WWF invites 70 companies to 2013 Environmental Paper Company Index

Gland, Switzerland— WWF has invited the world’s most important and strategically relevant paper manufacturers, representing 25% of global wood pulp production and 35% of global paper and paperboard production, to participate in the third edition of its Environmental Paper Company Index (EPCI).

70 leading paper manufacturers from Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Africa have been identified as potential leaders in promoting transparency and continual improvement in paper manufacturing. The list is publicly available on wwf.panda.org/epci2013 .

The EPCI started in its current form in 2010 and is one of WWF’s key tools to promote and reward transparency and continual improvement to reduce the environmental footprint of paper production. The index is produced every two years. It offers an opportunity for paper producers in all product sectors to set a signal for transparency on environmental performance and to receive public recognition from the leading conservation organization WWF.

“Transparency is increasingly recognized by the industry as an important aspect of their operations, and many companies today make efforts on transparency in various ways,” says Emmanuelle Neyroumande, Manager of WWF International’s global pulp and paper work. “WWF´s Environmental Paper Company Index facilitates a better understanding of complex data sets by focusing on the most important parameters and filtering them through an environmental lense.”

In 2012, the EPCI method was reviewed in cooperation with paper manufacturers from around the world in order to improve its global applicability and relevance. WWF also changed the EPCI to focus on a reference format, presenting collated results per company rather than presenting a comparison matrix.

“All participating companies will be applauded for being transparent on their environmental performance, which is more important than actual results in this exercise,” says Neyroumande. “The new reference rather than comparison format of the EPCI will hopefully make it attractive for more producers to take part.”

Deadline for participating is 30th of June 2013.

Companies that have not been invited but would like to participate can contact the WWF International Paper Team at epci@wwf.panda.org

For further information:

Helma Brandlmaier, Senior Advisor Paper Footprint and Market Change, WWF International

Tel: +43676842728219 hbrandlmaier@wwf.panda.org

Notes to editors

View the list of invited companies at wwf.panda.org/epci2013.

Two previous indices were publicised:

In the EPCI 2011, the following 19 producers were applauded for their participation:

• Fine paper category: Arjowiggins Graphic, Burgo, Cascades, Domtar, Fedrigoni, Mondi, M-real, Stora Enso, Suzano, UPM
• Packaging category: Cascades, Korsnäs, Mondi, SCA Containerboard
• Tissue paper category: Arjowiggins Graphic, Metsä Tissue, Renova, SCA Tissue, Sofidel

In the EPCI 2010, the following 5 producers were applauded for their participation:

Fine paper category: Mondi, M-Real, Stora Enso, UPM, Domtar

Find more information on www.panda.org/PaperCompanyIndex

The EPCI method is not product–specific, like WWF's Check Your Paper transparency tool. Instead, it looks at environmental aspects of a company’s policies and targets, as well as the environmental performance of the overall production of a specific product category (newsprint, graphic paper, household and sanitary, packaging paper and boards, pulp). It includes the environmental performance from own pulp and paper production, as well as performance of market pulp purchased.

About WWF

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.