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Collaboration for lasting success

Improving water ecosystems is a long process that requires collaboration. We work closely with authorities, researchers, and local stakeholders to ensure a long-term balance between business performance, environmental conservation, and community needs.

Examples of our collaborations

We collaborate and fund locally and nationally projects of different sizes to improve aquatic ecosystems and raise awareness of their biodiversity and protection.

Baltic Sea Action Group

We have partnered with the Baltic Sea Action Group for over a decade. Currently we have two commitments with them:

In June 2022, we published a commitment regarding ship-generated wastewater. As a Finnish company acting as a shipper and charterer, we were the first to discharge our ship-generated wastewater on land and to utilize various circular economy solutions in wastewater treatment. UPM and the Baltic Sea Action Group together will also explore opportunities to discharge cargo hold washing waters on land for possible reuse.

In June 2025, we published a commitment to develop forestry water protection. The commitment focuses on research into sustainable forestry and the development of new practices in peatlands, among other areas.

Read more on our press release June 10, 2025

More about the commitments on BSAG website.

UPM Stream Water Program

Our Stream Water Program promotes biodiversity through the removal of migratory barriers, such as defunct dams, and the replacement or modification of old culverts with new ones. Our primary restoration sites are in areas owned by us or close to our hydropower plants. We are continuously on the lookout for new sites to include in our program.

eDNA research

In 2024, we joined a three-year biodiversity project, “NORTHDIVeRSITY,” led by Natural Resources Institute Finland, Umeå University and the University of Oulu as project partners. The project will develop environmental eDNA monitoring methods and tools tailored to northern habitats to gain a better understanding of altered ecosystems and biodiversity.

We have also started an eDNA pilot in Uruguay with the Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable in 2024 to study aquatic biota in a selected protected area.

Restoring marsh habitats

We are committed to enhancing biodiversity and improving the condition of our own forests in Finland. As part of our Forest Action responsibility program, we have set a goal to restore at least 3,000 hectares of marshland within our forest areas.

Ähtävänjoki restoration

In Finland, we are participating in the Ähtävänjoki restoration project (Finnish web site), coordinated by the Finnish Pohjanmaan Vesi ja Ympäristö association. Our goal is to gather research evidence on the area's natural value, including fish, mussels, vegetation, and habitat types. Biodiversity will be mapped using eDNA and life cycle modeling.

The project aims to assess and improve the river’s ecological state by influencing land use practices in agriculture and forestry. It also seeks to provide insights on reducing pollution and removing barriers to restore natural water flow.

Saving local whitefish stock

In Finland, we have conducted long-term research to preserve the whitefish stock in the Pietarsaari area in collaboration with local professional fishermen. In partnership with The Ostrobothnian Fisheries Association, the aim is to support the local whitefish population by harvesting adult fish and raising juveniles from their roe.

Joint monitoring of wastewater and fisheries

UPM Pulp is participating in a joint study on the impact of local wastewater and fisheries, coordinated by the Finnish Kymijoen Vesi ja Ympäristö association. Several production sites in Finland are involved in similar monitoring projects.

Wastewater optimizing

We are collaborating with a Finnish expert company specializing in pulp and paper mill wastewater treatment, to optimize process conditions and chemical use based on a simulation model.

Río Negro initiative

We have provided funding and technical support in an initiative near our new world-class pulp mill of Paso de los Toros in Uruguay to improve the status of the 800 kilometers long river Río Negro.

The initiative's conclusions were presented in 2024 by the authorities, along with a stage one action plan to improve water quality in the basin. The primary focus was on drinking water and sanitation.

Additional improvements include enhancing knowledge of the system’s dynamics, promoting sustainable production management, strengthening local capacities for plan development and territorial management, and protecting biodiversity.

Municipal project in Paso de los Toros

In Uruguay, we funded the refurbishment of the municipal wastewater treatment plant and sewer systems in Paso de los Toros and neighboring towns where temporary and permanent housing facilities have been built during the pulp mill construction project.

Employee volunteering in China

In China, UPM Changshu actively engages in local community volunteer services, promoting the concept of sustainable development. Each year, company volunteers visit primary schools to educate students about forests and environmental protection. In 2024, the company also partnered with local government departments to create and launch Changshu’s first wetland map.

Framework agreement in Uruguay

UPM and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay have agreed to establish a working group to strengthen human and business capabilities in technology, innovation, and environmental protection. This collaboration is essential for the sustainable development of the forestry-wood-pulp value chain, supporting the company's growth project. It also incorporates national added value and maximizes benefits at both national and regional levels. UPM will contribute USD 1.5 million annually for 20 years.

Science Based Targets Network pilot

UPM was one of 17 companies to participate in the first corporate Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) pilot, which ran from May 2023 to June 2024. SBTN equipped UPM with the tools to assess and prioritize our environmental impacts and set targets for freshwater and land use. The goal was to reduce negative impacts and move toward nature-positive outcomes by establishing methods to address land and freshwater pressures, key drivers of biodiversity loss and climate change.