Our approach to sustainability at the IFRA WPE 2019

When striving to minimise the carbon footprint of our products and processes, the priority for UPM Communication Papers will always be to focus on the areas where we have most ability to make real positive change.

Managing forests sustainably to enhance their carbon storage potential, generating an increasing percentage of our energy from renewable fuels, or sourcing more of our purchased power from renewable sources – these are the biggest steps that we take to minimise our impact. Our climate strategy is built around the principle of taking direct responsibility for our footprint.

But after all these steps have been taken, inevitably, there is sometimes an element that remains. And this is where carbon offsetting, if done responsibly and credibly, can play a role.

We believe that it’s important to take steps to reduce the impact of activity, big or small – whether it’s a paper mill or our presence at WPE IFRA. And having minimised the footprint of our presence at IFRA as far as we can, we have offset the remaining balance.

Our participation at WPE IFRA 2019 is Carbon Neutral.

Our Sustainability Agenda serves as both a framework and a commitment to taking the responsibility of the environment, people and society throughout the value chain.

Raw Materials

We protect the substance of our business

Production

We take responsibility for the integrity of our environment

People and society

We lead ethically, devel-op our employees and help advance society

Value Creation

We create value for our customers while advancing our business

How we offset our WPE IFRA participation
Firstly, we calculated the carbon emissions for the main aspects of our presence at WPE IFRA:

The stand

the materials used and construction methods
shipping from the contractor's warehouse to the event location and back again after the event
power consumption for the duration of the even

Catering provided on the stand
Flights & airport transfers for UPM attendees and stand contractors
Hotel accommodation for UPM attendees and stand contractors

This is what we found:

The Stand

20 %

of CO2 emissions

Catering

2,5 %

of CO2 emissions

Travel

63,7 %

of CO2 emissions

Hotel accommodation

13,7 %

of CO2 emissions

We then selected Gold Standard Carbon Offsets generated through a project delivering highly efficient cookstoves to households in Kenya, which significantly increase fuel efficiency in home cooking and reduce fuel consumption.

We chose to support this project because of its wonderful simplicity, and because every Euro invested helps to deliver a real additional reduction in carbon emissions, as well benefits to the health of those provided with the stoves.

What is carbon offsetting?

A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made through a project in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. Offsets are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e). One tonne of carbon offset represents the reduction of one tonne of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases.

What is a Gold Standard carbon offset?

The Gold Standard is widely considered to be the highest standard in the world for carbon offsets. It ensures that key environmental criteria have been met by offset projects that carry its label. The Gold Standard is supported by more than 80 non-governmental organisations worldwide including WWF International, Greenpeace International, the Pembina Institute, and the David Suzuki Foundation.

Carbon offsetting project: Clean cookstove project in Kenya

68% of Kenya’s primary household energy still comes from woody biomass. The majority of this is burnt on smoky open fires and inefficient cooking stoves, leading to air pollution and contributing to climate change.

Demand for wood fuel and charcoal also leads to deforestation, devastates biodiversity, reduces habitat for endangered species and reduces carbon uptake by forests. The market leading Jikokoa stove, produced by manufacturer Burn, dramatically reduces fuel consumption, reducing negative environmental and social impacts of cooking. The Jikokoa is classified as tier four (the highest category) on the ISO/IWA scale in its reduction of particulate matter, which is extremely damaging to health, irritating the eyes and causing respiratory disease. The Jikokoa’s innovative natural draft technology reduces fuel consumption and cooking time by up to 50%, freeing up income which would have otherwise been spent on fuel.

In 2015, Burn’s innovative design was recognised by the internationally renowned Ashden Awards, winning the ‘Clean Energy for Women and Girls’ category. Burn manufactures all its Jikokoa stoves in its solarpowered Nairobi factory, which provides over 100 skilled local jobs – half of which are occupied by
women.