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all of UPM’s combined carbon dioxide emissions in
Finland and Germany – and the forests we own account
for only 10–15 per cent of the wood-based rawmaterial
that we use in our production processes,” she says.
Goodbye to fossil raw materials
The Forest Solutions Group notes that the forest
industry already now fabricates many biomass-based
recyclable products that can replace fossil rawmaterials.
Salpakivi adds that the whole point of UPM’s Biofore
Strategy is to replace fossil rawmaterials with recyclable
products fabricated from renewable bio-basedmaterials.
“In addition, we continually invest in projects to
improve our resource efficiency and emission-free
energy production. Thanks to continuous improvements
and innovations, we have successfully decreased our
waste levels and water and energy consumption.”
The FSG has also urged policymakers to agree on
common principles for calculating greenhouse gas
emissions generated through the use of different raw
materials. These tools would help different countries to
create consistent policies and reduce regulatory risks.
The FSG’s member companies are committed to
promoting sustainable forest management andmeeting
the global demand for forest products by boosting the
use of renewable and innovative bio-based products.
UPM and the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) have
been developing a method for assessing ‘ecosystem
services’, i.e. the additional benefits derived along-
side the production of wood-based products.
This pilot study focused on the environmental impacts
of forests used for the production of one tonne of pulp.
The study examined the amount of wood required for
the production of one tonne of softwood pulp at UPM
in Finland, as well as the time required for the trees
to grow.
The results revealed that trees purify over eight million
litres of water and absorb over 4,000 kg of carbon
dioxide during their lifetime.
UPM’s operations are based on using wood in
multiple efficient ways to produce not only pulp, but
also sawn timber, plywood, composites, papers and
label materials.
The company also utilises industrial by-products and
residues to produce energy, bio-chemicals and renew-
able diesel.
FORESTS ABSORB
CARBON DIOXIDE
-32%
Less
WASTE
Total
amount of
solid waste to
landfils
-20%
Less
ENERGY
Electricity
consumption
per tonne of
paper
-25%
Less
WATER USAGE
Process
wastewater
volume per
tonne of
paper
+18%
More
RECYCLING
Usage of
recovered
paper