UPM Timber’s goal is to be the most sustainable sawn timber producer and a forerunner in accordance with our customer promise Setting the Standard. We work constantly towards this goal. In this article, there are some highlights of our steps forward in 2023.
At the beginning of the year, we launched a carbon footprint calculator, which allows anyone to easily estimate the climate impact of the sawn timber needed for their construction project. The calculator’s data is based on our Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), which provides verified information on the environmental impacts of the product’s life cycle. The calculator simply and easily describes not only the CO₂ emissions of our products, but also the amount of carbon stored in the sawn timber.
Try our carbon footprint calculator to find out the climate impact of sawn timber
During autumn 2023, a new heat pump was commissioned at the Korkeakoski sawmill. It reduces CO₂ emissions and improves energy efficiency in the sawmill’s kilning process. Towards the end of the year, we also announced an investment of nearly 10 million euros in the modernization of the Korkeakoski sawmill. The new split saw technology will be implemented in 2025, and it will enable more efficient utilization of the wood raw material.
New investments in modernization and sustainability at Korkeakoski sawmill
We are also working to increase the share of recycled plastic in our sawn timber wrappings. Towards the end of the year 2023, we were able to increase the share of recycled plastic to 75% in three of our sawmills. We continue to explore new even more sustainable solutions.
Renewable diesel and larger trucks in logistics
Internal logistics became fossil-free in our sawmills in April 2023. The forklifts and other heavy equipment in all our four sawmills are now running with renewable diesel. By making this change, we are able to reduce the CO₂ emissions of our sawmills’ internal logistics by up to 90%, compared to using fossil-based diesel.
We have also taken steps forward in our external logistics. Since the beginning of the year, sawn timber has been transported by trucks that use renewable diesel from UPM Timber's Seikku sawmill in Pori to the port of Rauma. Compared to regular fossil diesel, using renewable diesel reduces the amount of CO₂ emissions from transportation by up to 80-90%.
Reducing emissions of logistics piece by piece in co-operation
Kaukas Sawmill switched to using longer and larger specialized trucks for transporting containers of sawn timber from the sawmill to the port in 2020. The change reduced CO₂ emissions from road transportation by 40%, compared to the traditional method of transporting one container at a time.
Larger trucks, lower emissions – sustainability and cost efficiency combined in logistics
During 2024, we will continue our sustainability work further to do things even better. We also continue to collaborate on sustainability together with our customers.
Visit our co-marketing platform for sustainable timber
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