(UPM, Helsinki, 5 September 2012) – UPM offers a possibility to private forest owners to become a member of UPM’s FSC group scheme in Finland. UPM has been granted an FSC group certificate which enables Finnish private forests and community forests to join the scheme and be certified in accordance with the Finnish FSC standard that came into effect last year.
Forest owners have a possibility to obtain an FSC certificate for their forests by joining the UPM group scheme . For forest owners, this is a way of ensuring that their forests are managed and used in a responsible and economically viable way. The first forest certification service contracts between UPM and private forest owners have already been signed. The FSC group certificate also covers the jointly-owned forests established by UPM.
"The FSC certification of privately owned forests enables UPM to widen its range of certified products. The FSC certified raw material acquired from Finnish forests can also be used to partly replace imported wood at Finnish mills," says Vice President Pekka Rajala, Wood Sourcing, North Europe.
UPM has experience of FSC certification from its own forests. Last year, UPM was granted a forest-owner-specific FSC certificate that covers the company's forests in southern Finland. UPM has also FSC group scheme for private forest owners in Uruguay and the UK. All UPM forests worldwide are certified.
"The FSC group certificate received by UPM supports our goal of developing a new forest economy. The range of services offered to forest owners will increase, forest management will become more versatile and new environmental protection practices will develop," says Timo Lehesvirta, Director, Environment, Energy and Pulp.
Forest certification is an important part of the UPM environmental strategy. The company constantly strives to increase the use of certified wood in its products. UPM uses reliable certification systems, such as FSC and PEFC. Globally, forest certification is an important tool in promoting the sustainable use of natural resources. For consumers, certification is a sign of sustainability.
UPM’s FSC license code: FSC-C109750
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Pekka Rajala, Vice President, Wood Sourcing, North Europe, UPM, tel. +358 (0) 400
Mr. Timo Lehesvirta, Director, Environment, Energy and Pulp, UPM, tel. +358 (0) 400 752 212
Notes to editors:
UPM leads the way in integrating bio and forest industries into a new, sustainable and innovation-driven future. Our products are made of renewable raw materials and are recyclable. The company’s business is divided into three business groups: Energy and Pulp, Paper and Engineered Materials. UPM employs approximately 24,000 people and has production plants in 17 countries. The company’s annual turnover amounts to more than EUR 10 billion. UPM's shares are listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. UPM – The Biofore Company – www.upm.fi
UPM Wood Sourcing, North Europe is responsible for sourcing wood for UPM’s mills in Finland, Russia and the Baltic countries. Most of the wood used by UPM mills is sourced from Finnish privately owned forests. UPM Forestry Business takes care of the company’s own forest in Finland and offers versatile forest services for forest owners.
The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) is a global, not-for-profit, open membership organisation whose members can include organisations and private individuals. It was established in 1993 by a group of people concerned by global deforestation. The founders represented the environmental sector, forestry and human rights and their objective was to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable forest management. The FSC headquarters are located in Bonn, Germany. The activities of the FSC and its certifiers are based on ten main principles and related criteria for forest management. The international principles apply to all tropical, temperate and boreal forests. The aim of the FSC is that each country creates its own national FSC standards for good forest management that have been adapted to local conditions.
The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is an international forest certification scheme that promotes ecologically, socially and economically sustainable forestry around the world. Approximately ten percent of the world's forests have been certified and two thirds of this area (approximately 245 million hectares) has been certified according to PEFC requirements. PEFC-certified forests can be found in dozens of different countries.
UPM, Corporate Communications
Media Desk, tel. +358 40 588 3284
media@upm.com
www.upm.com
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