Story | 08/28/2025 07:26:15 | 4 min Read time

Updated Supplier and Third-Party Code clarifies responsibility requirements – and invites dialogue

UPM has renewed its Supplier and Third-Party Code and the accompanying practical guide to everyday decisions. The update clarifies the requirements for responsible business conduct and responds to evolving regulation and the needs of UPM’s partners.

UPM aims to build long-term, profitable operations by acting ethically and responsibly. UPM does not compromise on its standards of integrity under any circumstances and expects the same from its suppliers and other partners. The responsibility requirements that apply to them have been brought together in the updated Supplier and Third-Party Code.

Supply chain plays a significant role in responsibility at UPM. The Code is an important part of our responsible supply chain management. With the Code, we want to share our expectations transparently. It defines the minimum level of responsible business on which we can build cooperation with our partners,” UPM’s Social Responsibility Director Kaisa Vainikka says.

 
 

Kaisa Vainikka

 

UPM updates the Supplier and Third-Party Code regularly to reflect evolving requirements and changes in the operating environment. The latest update was made alongside the growing prominence of EU-level responsibility regulation and a changing business environment.

”Above all, we wanted to ensure that our responsibility principles are as clear as possible, up-to-date and aligned with the evolving EU legislation and stakeholder expectations. The updated Code supports our partners in preparing for regulatory changes and understanding what responsible conduct means in everyday operations, such as responsibility risk assessments, promoting social responsibility or advancing human rights,” Vainikka says.

The update clarifies responsibility standards

The update included a full review of both the Supplier and Third-Party Code and the accompanying practical guide. The Code defines the minimum requirements for responsible business conduct, and suppliers and other third parties must agree to them before starting cooperation with UPM. The practical guide helps to translate the requirements into concrete actions, offering examples and good practices for implementation.

“Responsible business practices must not be a privilege for the few; they must be possible for all actors in a value chain. The practical guide is one way to support especially small and medium-sized companies in this development. When the requirements are understood, it becomes easier to implement them further down in the suppliers’ own supply chain,” Vainikka emphasizes.

The content of the Code was clarified especially in the areas of social and environmental responsibility. The language was simplified, and the guide is now available in an easily accessible online version. Both the Supplier and Third-Party Code and the practical guide are available in six languages on UPM’s website.

 
 

Responsible operations are built on dialogue

UPM’s sourcing professionals play a central role in integrating the Code and the practical guide into everyday cooperation. The requirements are discussed for example, during tendering process and contract negotiations, and the dialogue continues as part of long-term cooperation.

In addition to the Code and the guide, UPM also invests in training. An internal training on the updated Code will be launched in August for UPM employees who work with suppliers.

“We are also planning a new training for suppliers. Like the practical guide, training can help especially smaller companies in our supply chain to understand what the different requirements mean in practice,” UPM’s Supplier Quality and Sustainability Director Kimmo Ståhlberg says.

 
 

Kimmo Ståhlberg

 

Responsible operations are not built alone – they are built together. That is why UPM highlights the importance of open dialogue, also when it comes to responsibility requirements.

“We want to maintain an ongoing discussion about what responsible and ethical operations mean in practice. We don’t have ready-made answers for everything, and the intention is not to dictate, but to develop together,” Ståhlberg reminds.

 

Explore the updated Supplier and Third-Party Code

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