire an electric vehicle in the next year—a supplement to the government grants in effect. Mario Plourde , President and CEO of Cascades, made the announcement at the Salon du véhicule électrique de Saint-Hyacinthe trade show alongside Isabelle Melançon, Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change, and André Fortin, Minister of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transport Electrification, before numerous representatives of the sustainable transportation industry. Click Read More below for additional information.

“We are delighted to welcome ARAUCO, European Panel Federation (EPF) and European Pulp Industry Sector Association AISBL (EPIS) as International Stakeholder members,” said Ben Gunneberg, following the acceptance of the three new members during the PEFC General Assembly in Helsinki, Finland, 15 November 2017. EPIS membership 2017“As sustainable forestry is a lifeline for our members, we are very much looking forward to our membership with PEFC,” said Anna Maija Wessman, European Pulp Industry Sector Association, AISBL (EPIS), speaking at the General Assembly. “We hope to engage in an active dialogue between EPIS and PEFC, and to have a good interaction in the coming years,” Ms. Wessman continued. Click Read More below for additional information.

Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) welcomes Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Growth Program launched today in Ottawa. The $155-million program will fund clean technology projects, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve environmental performance in the natural resources sector. Canada’s forest products sector was the first major Canadian industry to commit to helping the Government of Canada meet its carbon reduction goals. In 2016, the sector launched the 30 X 30 Climate Change Challenge, pledging to remove 30MT of C02 per year by 2030 – 13% of the government’s goal. “The Clean Growth Program will provide much needed support to forest product companies working hard to mitigate climate change,” says Derek Nighbor, CEO of FPAC. “We are a sustainable industry committed to doing our part to take care of the environment for generations to come.”

The great Chinese environmental cleanup, now in full swing, is shifting the corporate landscape in unexpected ways and even stoking inflationary pressure that may soon be felt in supply chains worldwide. As President Xi Jinping's government intensifies the fight against the country's world-class pollution problem, companies are scrambling to adapt to tighter regulation while investing in cleaner energy. In industries from steel to textiles and consumer goods, the resulting shakeout has left the survivors with far more pricing power. That in turn is reinforcing the already-resurgent factory prices that contribute to global inflation. These trends are reshaping the business environment, according to Ms Cui Li, Hong Kong-based head of macro research at CCB International Holdings. "The environment clean-up is and will be a key driver of the industrial consolidation," said Ms Cui, who expects to see greater concentration in steel, paper-making and pharmaceuticals. "With costs rising from wages, land and pollution curbs, China's manufacturers will have to invest and upgrade to survive. Those who survive will benefit." Click Read More below for additional information.

The renewable materials company Stora Enso will be the Presenting Sponsor for FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2019 in Seefeld, Austria. The sponsorship gives Stora Enso the possibility to contribute to a sustainable sports event and showcase its renewable solutions in various applications. Throughout the event, Stora Enso wants to increase the participants’, viewers’ and visitors’ awareness of the benefits of sustainable products. Stora Enso’s products provide a climate-friendly alternative to many products made from fossil based materials, and have a smaller carbon footprint. During the World Ski Championships, a variety of products and solutions based on renewable raw materials will be show casted, such as wood for temporary buildings, carton board packaging, paper, effective waste management systems, and renewable materials for arenas. This marks the third time Stora Enso will be sponsoring the Nordic World Ski Championships, after being the Presenting Sponsor for the 2017 event in Lahti, Finland, and a main sponsor of the event in Falun, Sweden in 2015. Click Read More below for additional information.

“We need a paradigm shift in how society perceives the whole forest/tree value chain,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, as he opened the 22nd PEFC General Assembly, in Helsinki, Finland. “Society is at a crossroads and the strategic direction we choose will provide the opportunity for us to demonstrate the real value of sustainable forests and their contribution to society in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.” “Climate change, a growing urban global population, cooperation challenges, are all issues we have to tackle, by demonstrating how forests are an important part of the solution,” Ben highlighted. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has released the results of its Sustainability Transparency Toolkit, or SPOTT Assessment, that independently gauges the progress of 24 global timber, pulp and paper companies against a range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) indicators. APRIL ranked second of 24 companies, behind Switzerland’s Interholco A.G., with a score of 67.1%, well above the average score for the sector of 37.1%. APRIL’s highest scores were for Sustainability Policy and Leadership, and Deforestation and Biodiversity. Just three of the 24 companies received a ‘Green’ rating, awarded to companies scoring above 66%. Click Read More below for additional information.

“Building viable models of group certification is critical for expanding sustainable forest management and forest certification, especially in the developing world,” said Sarah Price, Head of Projects and Development at PEFC International. “Forests are key to mitigating climate change and possess immense potential for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals." "With 30% of the world’s forest area managed locally by families, communities and indigenous peoples, we need to encourage and support local people to manage their forests sustainably,” Sarah continued. Towards this goal, PEFC and Finnish Agri-Agency for Food and Forest Development (FFD) recently convened a field dialogue on group certification in Iisalmi, Finland. The event brought together 25 representatives from 10 countries, to learn about Finland’s long history of small private forest owners, well-established associations, sustainable forest management practices and PEFC certification through group certification. Click Read More below for additional information.

As politicians and activists gather for the COP23 Bonn climate talks, people are wondering what they can do to help avert the climate catastrophe. One simple action is to look out for the PEFC label on everyday products, something that 53% of all consumers already do at least sometimes, according to a recent YouGov survey. "Forests and trees are a cornerstone of addressing climate change, as are products made of wood - if they originate from sustainably managed forests," explains Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. "Consumers can easily identify such products through the PEFC label, which is exclusively available for products coming from certified, healthy forests." Click Read More below for additional information.

It highlights several milestones, while noting that the company’s delivery of its sustainability commitments is an ongoing process. These include: •The launch of the company’s Sustainable Forest Management Policy 2.0 in June 2015, which remains at the centre of our operations today as we implement its commitments, including the immediate elimination of deforestation from our supply chain. •The subsequent formation of the Independent Peat Expert Working Group (IPEWG) in early 2016, which is advancing science-led approaches to responsible peatland management. •The achievement of Sustainable Forest Management certification under the Programme for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification (PEFC) – the first Indonesian company to achieve this. •The establishment of the Fire Free Village Programme (FFVP) in July 2015 – a community-based fire prevention initiative that today continues our progress towards a fire free landscape. •The expansion of peatland restoration project, Restorasi Ekosistem Riau, to 150,000 hectares supported by US$100 million over ten years, which today continues to promote the protection of important biodiversity on the Kampar Peninsula. •The implementation of a GHG monitoring project to measure emissions across production and conservation landscapes. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Navigator Company, the leading operator in the pulp and paper sector, and the Web Summit, the world's largest digital technology event, have reached agreement on a partnership on Sustainability issues. As the Web Summit Carbon Offsetting Partner, Navigator will offset the event's carbon dioxide emissions by planting 95,000 pine trees in central Portugal, enough to neutralise all the event's emissions, including air travel by more than 60,000 visitors, in addition to eliminating nonrecyclable consumables during the summit, by using biodegradable paper cups and receptacles which are 100% recyclable. Click Read More below for additional information.

“Mike is a great fit for SFI because he brings a wealth of leadership experience on sustainability and community building. His approach shows that financial results and corporate responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Mike’s message that we have to reach far beyond day-to-day business operations and really have a positive impact on our shared quality of life resonates with the entire SFI community,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. To excel in sustainability and community engagement, Mike and his team focus their efforts on three pillars: preserving the environment, putting food on the table, and investing in education. “These pillars at Graphic Packaging line up with SFI’s work on elevating conservation values, engaging communities and supporting environmental education,” Doss said. Click Read More below for additional information.

“American Eagle’s Project Phoenix proves that intentional focus on increased efficiency benefits company operations – environmentally, socially and economically,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. American Eagle Paper Mills commissioned Project Phoenix to increase efficiency and reduce water use at their Tyrone, Pennsylvania, mill – one of the oldest working paper mills in the United States. Infrastructure updates resulted in an 83 percent reduction in total daily river and watershed water withdrawal; a 91 percent reduction in daily water consumption; and an 18.1 percent reduction in process water effluent per ton of paper produced. Click Read More below for additional information.

“A series of environmental commitments led Resolute to implement voluntary and pro-active improvements to drastically reduce GHG emissions from their facilities,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. Resolute adopted a series of ambitious sustainability commitments, including a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (scope 1 and 2) from their facilities by 65 percent between 2000 and 2015. By improving the energy efficiency of their operations and increasing their use of lower carbon fuels, Resolute surpassed that goal. At the end of 2016, the company had lowered GHG emissions by 73 percent compared to 2000 levels, equivalent to the removal of 1.82 million cars off the road. Click Read More below for additional information.

“All of Sappi’s mills follow standard industry safety measures, but their mill in Cloquet, Minnesota went the extra mile to implement a set of initiatives that reached unprecedented safety records,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. Sappi’s Cloquet mill implemented four unique safety programs, engaging and educating its employees on recognizing safety issues, reducing risk of injury, maintaining a safe work environment, and creating and sustaining safety standards. The programs led the Cloquet mill to reach a company milestone of two million hours worked without a lost time injury – an equivalent to over 450 days without significant injury. Click Read More below for additional information.

WestRock received a Leadership in Sustainability Award for Water for its Covington Mill Power Boiler Ash Handling Systems project and the Innovation in Sustainability Award for its Moving Products the Green Way project. “By converting and updating an existing system at its Covington, Virginia mill, WestRock reduced the facility’s water use and is now able to provide a biomass byproduct for beneficial reuse,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. To optimize its management of fly ash – a byproduct of burning coal in boilers for energy in the paper mill's manufacturing process – WestRock’s Covington, Virginia mill converted its boiler ash handling system from a water-managed to a dry ash system. Benefits include an 8 percent reduction in daily water usage at the mill, improved water effluent quality, and increased opportunities for reuse of the fly ash. “Developing innovative software allowed WestRock to reduce the environmental impact of its transportation systems and save costs without sacrificing the company’s high standards for customer service,” said Harman. Click Read More below for additional information.

“International Paper took the initiative to increase and expand its certified fiber supply by supporting small private landowners – benefitting its customers, its suppliers and its businesses,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. International Paper created a cost-effective means for small private landowners to become Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified following customer demand for certified products. Through Certified Forest Management LLC, its own FSC forest management group, International Paper has directly enrolled and actively maintained FSC forest management certification for 210 private landowners in ten states since 2012, significantly increasing certified forestlands and their certified fiber supply in the process. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sustainable packaging leader Smurfit Kappa has announced that it has slashed the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in its water discharge three years early. The company had set an ambitious goal to improve the quality of its water quality by reducing the COD by 1/3 per tonne of produced paper by the end of 2020 compared to 2005. This significant improvement in water quality is an important step for protecting aquatic life and comes after extensive research and development. Smurfit Kappa invested over €60 million in sustainable water treatment technology installing anaerobic water treatment processes that do not need oxygen and subsequently use less energy, followed by aerobic treatment to ensure low COD results. The treatment transforms water pollutants into biogas which is then reused as fuel in the company’s combined heat and power plants. Click Read More below for additional information.

Drinking from her Contigo reusable coffee mug, tested and approved by the GH Institute, Good Housekeeping Deputy Editor and Good Housekeeping Institute Director Laurie Jennings does more than just talk the sustainability talk; she is developing the first annual Green Summit, to be hosted at Hearst Tower on November 8. As a consumer-advocacy publication for more than 130 years, the team at Good Housekeeping decided now was the time to plan Raising the Green Bar: Your Roadmap to Sustainability & Success because of an increased interest from its readership in sustainability and a growing concern for the environment. “Three years ago, when we asked consumers if a product was green would it make them more likely to buy it, the answer was ‘not really’,” Jennings says. “Now, more and more, there is a big resounding ‘yes–green matters’ response to that question.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Forest Products Association of Canada and its members welcomed the release yesterday of the 5-Year Progress Report on Implementation of the Recovery Strategy for Boreal Caribou. Like all Canadians, we want to ensure that all appropriate measures are taken to help caribou recovery and, like many academics and environmental organizations, we believe decisions must be based on sound science, local knowledge and the most recent research. It is important to understand that our forests are complex ecosystems with hundreds of species of mammals, birds and fish. The Progress Report confirms what our experience on the ground has told us – this is a complicated issue with multiple factors and different realities unfolding in different parts of the country. One of the most concerning parts of the Report that cannot be overlooked is that 21/51 ranges do not have sufficient data. We are prepared to bring our experience to bear in working with partners from federal and provincial governments to Indigenous governments and communities to environmental groups to ensure we have the data we need to support caribou recovery. Click Read More below for additional information.

For the second straight year, Crown Holdings, Inc.'s environmental stewardship has been recognized with an "A-" ranking (on a scale from A-F) for its submission to CDP's Climate Change Evaluation Program. This ranking allows the Company to retain its "Leadership" tier position, the program's highest level, which it achieved with its inaugural submission for the 2015 fiscal year. This program cycle included 2,418 companies, with an average program ranking of "C." Crown's submission reflects data collected from its operations across 36 countries for the period of January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016. The Company continued to demonstrate excellence in the Governance and Strategy, Risk and Opportunity Management and Emissions Management categories of the program. Click Read More below for additional information.

PEFC invites stakeholders around the world to comment on the Korean national forest certification system, following its submission to PEFC for endorsement. To give your feedback, head to our Online Consultation Tool. The Korea Forestry Promotion Institute (KoFPI) is one of our newest national members, joining in June 2016. This means it is the first time they have submitted their national system to PEFC for endorsement. Make your comments now! The deadline is 23 December 2017. Click Read More below for additional information.

Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd (April) can resume forestry operations at its Indonesian pulp and paper subsidiary, government officials said on Tuesday (Oct 24), amid a dispute over environmental rules. April halted forestry operations at PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) and said thousands of jobs were at risk after the Indonesian environment ministry rejected its long-term work plan. One of Asia's biggest pulp and paper firms, April has been in talks with the government over the re-zoning of roughly half of its 480,000ha of plantation areas that sit on peatland. "(RAPP) was never forbidden from operating," Environment and Forestry Ministry secretary-general Bambang Hendroyono told reporters, referring to discussions on the company's work plans that had been under review since May. Click Read More below for additional information.

Florine Turnbull of Juniper New Brunswick started her first summer job as a student in 1967. 50 years later, she is still working at the same place. “It’s like a family here,” Turnbull said of the Juniper Tree Nursery, a J.D. Irving Woodlands operation celebrating its 60th year this year. The nursery opened in 1957 and was already 10 years old when Florine started as a “weeder” in the seedling beds. Then she worked as a seedling planter in the transplant fields. “It was good hard work and long days, and we didn’t have air-conditioned offices like we do today”, she laughed. Today, Florine supervises greenhouse thinning and monitors seedling growth quality. Click Read More below for additional information.

American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the Massachusetts Senate Bill 424, “Act Reducing Plastic Bag Pollution.” The bill seeks to place a 10-cent tax on recycled paper bags beginning on August 1, 2018. “This bill, intended to reduce plastic pollution, wrongfully penalizes paper bags—a commodity that is highly recycled, recyclable, compostable and made from a renewable resource. Unfortunately, this is a missed opportunity to differentiate paper bags as an environmentally responsible option. Paper bags are a sustainable packaging option for consumers who need carryout bags. “This policy takes Massachusetts in the wrong direction and sets a poor example for the region. AF&PA looks forward to continuing to work with the state of Massachusetts on this provision.”

Kohl’s announced it was honored with a SmartWay® Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an industry leader in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency. Kohl’s was one of 62 companies to receive this distinction, representing the best environmental performers of SmartWay’s 3600 Partners. The Excellence Awardees were honored at the American Trucking Associations Management & Exhibition Annual Conference held in Orlando, Florida on October 23, 2017. Click Read More below for additional information.

Technology has the ability to move boundaries and change how certification operates. Helping us to kick-start the PEFC Stakeholder Dialogue will be Sarah Crow from the American Forest Foundation, as she showcases the innovative ‘Forests in Focus’. To find out more, make sure you register to join us in Helsinki on 16-17 November, but in the meantime, here’s what Sarah has to say: What is your view of the potential of innovation and technology within forest certification? “I believe innovation is central to our success. In our experiences with forest certification, we have learned a huge amount about what customers, landowners, stakeholders, conservation partners and others are seeking.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Stora Enso will invest EUR 94 million to grow in renewable materials and to increase competitiveness in consumer board and biomaterials. EUR 52 million will be invested to increase the dissolving pulp production capacity at Enocell Mill and EUR 42 million to enhance the availability of the chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP) at Imatra Mills. Both mills are located in Finland. Enocell Mill, part of the Biomaterials division, will be converted to focus entirely on production of dissolving pulp. The softwood pulp production will be gradually discontinued after the investment. The mill will have a total capacity of 430 000 tonnes dissolving pulp annually, whereof 185 000 tonnes hardwood and 245 000 tonnes softwood dissolving pulp. The investment is scheduled to be completed during the second half of 2019. It is expected to exceed the Biomaterials division’s profitability target, operational return on operating capital (ROOC) of 15%, and to have a positive impact on sales. The investment at Imatra Mills, part of the Consumer Board division, includes a new CTMP drying and re-pulping plant as well as extension of the pulp warehouse. This aims to enhance the availability of CTMP and to drive the commercialisation of micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC). Due to its high strength and 100% renewable raw materials, MFC is designed to outperform fossil-based materials, such as plastics, in a variety of applications. The project is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2019. The investment is expected to exceed the Consumer Board division’s profitability target, operational return on operating capital (ROOC) of 20%, and to have a marginal impact on sales. Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM has been positioned on this year's A List for water and forests by CDP, the non-profit global environmental disclosure platform. CDP's A List comprises companies from around the world that have been identified as leading in their efforts and actions to combat environmental risk in the past CDP reporting year. Of the companies that submitted information, UPM is one of the only four companies to score an A on both water and forests. "UPM is committed to the internationally accepted principles of sustainable forest management and to minimise the negative impacts of its operations on water resources," says Tuomas Niemi, Manager, UPM Environment and Responsibility. "We aim to maximise our total contribution to society by creating long-term profitable business with responsible practises embedded into our operations and value-chain", Niemi continues. Click Read More below for additional information.

Södra’s port in Mönsterås, Sweden, will become completely free from fossil fuels in October. All work vehicles and cranes at the port will begin using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) diesel – a completely fossil-free alternative to standard diesel, as the company says in the press release received by Lesprom Network. Södra’s port has four cranes and 16 work vehicles. Together, these handle about 3 million tonnes of freight each year. The freight is loaded for transport to Europe by land and sea and includes 430,000 tonnes of paper pulp and 170,000 cubic metres of sawn timber. This will now be carried out using only fossil-free HVO diesel. The switchover at the port began in the spring of 2017 and was completed at the end of September. The move is part of Södra’s sustainability targets that aim to achieve fossil-free production by 2020 and fossil-free transportation by 2030 – targets adopted in 2016 and assigned the same status as Södra’s financial targets. Click Read More below for additional information.

Can you build a house overnight? Can it be beautiful, stylish and sustainable? The answer is yes – as the thousands of visitors to Helsinki Design Week can testify! For the fourth edition of PEFC Wood Works, PEFC Finland teamed up with architect and environmental artist Marco Casagrande to showcase the future of living to the people of Helsinki. As cities become more densely populated, we must find more agile ways to build, and live in, new housing solutions. In the center of Helsinki, PEFC Wood Works x Tikku constructed a micro-size apartment house on just one parking slot in just one night. Tikku (‘stick’) is a demonstration of dense urban housing and Finnish wooden construction. Even better, all the wood used in the installation comes from sustainably managed, PEFC-certified, forests. Click Read More below for additional information.

Metsä Board has once again been rewarded a position on the CDP Water A List as well as on the CDP Climate A List. This is the third consecutive year that the company has been included on the CDP Water A List and the second year on the CDP Climate A List. Metsä Board also achieved Leadership status in the CDP Forest programme for the third year in a row. CDP is a non-profit global environmental disclosure platform. Metsä Board is among the top 10% of companies participating in CDP’s water programme to be placed on the Water A List. This achievement is in recognition of its actions in the last reporting year to manage water more sustainably. Additionally, Metsä Board is among the top 5% of companies participating in CDP’s climate change programme to be featured on the 2017 Climate A List. This positioning recognises its activities to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy. Click Read More below for additional information.

TimberWest is the first Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Program Participant to achieve the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) Bronze certification under the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program. This certification demonstrates to Indigenous communities that TimberWest is a good business partner, a great place to work and is committed to the prosperity of Indigenous communities. TimberWest is also the first BC forest company to earn PAR certification. “As a forester by training I am very pleased that TimberWest has shown its commitment to Indigenous communities by undergoing PAR certification. This leadership demonstrates to other forest companies, and other companies outside BC’s forest sector, that strong Indigenous relations make good corporate policy,” said JP Gladu, President and CEO of the CCAB. The PAR framework evaluates companies on four PAR performance areas known as the PAR drivers, which are designed to ensure comprehensive business engagement with a community. The four PAR drivers are: leadership actions, employment, business development, and community relationships. PAR certification provides a high level of assurance to communities because the designation is supported by an independent, third-party verification of company reports. The final PAR level achieved by a company is determined by a jury comprised of Indigenous business people. Click Read More below for additional information.

We work hard to ensure we meet and surpass all environmental regulations. In 1995, the pulp mill owned by Irving Pulp & Paper, Limited invested $300 million to modernize and significantly improve the mill’s environmental performance. This investment allowed the mill to become compliant with the newly released federal emission regulations by using world-first technology. Today the pulp mill is: - The only mill in North America to meet environmental regulations without the use of a large external lagoon. As the pulp mill is located in the middle of the city and on a 100+ year old site, a traditional treatment lagoon was not practical. - The only mill in North America to operate without a solid waste landfill by reusing or reducing its solid waste. The pulp mill treats and diverts virtually all solid waste to value added materials. - Over 95% energy self-sufficient through significant efficiency investments. - One of the lowest odour emitting pulp mills in North America through investments to collect and incinerate most emission sources. Recently Irving Pulp & Paper was charged for releasing “deleterious substance in water frequented by fish”. It is important to note that no fish died in the river, and that all releases were self-reported to regulators. Click Read More below for additional information.

Amazon announced that its largest wind farm yet—Amazon Wind Farm Texas—is now up and running, adding more than 1,000,000 MWh of clean energy to the grid each year. Amazon has launched 18 wind and solar projects across the U.S., with over 35 more to come. Together, these projects will generate enough clean energy to power over 330,000 homes annually. These projects also support hundreds of jobs and provide tens of millions of dollars of investment in local communities across the country. Amazon Wind Farm Texas includes more than 100 turbines – each over 300 feet tall with a rotor diameter more than twice the wingspan of a Boeing 787. Amazon Wind Farm Texas is built, owned, and operated by Lincoln Clean Energy (LCE), an I Squared Capital portfolio company and a leading developer of wind and solar projects across the U.S. Amazon, LCE, and local officials and residents celebrated the grand opening of the wind farm with a BBQ event onsite. To thank and support the local community, Amazon is donating $50,000 to the Snyder Education Foundation to provide students and teachers with STEM learning opportunities. Click Read More below for additional information.

Community forests play an important role within Indonesia. Covering just 2.3 million hectares, these forests support the livelihoods of more than 3.4 million households. The Indonesian national forest certification system achieved PEFC endorsement in 2014, and since then, more than 3 million hectares of forest have become PEFC certified. However, while uptake of forest certification has been successful among large companies, it has yet to take hold in the country’s community forests. To make certification more accessible to the community forests, the Indonesian Forest Certification Cooperation (IFCC), supported by the 2015 PEFC Collaboration Fund, GIZ, and others, has developed new requirements for community forest management certification. Click Read More below for additional information.

A logging company’s lawsuit accusing Greenpeace and another environmental group of libel and racketeering for describing the company as a “forest destroyer” was dismissed Monday by a San Francisco federal judge, who said the organizations were exercising their freedom of speech. Resolute Forest Products alleged that Greenpeace and a Bay Area nonprofit called Stand had engaged in a “disinformation campaign,” starting in 2012, about the company’s logging in the boreal forest of northern and western Canada to boost their own fundraising. The company said Greenpeace had to retract its initial claim that its logging had violated the terms of an environmental agreement, and had falsely accused Resolute of endangering caribou in an area where the company did little logging. Greenpeace also labeled Resolute as a “forest destroyer” even though it logs only a small part of the forest, the company said. Click Read More below for additional information.

For the third year in a row, BPM Inc., northeast Wisconsin paper mill, has received recognition as a Green Professional in the Wisconsin Green Masters Program. The Green Masters Program recognizes and assesses Wisconsin businesses on their sustainability performance in a variety of sustainability categories. “Participation in the Green Masters Program validates BPM’s continued commitment to the environment, sustainability and social responsibility,” said Jim Koronkiewicz, BPM General Manager. “It’s a hands-on tool that BPM can use annually to review areas of sustainable potential. With an increased score, the BPM team has worked hard for this impressive accomplishment.” The program is grounded in an in-depth survey where points are rewarded for a variety of actions. These actions are grouped into areas that include: Energy, Climate, Workforce, Governance, and Community and Educational Outreach. BPM has proven their dedication and commitment to sustainability through advancing in the program. Click Read More below for additional information.

“Pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and wood products are interwoven through our every-day lives in undeniable ways. They and the devoted employees who manufacture them deserve a center-stage seat during National Forest Products Week – the annual celebration of our industry and its valuable contributions to society and the American economy. “In rural and urban communities across 45 states, our companies provide family-wage jobs to approximately 900,000 men and women and our industry accounts for four percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP. Paper and wood products manufacturers rank among the top 10 employers and utilize renewable, recyclable materials in innovative and highly-efficient processes to make products we rely on today and will need tomorrow. Click Read More below for additional information.

In appreciation of the 57th anniversary of National Forest Products Week, forest product manufacturers and organizations through the supply chain are joining to Celebrate Forest Products (#CelebrateFP). “Expera maintains the highest of standards in managing our entire wood procurement and forest certification systems,” explained Ann Funk, Vice President of Procurement & Logistics for Expera. “Expera is leading the way to ensure responsibility not only in our systems, but those of our suppliers.” Expera is certified under the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®), and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) at all of their Wisconsin facilities. Click Read More below for additional information.

Each year since 1960, the third week in October has been proclaimed National Forest Products Week in the U.S. It is a time to recognize the essential role that forests play in the country’s history, culture, environment and economy. Our forests are a source of clean air and water, are home to a diversity of fish and wildlife, a place to enjoy, provide us with many products made from wood and are a source of employment for people who work in and manage the forests. From houses to paper to packaging to fuel to furniture to railways, wood products are an irreplaceable part of our daily lives. But those are just the traditional uses of forest products! What about all the surprising everyday items that contain products from wood? Wood cellulose, released when wood is processed into pulp, is used to make ping pong balls, sports helmets, nail polish and synthetic fibres, which are made into clothes and towels – just to name a few. Click Read More below for additional information.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has successfully completed recertification to the new management system standards ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015. This means that all production and development locations worldwide together with their marketing, product management, development, procurement, production and service functions as well as their support processes along the entire value chain have been successfully recertified. The audit was carried out by the well-known certification company DQS GmbH (German Organization for the Certification of Management Systems), which for its part is authorized by the national accreditation body DAkkS GmbH (German Accreditation Body) in Berlin. Certification to the international ISO standards has been part and parcel of Heidelberg’s quality and environmental policy for over 20 years. Heidelberg’s goal is to continuously improve all processes related to quality and the environment. This commitment is insisted upon and appropriately supported by the management. Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM was honoured to welcome European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefcovic, responsible for the Energy Union, to the UPM Kaukas Mill site in Lappeenranta Finland today. The visit was hosted by UPM's President and CEO, Jussi Pesonen. During the visit UPM presented its UPM Biofore strategy designed to create sustainable solutions and new innovations from renewable raw materials that provide options to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change. Pesonen called for EU regulation that ensures the right framework for companies to invest and provide innovative solutions to reduce emissions. Click Read More below for additional information.

American Eagle Paper Mills has been selected as the recipient of the 2017 Leadership in Sustainable Business Award by the Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC), the Commonwealth’s oldest grassroots environmental non-profit organization. American Eagle Paper Mills is being recognized for its production of recycled chlorine free paper using an innovative deinking process that allows it to recycle multiple types of paper waste. PRC also applauds the mills recent Project Phoenix, which replaced the mills coal boiler and antiquated energy distribution systems with high efficiency natural gas boiler and power distribution system. The project dramatically cut GHG emissions from the mill and reduced water intake by 82%. Every year, PRC honors groups, organizations and individuals who show outstanding leadership, creativity and a commitment to protecting the environment for future generations of Pennsylvanians. Click Read More below for more of the story.

American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement that it plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan (CPP) and issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to seek input on a possible replacement. “The Clean Power Plan has been flawed from the start, and we welcome EPA’s efforts to provide states and ratepayers, including paper and wood products manufacturers, with relief from costly, complex and harmful regulatory overreach. The nation deserves affordable, reliable electricity, not rate hikes and competitive harm that can stem from onerous regulation. “As the EPA moves forward, we will closely examine the agency’s proposed next steps and continue to advocate for the regulatory certainty our industry needs in order to contribute to economic expansion and job creation.”

Sustainability is in Klabin's DNA, and to sustain its investments in these practices, the company recently (September 2017) raised funds in the international market through its first issue of green bonds amounting to around R$ 1.6 billion, maturing in 10 years. The company, which pioneered the adoption of sustainable practices, is a benchmark in sustainable development and its issue received the "High Standard" rating from consulting firm Sustainalytics. The offering drew significant investor interest, with demand exceeding the offer of green bonds sevenfold. Sustainability governance at Klabin is strongly structured and functions on four key pillars: Sustainability Committee; Sustainability Commission; Sustainability and Communication Department; and a working group on impacts of climate change, all with the mission to raise the level of transparency across the company and structure its actions. Click Read More below for additional detail.

“I would first like to thank Stéphane Marchesi, who, after 16 years of leading PEFC France, has decided it is time to move on,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, following two days in Paris. “In these last few days I have met with senators, civil society organizations, numerous companies and the general public, and it has been fantastic to see the level of support of PEFC in France: a legacy of Stéphane’s commitment to PEFC over the last almost two decades.” Mr. Gunneberg was joined by Peter Latham, Chairman of the PEFC International Board, in Paris in late September for a special two-day program as PEFC France launched their new model. Click Read More below for more of the story.

"We are seeing companies step up to help protect forests, even as we all use forest products every day," said Corey Brinkema, president of the Forest Stewardship Council US. "This momentum comes not a moment too soon, as climate change puts the need for forest conservation front and center," he added. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, all transportation accounts for 14 percent of global carbon emissions, while experts estimate deforestation and forest degradation to contribute up to 15 percent. Healthy forests currently offer the best way to pull carbon out of the atmosphere. Recent research in the US Pacific Northwest finds FSC-certified forest management stores at least 45 percent more carbon than standard forestry. Click Read More below for more of the story.

Log tracking, dynamic data transfer, blockchain… what are the ‘must have’ technologies that can help us to strengthen trust and traceability throughout supply chains? What technologies are showing promise for transferring complex information in a useable and credible form? How can technology help certification to deliver more value to companies and customers? Where are technologies showing promise to supporting auditors to verify compliance? Technology compliments nearly all aspects of Chain of Custody management. New and emerging hardware, software, services and tools are enhancing the robustness of certification and accelerating the flow of information through supply chains. In this session, we will feature some of the latest and greatest technological developments from certified forestry supply chains. Together, we hope to inspire and re-imagine how the information flow and product assurances of certified products can continue to evolve in the future. Click Read More below for additional detail.

In an effort for transparency, FSC certified Forest Managers have created a high-resolution map showing the location and borders of the forests they harvest. This is timely in a context of a broader discussion to develop spatial data, at FSC but also in the forestry sector in general. The map has come a long way. It was created according to a request from different environmental organisations, community associations, individuals and companies. As per the FSC Principles and Criteria, any stakeholder must be able to contact Forest Management companies to share any supported concerns if they think companies are not managing the land in a responsible way. Forest Managers came together to discuss the matter and agreed to provide relevant data on a voluntary base in order to create the map. Although not all companies have shared their data, we hope they will be encouraged to follow the same path. Click Read More below for additional detail.

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the final rule on National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Kraft pulp mills, issued under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Residual Risk and Technology Review process. “The EPA’s final rule confirming that the 2001 maximum achievable control technology (MACT) protects public health underscores the value of our industries’ investment in and commitment to air quality and sustainability. Pulp mill operations can now move forward with certainty, knowing that investments of more than $1.5 billion in state-of-the-art, emission reduction controls and technologies are effectively reducing emissions.”

Holmen has gained international recognition for its strategic sustainability work, with a focus on the bioeconomy and a sustainable approach to forestry. The Golden Peacock Awards jury made particular reference to Holmen’s absorption of carbon dioxide in its growing forest and the climate benefit from its products. “Being the first Swedish company to receive this global sustainability award is a mark of the quality of our long-term sustainability work. Holmen manages its forest holdings actively and sustainably, with the raw material from the forest forming a key component in society’s drive to meet the challenge of climate change. We are extremely proud to have our strategy recognised in this way,” comments Henrik Sjölund, President and CEO of Holmen. Click Read More below for more of the story.

From new recycled paper facestock to marble-based “paper” and compostable adhesive, Avery Dennison is offering brand owners and converters an increasingly wide choice of sustainable options for their needs. “Avery Dennison is making excellent progress toward our ambitious 2025 sustainability goals we announced at Labelexpo Europe in 2015,” said Renae Kezar, sr. director, global leader of sustainability. “At Labelexpo 2017 in Brussels, we provided a detailed update on our performance against these goals, releasing our Sustainability Report 2015-2017, while also showcasing our range of sustainable products and solutions”, Kezar continues. Avery Dennison is rolling out its Forest Stewardship Council-certified Recycled Paper Facestock range. The range helps brand owners meet their sustainability targets. Next to that, label printers and converters want to differentiate themselves and increase their value in the supply chain by helping brand owners to achieve those goals. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Tetra Pak today published its 2017 Sustainability Report, highlighting the company’s annual progress and key achievements in the areas of environmental performance, social responsibility and corporate governance. For the first time since it started publishing a Sustainability report in 2004, the company has adopted Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, the most widely-used international framework for measuring and communicating sustainability performance. Chris Huntley, Senior Vice President Communications at Tetra Pak and the chair of the company’s Sustainability Forum said: “The GRI framework provides a mechanism for us to report our progress on sustainability against an industry-wide standard, improving both the clarity and transparency of our yearly reports. Perhaps more importantly, it also introduces a common methodology for identifying the environmental, social and governance aspects of our operations that are most critical to our business, to our customers and to society – helping us to ensure we give these due priority”. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The theme of this year’s National Forest Week 2017 is Our Stories, Our Future. We value the people, the partnerships and the innovation that goes into sustainable forest management. We think these stories are worth celebrating! 1. It’s a Milestone Year: 60 Years of Tree Planting Since 1957 we have planted nearly 1 billion trees. It is a big part of why we grow more than we harvest every year. We cannot celebrate this 60-year milestone without celebrating the tree planters who have made it happen. One way we thank our student tree planters is to send them back to college or university with a scholarship at the end of the planting season. The 2017 season saw 58 student tree planters awarded a total of $47,250 in scholarships. To date, $454,500 has been awarded to full-time students who have planted trees across JDI-owned or managed lands. 2. Proud to Conserve Nature’s Beauty with Exceptional Partners Unique Areas: Our voluntary and award-winning Unique Areas program has grown from 29 sites in the 1980’s to over 1 300 sites to date on the lands we own and manage in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Maine. We value the partnerships we have with many environmental and community groups as well as local universities to help identify, conserve and study these special places which include aesthetics, wildlife, historic sites and more. https://irvingwoodlands.com/jdi-woodlands-healthy-forest-conservation.aspx. Click Read More below for more of the story.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced today that J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) is the 2017 winner of the SFI Leadership in Conservation Award. This award, announced at the SFI Annual Conference, recognizes SFI Program Participants across Canada and the U.S. who are involved in strong partnerships focused on conservation. In 2016, SFI Program Participants reported on 420 different audited research projects with more than 500 unique partner organizations. JDI collaborated in 68 forest research projects, the highest number of any SFI Program Participant. Project highlights include JDI’s award-winning Unique Areas Program, which has grown from 29 sites in the 1980s to more than 1,300 today, it focuses on protecting unique elements in working forests. The sites are found and mapped by over 100 forestry professionals working in Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The program has four broad objectives: preserving rare and uncommon species and landscape features; monitoring important indicator species; establishing a database of species and natural features; and engaging the public and stakeholders. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced today that the Maine SFI Implementation Committee is the winner of the 2017 SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award. This award, announced at the SFI Annual Conference, recognizes the exceptional work of the grassroots network of 34 SFI Implementation Committees across the U.S. and Canada. Groups ranging from Habitat for Humanity and Boy Scouts to universities and Ducks Unlimited Canada work with SFI Implementation Committees. "Education and outreach have long been a strength of the Maine SFI Implementation Committee. Every year we hold multiple events and workshops that involve hundreds of people and benefit our communities. Having these efforts recognized with an SFI award is hugely gratifying," said Pat Sirois, the Maine SFI Coordinator. "This award really belongs to the network of countless people who care about Maine's forests. We all share the benefits of the healthy, productive forests that are such a significant part of the quality of life in our state." Click Read More below for additional detail.

UPM Biofuels is one of six finalists for the Industry Leadership category in Bioenergy at the 2017 Platts Global Energy Awards - often described as the Oscars of the energy industry. UPM Biofuels is nominated for its wood-based low emission advanced UPM BioVerno biofuels, and its one-of-a-kind commercial scale biorefinery in Lappeenranta, Finland. The Platts Global Energy Awards honour organisations and individuals who are dedicated to achieving excellence in the energy industry, recognising top performers - industry leaders and innovators in the energy industry. The Bioenergy Industry Leader Award recognises a recent innovation in bioenergy that is market competitive, ecologically sound and minimises undesirable environmental impacts. The nominees must be producing or enhancing the application of bioenergy solutions. The judging criteria include challenges, financial results, innovation, leadership and operational excellence. Click Read More below for more of the story.

Charta Global, provider of office and graphical papers, food grade and packaging boards for North and South America and strategic partner to Asia Pulp & Paper, has announced its eco-friendly Foopak food and beverage packaging line offers products capable of biodegrading in a matter of 12 weeks. The Bio Natura Cup stock, providing the food and restaurant industries with a comprehensive family of sustainable packaging solutions, brings this sustainable option to an underserved part of the market. Foopak Bio Natura Cup stock is FDA-certified and meets the standards with the FTC’s Green Guides for biodegradability and compostability. Through testing by the Isega Institute, Charta Global has maintained scientific evidencethe stock can completely break down and return to nature by decomposing in a matter of 12 weeks. Additionally, the Bio Natura Cup stock can be safety composted in a facility or home compost pile. Click Read More below for more of the story.

Below are some of the highlights from the 2016 Forestry and Forest Products Reports: All Forest Products Operations Summary Healthy Environment •Today’s JDI forestry and forest products operations will absorb more than we emit over the next 50 years. Planting almost 1 billion trees, and reducing emissions at our manufacturing sites means we will absorb 92 million tonnes of CO2 - equal to 360,000 cars off the road per year for the next 50 years. •58% green energy use from renewable fuels like biomass. •23% reduction in green house gas emissions over the past 3 years. •30% reduction in sulphur dioxide (SO²) air emissions over the past 3 years. •1,277 Conservation Sites, a 3.5% increase since 2015 as part of our voluntary Unique Areas program in Canada and the U.S. •55% waste to landfill was diverted for beneficial use. •Zero non-compliance issues following 3rd party forest certification audits in 2016, based on 145 indicators (environmental, social and economic) measured over 5 years. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Two Sides research into more than 600 of the world’s leading corporations, including banks, utilities, telecoms and insurance providers, has shown that a total of 460 of those companies have been using misleading and unsubstantiated environmental statements, despite specific advertising legislation to protect consumers in many countries. To date, 278 of those companies have removed such statements as a result of ongoing engagement by Two Sides. “We’re really pleased that Two Sides is having such a significant effect on some of the world’s largest and most influential organizations. But there is no room for complacency, and there is still a great deal of work to do with the remaining companies that continue to mislead their customers,” says Martyn Eustace, Chairman of Two Sides UK. Internationally, Two Sides teams are continuing to tackle greenwash in their respective countries, and this has yielded positive results. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY) today reported advancements against its 2025 sustainability goals intended to transform the company and the industries it serves. The 2014-2016 sustainability report, All of Us, Every Day, highlights how the company is leveraging its size and scale to drive change across its operations, industry, and communities. Key achievements include: A reduction of location-based absolute CO2 emissions of 3.2% in 2016 and market-based absolute emissions (includes renewable energy instruments) by nearly 12%. 78% of total volume of paper procured in 2016 held either an FSC or PEFC claim. A 2016 world class safety record, with a recordable incident rate (RIR) of 0.25. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) fully supports the Forest Bioeconomy Framework launched today by Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr and the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM). “The Forest Bioeconomy Framework builds on our sector’s world-leading sustainability practices and our focus on finding environmental and economic value for every part of the tree. It will help position Canada’s forest sector as a solutions provider in our move to a lower-carbon economy,” said FPAC CEO Derek Nighbor. “This framework is a significant move forward to position forestry as a key player in the bioeconomy, will support the creation of new jobs and help us meet Canada’s climate change commitments,” Nighbor added. The Forest Bioeconomy Framework establishes a path that will result in a forest bioeconomy that identifies sustainable bio-based materials from healthy forests available for high added-value manufacturing. The framework highlights innovation, collaboration, and investment and opens the door to further enhancing the sustainability of the forest sector through research, innovation and strong public policy. Click Read More below for more of the story.

On November 29, the Pulp & Paper International Awards is held in Brussels. Hallsta paper mill is one of the finalists in the category “Environmental Leadership Award”, a prize awarded to a mill which has full focus on the environmental work and has shown ground-breaking sustainability efforts. We work hard with sustainability issues and we are today one of the most resource-efficient mills in our segment in Europe. Over the last three years we have invested over 20 MEUR in energy saving activities and projects. One hundred percent of the wood raw material is utilized, ninety-five percent of the fibres are used in the end product, the bark previously used as fuel at the mill is now sold for fossil-free energy production and the sludge from the effluent treatment plant is composted and sold as soil. Nothing is wasted, says mill manager Johan Abrahamsson. The investments have made it possible to run the mill without any CO2 emissions from the production process. The energy used is partly recovered as heat in the drying process. Another big advantage is the fact that all of the wood used in the process comes from sustainably managed forests and all the products are certified with the EU Ecolabel. Click Read More below for additional detail.

BCI Buckeye Division achieves SFI certification. SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard is an accounting system that tracks forest fiber content (certified forest content, certified sourcing & recycled content) through production and manufacturing to the end product. Contact BCI Buckeye Division or your BCI Buckeye Division Representative for additional information.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced its first major commitment to renewable energy with agreements to annually purchase approximately 1,000,000 megawatt hours (245 megawatts - MW) of electricity from two new wind power projects in Texas and Oklahoma. The renewable energy supplied by the wind farms is equivalent to about one-third of the electricity needs of Kimberly-Clark's North American manufacturing operations and will enable the company to surpass its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goal four years earlier than anticipated. Kimberly-Clark has entered long-term power purchase agreements to take 120 MW or 78 percent of electricity to be generated by the Rock Falls Wind project being developed by EDF Renewables in northern Oklahoma and 125 MW or 42 percent of the electricity to be generated by the Santa Rita Wind Energy Center being built by Invenergy in West Texas. The renewable energy supplied by the two wind farms will enable Kimberly-Clark to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 550,000 metric tons annually. This is equivalent to removing 116,178 passenger vehicles from the road or not burning nearly 600 million pounds of coal annually.1 Click Read More below for additional detail.

UPS announced it will place in service three medium-duty electric trucks from Daimler Trucks Fuso brand, called the eCanter. The company will be the first commercial customer in the U.S. to use this series-produced vehicle. UPS will deploy the trucks in the U.S. at locations to be determined. The new EV trucks build on UPS’s Rolling Laboratory fleet of more than 8,500 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. “At UPS, we constantly evaluate and deploy advanced technologies that enable sustainable, innovative solutions for our fleet,” said Carlton Rose, president, global fleet maintenance & engineering, UPS. “Electric trucks make our fleet both cleaner and quieter. We have a long-standing global relationship with Daimler, and we welcome the opportunity to trial the Fuso eCanter as UPS continues to realize the benefits of electric trucks.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Demonstrate your commitment and activate your support to forests and PEFC by becoming an International Stakeholder member. Want to know more? Then check out our new brochure! Companies, organizations and associations with principles and objectives supportive to PEFC’s are encouraged to join. International Stakeholder membership is open to entities with a legal operating presence in two or more countries, legally registered as an international organization, and/or demonstrate international scope and representation. Entities operating only at domestic level are encouraged to join the PEFC national member in their country. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced today that Obishikokaang Resources Corporation has certified more than 1 million hectares of the Lac Seul Forest in Northern Ontario to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard. Lac Seul First Nation, also known as Obishikokaang, is the oldest Reserve in the Sioux Lookout District. Lac Seul First Nation has over 800 members and is made up of the communities of Kejick Bay, Whitefish Bay and Frenchman’s Head, all located on the shores of Lac Seul. “Lac Seul and the surrounding forest have always provided for the economic and cultural well-being of the people of Obishikokaang. Certifying to SFI is part of our commitment to the kind of sustainable business practices that are designed to protect the environment and support economic growth. Band members are working as part of the management teams, supervising harvesting and playing an important role in forest regeneration,” said Clifford Bull, Chief of Lac Seul First Nation. Click Read More below for additional detail.

CannedWater4Kids (CW4K) and INX International Ink Co. have joined forces to send a rush delivery of drinking water to help in the Hurricane Harvey disaster relief efforts. A truckload of 52,800, 12-ounce cans of fresh, purified water is scheduled to arrive today at a Red Cross Distribution Center near Houston. Hurricane Harvey made landfall for the first time on August 25 and landed a devastating blow to the Gulf Coast of Texas. A multiple-day event, the Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds was the most powerful hurricane to hit the US in more than a decade. Damage caused by the high winds, torrential rains and record flooding displaced more than 30,000 people and prompted more than 17,000 rescues.

As the only European company, BillerudKorsnäs last year was named sustainability leader in the category Containers & Packaging, and included in the globally recognized Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In this year’s assessment, BillerudKorsnäs advances from belonging to the top 20 percent in Europe, to the 10 percent most sustainable companies in the world.

The Flexible Film Recycling Group (FFRG) of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) has released two new online tools and an updated website designed to help grow the recycling of plastic wraps, bags, and other flexible polyethylene film packaging. These free tools provide resources to a wide range of audiences—including consumers, recycling coordinators, local and state governments, and businesses—about this material, collectively known as “film.” They aim to help these audiences learn more about what material can be recycled, how to properly recycle it, and how to grow plastic film recycling at a local level. Says the FFRG, more and better plastic film recycling can help improve the environment and support local recycling or waste diversion goals.

NASA and NOAA satellites have been providing valuable satellite imagery to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center, and revealed that Hurricane Irma has strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane on Sept. 5 around 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC).

As the debate about the carbon benefits of generating electricity in Europe from wood pellets manufactured in the southern United States continues, a new Forest2Market report shows that growth in demand for forest products (e.g., lumber, paper, packaging and wood pellets) has led to greater forest productivity and a significant increase in the amount of forest inventory available for storing carbon. The report, Historical Perspective on the Relationship between Demand and Forest Productivity in the US South, analyzes US Forest Service data and other scientific research to understand the relationship between changes in demand and supply from 1953 to 2015.

We are inviting PRINT 17 show attendees to check out our FREE materials and help themselves. Several of our member companies will be displaying these popular informational and promotional materials about paper and print from Two Sides: •Going Paperless May Not be Greener – 11 x 17 color infographic (printed by Ricoh USA) •Busting Myths About How Paper is Made – 11 x 17 color infographic (paper donated by Domtar and printed by Konica Minolta Business Solutions) •Myths and Facts brochure (paper and printing by Appleton Coated) •Two Sides printed newsletter – The Page – with the latest progress updates and accomplishments (printed by Konica Minolta Business Solutions) •Two Sides Membership Brochure – Learn more about Two Sides and our member benefits (printed by Canon Solutions America) Click Read More below for additional detail.

The final piece of the new Mount Fuji World Heritage Center in Japan is soon to be revealed. And the best part? The stunning structure is made from locally sourced wood from PEFC/SGEC-certified forests! Built with local Japanese cypress wood, the striking latticework structure resembles Mount Fuji upside-down. It is also the first construction project in Japan to achieve PEFC project certification. “We pioneered PEFC project certification to ensure that fantastic constructions such as this are able to take advantage of PEFC certification and demonstrate their sustainable credentials,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. PEFC project certification provides independent verification that the building was constructed with certified timber, without the need for all sub-contractors to be certified. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Domtar is proud to inaugurate its second generating unit with a power output of 18 MW at its Windsor (Quebec) Mill. The start-up of its second generating unit, built for $36 million, will improve the energy efficiency of the mill produced from renewable resources while reducing production costs. "With the addition of its second generating unit, the Windsor Mill will become one of the major producers of renewable energy in the Eastern Townships. Our total production capacity will reach nearly 50 MW and will allow us to feed the equivalent of the annual energy consumption of 12,800 single-family dwellings. By using forest biomass as a fuel to produce green energy, Domtar demonstrates its commitment to innovation and sustainable development," declared Éric Ashby, General Manager of Domtar's Windsor Mill.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to welcome Neil Thompson as the Irving Woodlands, LLC. Professor of Forestry. A University of Maine System graduate, Thompson is no stranger to the diverse woodlands of Maine. “Mr. Thompson comes to UMFK with extensive research and teaching experience that will greatly benefit our students,” said UMFK President, Dr. John Short. “Our campus is very excited about the contributions we know he will make in the classroom and laboratories.” “All of us at Irving Woodlands are very excited to welcome Neil Thompson to the University of Maine at Fort Kent,” said Jason Limongelli, Vice President of Woodlands Division. “We look forward to working with Neil to advance the benefits of outcome-based forestry in Northern Maine and to address important issues like climate change, biodiversity and the spruce budworm.”

One year ago, a devastating earthquake hit central Italy. One year later, PEFC-certified wood is helping people to rebuild their homes, and their lives. Throughout the region, locally grown, PEFC-certified wood has helped to get children back into school and bring communities together. It provides assurances to the people in the region that they will be better prepared in case a similar event happens in the future, using wood as a raw material that can be sourced in harmony with nature. “Using wood has many excellent advantages,” said Gianluca Endrizzi from Rubner Group, the PEFC-certified company responsible for the construction of two stunning new nurseries in Guastalla (Emilia Romagna) and Norcia (Umbria). Click Read More below for more of the story.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced today that Structurlam is the first Canadian manufacturer of cross-laminated timber (CLT) to be certified to the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard. Structurlam blends the expertise of wood science with the ingenuity of European fabrication to produce mass timber products including CLT, the next-generation of engineered wood products. Structurlam has manufactured CLT for six years and supplied the product to over 350 projects in North America. Extensively tested, the product has vast applications for construction. “We are excited that Structurlam is the first CLT manufacturer in Canada to be certified to the SFI Chain of Custody Standard. A few months ago I had the opportunity to visit Structurlam’s site and was impressed with their commitment to sustainability and the innovation driving their product development. Many of Structurlam’s suppliers manage forestlands certified to SFI so it is great to know that Structurlam will continue to source and build with SFI certified materials,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. Click Read More below for more of the story.

As the debate about the carbon benefits of generating electricity in Europe from wood pellets manufactured in the southern United States continues, a new Forest2Market report shows that growth in demand for forest products (e.g., lumber, paper, packaging and wood pellets) has led to greater forest productivity and a significant increase in the amount of forest inventory available for storing carbon. The report, Historical Perspective on the Relationship between Demand and Forest Productivity in the US South, analyzes US Forest Service data and other scientific research to understand the relationship between changes in demand and supply from 1953 to 2015. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Participate, partner, promote or pitch a solution: there are many ways you can get involved with the 2017 PEFC Stakeholder Dialogue: Making Certification SMART. And we are looking forward to hearing from you! Our two-day dialogue (16-17 November 2017; Helsinki, Finland) will explore and discover the benefits and potential for incorporating technology solutions into forest certification. Join us as we exchange experiences and challenge each other to re-imagine how forest certification should re-equip for the next decade. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) welcomed two new officers and one new member to its Board of Directors: Mark Rodgers as Board Chair, Guy Gleysteen as Vice Chair, and Laura Downey as a new member in the social chamber. These new members will play a key role as SFI continues to enhance the sustainability of well-managed forests and the communities that depend on them across the U.S. and Canada. “Mark brings experience as a community leader and builder, Guy works as a senior executive overseeing global supply chains and Laura is known for her vision when it comes to youth environmental education. Their combined experience and skills will further SFI’s reputation and impact as a sustainability organization,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. SFI’s 18-member, multi-stakeholder board of directors comprises three chambers, representing environmental, economic and social interests equally. The Board’s diversity and independence allows it to play a meaningful role at the intersection of well-managed forests and thriving communities. Click Read More below for additional detail.

UPM Raflatac has reinforced its commitment to building a more sustainable world by joining the Sustainable Packaging Coalition® (SPC). The SPC is a membership-based collaborative led by an independent non-profit that believes in the power of industry to make packaging more sustainable. UPM Raflatac joins more than 200 member companies, government officials and academic institutions. UPM Raflatac will also sponsor The SPC's upcoming SPC Advance conference in Pittsburgh this October. Through strong member support, an informed and science-based approach, supply chain collaborations and continuous outreach, the SPC endeavors to build packaging systems that encourage economic prosperity and a sustainable flow of materials. Sustainability is one of the key drivers of UPM Raflatac's product development - the company's labels are sustainable by design. UPM Raflatac supports environmental responsibility throughout the entire label lifecycle, from raw material sourcing to end-of-life treatment like recycling. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Home Depot® today announced the addition of solar installations at 50 stores as it continues to expand its alternative energy portfolio, essentially creating mini solar farms out of unused rooftops. The project will reduce electricity grid demand by an estimated 30 to 35 percent annually at each Home Depot store; the equivalent of powering 2,300 average U.S. homes for a year. The average store roof, at approximately 104,000 square feet, will accommodate 1,000 panels. The Home Depot is working with Current, powered by GE, on 20 solar installations at stores in New Jersey, as well as eight stores in Connecticut, Maryland and Washington, DC. An additional 22 stores in California and New York will receive solar, of which six will utilize Tesla Powerpacks to store energy and dispatch additional power as needed. Click Read More below for additional detail.