Metsӓ Board recognised as world leader for corporate action on water security

Metsä Board Corporation Press release 22 October 2015 


For its actions to improve water security and better manage this shared resource, Metsä Board, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of paperboard, has been awarded with a position on CDP’s Water A List.

This list features companies that are seen as being on the path to sustainably managing water. It has been produced at the request of 617 investors with USD 63 trillion in assets by CDP, the global NGO which holds the most comprehensive dataset of publicly available corporate water information collected on behalf of investors.

Information provided by 405 listed companies has been independently assessed against CDP’s scoring methodology – developed in collaboration with leading peers and experts in corporate water stewardship – and ranked accordingly. Metsä Board is one of eight awarded an A grade for its water management efforts, earning a position on this exclusive global list of corporate leaders. The others are Asahi Group (Japan), Colgate Palmolive (US), Ford Motor Company (US), Harmony Gold Mining (South Africa), Kumba Iron Ore (South Africa), Rohm Co (Japan) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan).

In 2013, Metsä Board launched an extensive development project to improve water usage and material efficiency by reducing water intake and fibre loss. It will also improve the efficiency of sludge and wastewater management. The raw material for its paperboards, fresh forest fibre, already comes from northern forests that do not draw on recycled, brackish or processed water. Around 95% of water used for production is returned to its source, and carefully cleaned before release back into the watercourse, ensuring the environment surrounding Metsä Board’s mills is not affected by their water usage.

“We are proud that our efforts in water security and management have been recognised by our inclusion in the CDP Water A List, especially as the only forest industry company in this category,” says Mika Joukio, CEO of Metsä Board.
“Water is essential in making pulp and paperboard, but we continuously seek new ways to reduce its use. Our main water usage is fresh water, almost all of which is surface water from rivers and lakes, and we are very conscious of our need to minimise impact on this natural environment.”

Cate Lamb, head of water at CDP, says: “The business case for action to improve water security has never been stronger or more urgent. For this reason we congratulate those businesses that have achieved a position on CDP’s Water A List. These companies are responding to market demand for environmental accountability and at the same time are making progress towards the realisation of sustainable economies.”

The CDP Water A List, along with the disclosures of all companies publicly taking part in CDP’s water programme this year, is available on CDP’s website.

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About CDP
CDP, formerly Carbon Disclosure Project, is an international, not-for-profit organization providing the only global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share vital environmental information. CDP works with market forces, including 822 institutional investors with assets of US$95 trillion, to motivate companies to disclose their impacts on the environment and natural resources and take action to reduce them. More than 5,500 companies disclosed environmental information through CDP in 2015. CDP now holds the largest collection globally of primary climate change, water and forest risk commodities information and puts these insights at the heart of strategic business, investment and policy decisions.


METSÄ BOARD CORPORATION

For further information, please contact Metsä Board:
Katja Tuomola, Sustainability Manager, mobile: +358 (0)50 4605835, e-mail: katja.tuomola@metsagroup.com

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www.metsaboard.com

Metsä Board is a leading European producer of fresh forest fibre folding boxboards and white linerboards,  as well as a market pulp supplier. The company’s sales network serves brand owners, converters and merchants.

By providing high-performance paperboards, Metsä Board supports its customers in consumer goods, retail-ready and food service packaging. Metsä Board develops products and services for demanding end uses such as food, beautycare, healthcare and cigarette packaging as well as graphics.

Metsä Board is headquartered in Finland. In 2014, the company’s sales totaled EUR 2.0 billion, and it has approximately 2,600 employees. Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.