UPM joins the Forward Faster Initiative to accelerate the progress of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
(UPM, Helsinki, 19 September 2023 at 09:00 EEST) - UPM joins the UN Global Compact Forward Faster Initiative calling for business leaders all over the world to take measurable action to accelerate the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals. A total of 138 companies from around the world are involved, including two from Finland. UPM is committed to promoting gender equality, paying living wages and operating in line with an ambitious net-zero emission target.
According to the UN, today only 15 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goal targets are on track, progress on 48 per cent is weak and insufficient and progress has stalled or gone into reverse on 37 per cent of the SDGs.
“It was very natural for us to join this initiative. While we are already working towards these goals, we recognise that we need to accelerate the pace. We also value the collaboration networks of Global Compact. Setting shared, ambitious and transparent targets plays an important role in the Forward Faster initiative. We can make the biggest and fastest impact by working together,” Sami Lundgren, Vice President, Responsibility says.
Impactful actions towards a future beyond fossils
A commitment to Gender Equality means that a company is making a serious effort towards equal gender representation, participation and leadership at all levels of management, and that equal pay for equal work is guaranteed by 2030. Companies committed to the Living Wage must ensure that their employees earn a living wage by 2030. The commitment to Climate Action, in turn, challenges companies to set a science-based net-zero emissions target in line with the 1.5°C pathway and to achieve it by 2050 at the latest.
UPM already has ambitious social responsibility and climate targets and is working with scientific and other partners to achieve them. The company is also committed to reporting on progress transparently every year in UPM's annual report.
The Forward Faster initiative was officially launched on 18 September 2023 at the UN Private Sector Forum, which is part of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
For further information, please contact:
Sami Lundgren, VP, UPM Responsibility, tel. +358 40 580 0910
Read more: www.forwardfaster.unglobalcompact.org
UPM, Media Relations
Mon-Fri 9:00-16:00 EEST
tel. +358 40 588 3284
media@upm.com
UPM
We deliver renewable and responsible solutions and innovate for a future beyond fossils across six business areas: UPM Fibres, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Communication Papers and UPM Plywood. As the industry leader in responsibility, we are committed to the UN Business Ambition for 1.5°C and the science-based targets to mitigate climate change. We employ 17,200 people worldwide and our annual sales are approximately EUR 11.7 billion. Our shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. UPM Biofore – Beyond fossils. www.upm.com
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