Siemens Financial Services launched the Decarbonization Business Optimizer (DBO™), a cloud-based tool created to help address the overwhelming complexity of decarbonizing buildings and the financing needed to get to net-zero emissions. The DBO is a free, digital web tool that removes the initial knowledge barrier and uncovers more efficient strategies to help decarbonize a company’s facilities. The scenario modeling and optimization tool aggregates and leverages data from relevant governmental agencies including the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). “Companies, specifically those in the supply chain, are increasingly asked to report their carbon footprint to their customers -- yet many do not know where to begin,” said Anthony Casciano, President and CEO of Siemens Financial Services, Inc. “The DBO addresses these barriers by taking action and puts companies of all sizes, and at all stages, in a better position to create long-term value, accelerating participation in the transition to net-zero emissions.”

Consultation on revision of FSC's General Accreditation Standard, Certification Transfer Procedure and Procedure for Auditor Training Programme is open from 23 September 2024 to 21 November 2024 for your input. FSC is revising the general accreditation standard FSC-STD-20-001 V4-0 General Requirements for FSC Accredited Certification Bodies. The standard ensures that FSC certifications are managed in a competent, consistent, impartial, transparent, rigorous, reliable and credible manner. The standard is revised together with two related procedures FSC-PRO-20-003 Transfer of FSC Certificates and License Agreements and FSC-PRO-20-004 General Requirements for FSC Training Programme. Please access the process page here to learn more about this joint revision.

Lecta is proud to announce that it has been recognized by EcoVadis with the Platinum Medal in its second year assessed and rated at Group level. This shows Lecta's firm commitment to sustainability and its significant progress and achievements made aligned with its ambitious ESG strategy. EcoVadis is the world's most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, and its scores are based on a rigorous methodology that evaluates companies' sustainability performance in four areas: Environment, Ethics, Labor and Human Rights, and Sustainable Procurement. With a score of 85/100 Lecta is placed among the top 1% of over more than 130,000 companies currently assessed by EcoVadis and among the 10 best companies out of the more than 300 rated in the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard industry.

“The sustainable management of tropical forest contributes significantly to safeguarding forests, protecting biodiversity, contributing to rural communities and sustainable livelihoods”, said Thorsten Arndt, Head of Advocacy at PEFC International at the Global Legal & Sustainable Timber Forum (GLSTF) 2024 in Macao SAR last week. “Yet we are facing a dichotomy. While we are all well aware of the tremendous benefits that sustainable forest management provides, topical timber has grappled with numerous challenges as it has struggled to maintain its stake in the international timber markets, especially in terms of public perception”, he remarked in his opening speech of the first session, Together Towards Reliable and Effective Global Timber Supply Chains.

The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is a transformative piece of legislation aimed at halting global deforestation by imposing stringent compliance measures on businesses importing or exporting commodities associated with forest degradation. While its environmental impact is undisputed, the ripple effect on global supply chains is profound, influencing not only operational frameworks but also the future landscape of supply chain management. 1. Redefining Supply Chain Transparency - The EUDR mandates companies to prove that their supply chains are deforestation-free, requiring traceability of products from their origin to the point of sale. 2. Increased Costs and Compliance Burden - Businesses must invest in data collection technologies, hire specialists, and reconfigure their supply chains to guarantee that raw materials sourced are in line with EUDR mandates. 3. Risk Mitigation and Strategic Shifts - Companies are prioritizing partnerships with suppliers that can provide clear evidence of sustainable practices, while others are exploring new sourcing regions where deforestation concerns are less pressing. 4. The Role of Technology in EUDR Compliance - Technology plays a critical role in ensuring EUDR compliance, with digital solutions offering the most promising avenue for companies to track, verify, and audit their supply chains. 5. The Future of Global Supply Chains Under EUDR - As the EUDR continues to reshape the regulatory landscape, the future of global supply chains will see a heavier emphasis on sustainability, traceability, and accountability.

Brazil on 9/11/24 asked the European Union not to implement regulations in its deforestation law at the end of the year as scheduled and asked for it to be revised to avoid hurting Brazilian exports. In a letter to the European Commission seen by Reuters, the Brazilian government said the law banning the import of products linked to the destruction of the world's forests could affect almost one third of Brazil's exports to the EU. The law passed in 2022 by the European Parliament was adopted in June last year, allowing 18 months for companies to adapt. The law applies to soy, beef, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, rubber, wood and derivatives, including leather and furniture.

Consumer behavior poses a significant challenge to the circular economy, despite growing interest in sustainability. While many consumers express a desire to support sustainable practices, they often default to convenience over effortful choices. At Sustana, our mission is to develop sustainable solutions with clean materials and a circular mindset. We address the need for convenience by producing and using recycled fiber as an ingredient in everyday products.

Soilfood, a Nordic circular economy company, studies the utilisation of fibrous side streams from Metsä Board's mills and has identified a new use as raw material in animal bedding. Increasing the added value of secondary products made from side streams is a circular economy where raw materials are kept in use as long as possible. Metsä Board’s mills manufacture high-quality fresh fibre paperboards focusing on lightweight and high-quality folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners. The mills' fibrous fractions from the production of these products, can now be used as raw materials for animal bedding.

FSC has updated its Chain of Custody (CoC) directives FSC-DIR-40-004 Directive on Chain of Custody Certification and FSC-DIR-20-011 Directive on Chain of Custody Evaluations. This update streamlines the directives by removing obsolete advice notes that referenced older versions of the CoC standards and those that have been incorporated in latest version of Chain of Custody standards, both FSC-STD-40-004 and FSC-STD-20-011. One notable change involves the removal of ADVICE 40-004-07, which made provisions for the sale of FSC-certified products through non-FSC-certified auction entities. This advice note has been partially covered by FSC-STD-40-004 V3-1 and has been further clarified through an interpretation (see FSC-INT-STD-40-004_73 here) for affected stakeholders.

Following the introduction of FSC Aligned for EUDR – a set of solutions offered by FSC to support certificate holders with meeting the requirements of the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) – we have launched a comprehensive site to help with navigating these solutions. The FSC EUDR Journey site is now available to help certificate holders at every stage of their compliance journey. Since it came into force in 2023, the EUDR has posed a major challenge for those affected. FSC has made it our mission to support our certificate holders through the compliance process as much as possible. Being FSC-certified is already a very strong start – and our tailored EUDR solutions will help take certificate holders the rest of the way. It can seem like a lot: new requirements, new processes, new reporting systems, and more. But with FSC Aligned for EUDR and the accompanying FSC EUDR Journey site, much of this complexity and overwhelm can be resolved.

Forestry plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of North American ecosystems. Both the United States and Canada have implemented rigorous standards to ensure the sustainability of their forests, benefiting the environment and supporting the paper industry’s responsible practices. Sustainable forestry practices and certifications like FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative), and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) use third-party auditing to ensure compliance with standards. North American forests are vast and diverse, with the United States and Canada collectively managing hundreds of millions of acres of forestland. These forests are essential for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and providing raw materials for various industries, including paper and paper-based packaging production. Responsible management and sustainable practices are critical for ensuring these forests remain healthy and productive.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock and American Wood Council (AWC) President and CEO Jackson Morrill released the following statement regarding today’s DC Circuit Court’s decision on Boiler MACT. “We are pleased the Court affirmed EPA’s (and our) position that the already stringent air pollution limits for industrial boilers satisfy the requirements of the Clean Air Act. The forest products industry has invested roughly a billion dollars to reduce boiler emissions and welcomes the regulatory certainty to make sustainable forest products in the U.S. while supporting high paying manufacturing jobs. In addition, we welcome the Court’s common sense decision instructing EPA to only apply recently tightened new source limits to boilers built after 2020. This will provide mills with the information needed to comply when installing new boilers.”