Responsible wood sourcing

We ensure that all wood and wood fibre used in our products is responsibly sourced.

We are both a major forest owner and a purchaser of wood. We source all wood assortments to ensure optimal utilisation of this valuable raw material.

Wood used in our products comes from sustainably managed forests and from legal sources. All our wood supplies are covered by a third-party verified chain of custody. We aim to use certified fibre to the highest possible degree and to promote a global increase in the use of certified wood.

All of UPM’s own forests and eucalyptus plantations are certified according to the FSC^TM (FSC C014719) and/or PEFC (PEFC/02-31-80) certification schemes. In addition, UPM has an FSC and PEFC Group Certificate in Finland , which are open to private forest owners.

Full traceability of the origin of wood

Tracing the origin of wood is a prerequisite for us. UPM’s tracing systems and chains of custody cover the requirements for both PEFC and FSC forest certification schemes worldwide. We verify that the wood supplied to our mills is sustainably sourced, legally logged and procured according to the basic requirements of international forest certification schemes and the EU Timber Regulation, US Lacey Act and other regional jurisdictions.

We have had  tracing systems for wood raw material in place for nearly two decades. Our tracing systems are based on chains of custody and are integrated into third party ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified management systems. This means that we are able to have complete control over the origin of our own harvesting and ensure that other sources are controlled by contractual terms of agreement and supplier audits.

We have also developed a special tracing system for wood sourcing in the Baltic countries. This system requires all deliveries from there to be accompanied by a statement of origin showing a map grid reference of the location of the logging area.

We require our suppliers to implement responsible practices that are consistent with the UPM Supplier and Third Party Code, the company's policies and rules, and respective forest certification chain of custody standards.

This commitment is further reinforced by regular trainings of relevant UPM staff and contractors, as well as by continuous development and improvement.