Intense negotiations between UPM and Paperworkers’ Union continue. Today the union announced a three weeks’ extension to the strike at most UPM’s Finnish mills, until 2 April 2022, unless new collective labour agreements are reached before that. The Paperworkers’ Union’s strike at UPM Pulp, UPM Biofuels, UPM Communication Papers, UPM Specialty Papers and UPM Raflatac units in Finland began 1 January 2022. Currently, approximately 200 union members work at the mills in tasks critical to society, such as power plants and water treatment facilities. “In recent weeks the parties have negotiated both in the presence of the National Concialiator as well as in one-on-one negotiations. The parties now are familiar with each other’s objectives, so the negotiators have the chance to bargain and reach business-specific agreements,” says Jyrki Hollmén, Vice President, Labour markets, UPM. “Intense negotiations will continue. We call for rapid progress and spirit of compromise, so we can find satisfactory solutions for all parties and start our mills again. UPM businesses are doing their best to advance an open dialogue between the negotiating parties,” Hollmén concludes.

*Net loss from continuing operations for the fourth quarter was $28 million, $1 million favorable to the comparable period in 2020 *Amidst strong demand, secured double-digit percent price increases along with volume improvements for cellulose specialties contracts in 2022 *Expect to drive EBITDA growth in 2022 focused on higher pricing, managing costs and improved reliability; expect a stronger back half with extensive maintenance outages heavily weighted to the first half of 2022 *Enhanced sustainability disclosures in updated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, including a Greenhouse Gas reduction target of 40% by 2030 from 2020 levels

In the next two years Sappi will be investing a sum in the low double-digit millions to expand its Centre of Excellence for speciality papers at its facility in Carmignano, northern Italy. With this investment, the company plans to increase production capacity to support further growth in the existing dye sublimation business, in combination with an improved first-class service and lead times. *Expansion of the Mill facility to meet growing demand *Support the current growth of the dye sublimation industry *Improve lead time and sustainability footprint of the Mill. The conversion is scheduled for completion by the end of 2023.

Metallized, Thermal, Cast Coated and Carbonless products impacted - Unsuccessful collective agreement negotiations between Lecta and the trade unions representing the labour force in the Leitza mill resulted in the trade unions starting an intermittent strike as of January 30. Despite all the efforts put in finding a reasonable solution to this issue, trade unions informed that the strike will become indefinite as of today. This unfortunate event will disrupt production schedule in the Leitza mill and will result in orders of the impacted products being postponed and/or cancelled. Lecta is taking all relevant measures to end this conflict as soon as possible and mitigate any inconvenience or disruption this unfortunate situation may have on our clients and is committed to restoring regular production schedule as soon as possible.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö, Ellepot, and OrganoClick have partnered to provide 100% biobased and biodegradable solutions to the horticulture market. Organic 2.0 paper pot is an entirely organic-based solution to grow crops on an industrial scale. The new product has allowed the companies to enter the organic crop segment, which is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. Organic 2.0 results from a close collaboration between Ellepot, OrganoClick and Ahlstrom-Munksjö's R&D team. After years of co-development, the three companies created a sustainable and more economical solution to grow plants by using paper pots planted directly into the soil. The pots degrade away after time which allows for the crop's roots to penetrate through the media and supports the healthy growth of the plants. Organic 2.0 paper pot consist of 100% fully compostable and biodegradable materials and has a decomposition time of 6 to 8 weeks.

The construction of Wisdome Stockholm, a scientific experience arena, is now underway. The building at Sweden’s National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm has a pioneering design and will be a landmark object for sustainable and climate-smart construction in wood. Stora Enso is the main partner and delivers wood construction materials to Wisdome Stockholm. Wisdome Stockholm is a spectacular wooden building design of 1,325 square meters with a unique vaulted roof. Inside the building, there is a globe-shaped dome theatre of 21.6 meters in diameter hosting a 3D cinema with a spherical screen. "We are a proud supplier to this ground-breaking project. Wisdome Stockholm pushes the boundaries and shows what is possible to create with wood as a climate-friendly construction material. Through unique projects like this we can strengthen our customer offering as well as our leading position within renewable construction materials,” says Per Lyrvall, Country Manager Sweden, Stora Enso.

Canfor Pulp Products Inc. is announcing a minimum six-week curtailment of BCTMP production at Taylor Pulp in response to significant transportation shortages that have resulted in inventories at the pulp mill reaching capacity. “Taylor Pulp has been dealing with ongoing transportation challenges that have significantly impacted the facility’s ability to ship product,” said Don Kayne, Chief Executive Officer, Canfor Pulp. “We regret the impact the curtailment will have on our employees, their families and the community.” Already facing increasing fibre costs due to the constrained fibre supply in the region and a weaker longerterm outlook for BCTMP markets, the current logistical issues have created a very challenging business environment for Taylor Pulp. During the curtailment, Canfor Pulp will continue to monitor the supply chain constraints and assess opportunities to improve the operating economics of the mill. The curtailment will reduce the production of BCTMP by at least 25,000 tonnes.

Full Year Highlights *We achieved an improvement in our safety recordable incident rate by approximately 30 percent. *Net sales of $1,028.5 million increased 30 percent compared to 2020, primarily driven by organic volume growth, pricing actions and the impact of the acquisition of Itasa. *In April 2021, we acquired Itasa, a leading global coater and converter of release liners used in hygiene, tapes, industrial labels, composites and various other end markets. The purchase price was $240.2 million, and in the first nine months of ownership, Itasa has generated incremental net sales of $106.9 million. *We executed several operational initiatives, including a $13 million investment in new coating capacity starting up in 2023, closure of our Appleton, Wisconsin facility to save $7-8 million annually, and restarting an idled asset to support growth in premium packaging. *We made meaningful progress on key environmental, social and governance initiatives, including actions designed to reduce energy usage, water consumption and greenhouse gases, recognition through leading sustainability rating agencies (including EcoVadis Gold Medal in Spain and Silver Medal in all other locations) and advancements in the diversity of our Board of Directors (with half identifying as female or underrepresented minorities).

U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers increased nine percent in January compared to the same month last year. Total U.S. printing-writing paper inventory levels increased one percent in January 2022 when compared to December 2021. *Uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments decreased three percent compared to January 2021 while the inventory level increased two percent compared to December 2021. UFS imports and exports both decreased compared to December 2020, down eight percent and 13 percent respectively. *U.S. purchases of coated free sheet (CFS) papers in January increased 29 percent compared to last January while the inventory level remained essentially flat (+0.4 percent) compared to December 2021. CFS imports increased 58 percent while exports decreased eight percent in December 2021. *Coated mechanical (CM) paper shipments increased nine percent compared to January 2021 while the inventory level decreased six percent compared to December 2021. CM imports increased 24 percent while exports decreased 20 percent in December 2021. *U.S. purchases of uncoated mechanical (UM) papers in January increased eight percent compared to last January while the inventory level increased six percent compared to December 2021. UM imports and exports both increased compared to December 2020, up 21 percent and 18 percent respectively.

Mercer International Inc. reported fourth quarter 2021 Operating EBITDA increased to a record $164.9 million from $49.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 and from $148.1 million in the third quarter of 2021. In the fourth quarter of 2021, net income was $74.5 million (or $1.13 per basic share and $1.12 per diluted share) compared to a net loss of $13.0 million (or $0.20 per share) in the fourth quarter of 2020 and net income of $69.1 million (or $1.05 per basic share and $1.04 per diluted share) in the third quarter of 2021. In 2021, Operating EBITDA increased to a record $478.8 million from $192.7 million in 2020. In 2021, net income was a record $171.0 million (or $2.59 per basic share and $2.58 per diluted share) compared to a net loss of $17.2 million (or $0.26 per share) in 2020.

Norske Skog Saugbrugs, together with its research and industry partners, has been granted NOK 60 million in research funding from the Research Council of Norway and Innovation Norway under the Green Platform Programme. The portfolio of products to be developed aims to remove or greatly reduce the use of petroleum-based raw materials and harmful materials, as well as to contribute to increased recycling of plastics. «It is through research and innovation that we create tomorrow's sustainable society. Green platform is an important measure to ensure profitable green transition, and will help us become more skilled at scaling up and linking research to the market», says Jan Christian Vestre, Minister of Trade and Industry (Labour Party). CEO of Norske Skog, Sven Ombudstvedt, says: «Norske Skog will connect strong professional R&D environments to develop unique and sustainable nanocellulose and biocomposite products that the world will demand more of in the future. Our unique fibre expertise will be a valuable contribution in creating sustainable commercial value chains by utilising recycled and renewable raw materials».

Canfor Corporation announced the permanent reduction of 150 million board feet of production capacity at its Plateau Sawmill to resize the facility and align it with the available, sustainable timber supply in the region following the devastating impacts of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation and other constraints on the timber harvesting land base. The reduction in production capacity will be achieved through a partial plant closure and the elimination of one of the three production lines in the mill. The capacity reduction is expected to impact approximately 70 employees at the facility and is anticipated to take effect at the end of the second quarter of 2022 following the depletion of existing log inventory. Canfor will mitigate the impact to affected employees by offering employment opportunities at other Canfor locations, along with relocation and transition support. “As the allowable annual cut has decreased in the region, it is necessary to resize the facility to align with the sustainable fibre supply,” said Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor. “I want to thank our Plateau employees for their ongoing dedication and hard work, and we are committed to providing comprehensive support to those employees impacted by today’s announcement, including offering jobs at other Canfor facilities. We will work to minimize the impacts this decision has on our employees, their families, our contractors and the community.”

Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced two separate transactions to grow and improve the competitiveness of its wood products business. Resolute reached an agreement with Louisiana-Pacific Corporation to acquire the latter's 50% equity interest in two joint ventures that produce I-joists in the Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec for $50 million, subject to customary adjustments. Resolute-LP Engineered Wood Larouche Inc. and Resolute-LP Engineered Wood St-Prime Limited Partnership are located in Larouche and Saint-Prime, respectively, and are equity method investments in which Resolute has a 50% interest in each entity. Resolute operates the facilities and its joint-venture partner, Louisiana-Pacific, sells the products. Resolute will enter into agreements with Louisiana-Pacific to continue to serve as the exclusive distributor of the engineered wood products manufactured at the two operations. In a separate transaction, Resolute also announced an agreement signed on February 11 with Boralex (TSX: BLX) for the purchase of a cogeneration facility in Senneterre, Quebec. "The purchase of the 34.5-megawatt cogeneration facility, adjacent to our Senneterre sawmill, builds on our significant investments in the region, including the ongoing project toward a new planer and associated equipment we announced last summer, as well as operational improvements recently completed at our Comtois sawmill. With this cogen, we will maximize the use of biomass from our regional operations, generating green power and providing a platform for future growth and enhanced competitiveness in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. We are pleased to welcome the 30-plus employees of the cogeneration facility to Resolute," added Mr. Lalonde.

Paper Excellence today announced an indefinite production slowdown of its Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan BCTMP mill due to repeated lack of railway service. Meadow Lake Mechanical Pulp Inc., which employs 190 people and infuses over $1 million daily into Canada’s economy, is dependent on CN Rail, which has failed to transport Meadow Lake’s pulp production to ports for months. The mill has exhausted local storage facilities. “While we remain committed to servicing our customers’ needs during this slowdown, we are extremely concerned about this railway situation and hope that it can be resolved soon,” said Stew Gibson, Vice President, Operations and Logistics.

Fourth-Quarter Highlights: *Net income of $62 million ($1.41 per diluted share) compared with $92 million ($2.09 per pro forma share1) in the third quarter of 2021 *Free cash flow4 (non-GAAP) of $162 million compared with $135 million in the third quarter of 2021. Fourth-Quarter Commercial and Operational Highlights: *Price and mix improved by $41 million versus the prior quarter and volume improved by $14 million, reflecting solid industry fundamentals and continued commercial excellence performance by our teams *Operations improved by $2 million and total planned maintenance outage expenses increased by $24 million versus the prior quarter *Input costs increased by $39 million versus the prior quarter, reflecting higher costs for wood, energy, chemicals, packaging and distribution *Repaid $124 million of debt, achieving a gross debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio of 2.4x at year-end

Stora Enso invests EUR 9 million in an automated CLT (cross-laminated timber) coating line at the Ybbs sawmill in Austria. The investment will further strengthen Stora Enso’s position as a leading global provider of engineered wood products for low carbon, sustainable buildings. In the construction industry, there is labor shortage and a pressure to shorten the construction time on-site. The investment enables industrially pre-applied CLT coatings on the CLT walls and floors produced at Stora Enso’s Ybbs site. The automated coating solution results in shorter construction times and higher wood protection. “With this new automation line, we can apply high-quality water-based coating to approximately 500,000m² of CLT walls and floors per year – making us the world leader in this segment. Our customers will benefit from improved protection of CLT against moisture, sunlight, insects and fire, as well as nicely coloured visual surfaces,” says Lars Völkel, EVP Wood Products division.

Tork, an Essity Brand, has announced a strategic partnership with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) once again in 2022. APIC is the leading association for infection prevention and control (IPC) professionals, with more than 15,000 infection preventionist (IP) members. The APIC Strategic Partner program establishes long-term relationships with industry partners united in the common goal advancing the science and practice of infection prevention and control in healthcare facilities and beyond. APIC Strategic Partners play an important role in supporting many of the educational initiatives and services that benefit APIC’s membership, which is comprised of nurses, physicians, epidemiologists, microbiologists, public health professionals and other individuals dedicated to preventing the spread of infection.

The boards of Rottneros and Arctic Paper have decided to invest 15 million euro in a moulded fiber tray factory at Arctic Papers premises in Kostrzyn, Poland. The factory will be operated in a separate legal entity and as a 50/50 joint venture, in line with the LOI that was signed by the parties on October 22nd, 2021. “We are seeing a rapidly growing demand for moulded fiber trays, and we are pleased to announce that we are now ready to move forward with our plan to launch the first industrial scale production of high barrier fiber-based packaging. The collaboration of the two parties combines Arctic Papers favorable location and existing infrastructure with Rottneros technological know-how and will bring benefits to both companies”, said the CEOs of Rottneros and Arctic Paper, Lennart Eberleh and Michal Jarczyński, in a joint statement.

We are very pleased to announce that, effective 1 March 2022, Gilles Van Nieuwenhuyzen will become CEO of Lecta Group. He will also be appointed as Director of Lecta Ltd succeeding Eduardo Querol. Gilles has a vast and diversified experience in different industries such as chemicals (DSM ), packaging (Rexam and Stora Enso), food ingredients (Danisco and CSM), and paper & board (Stora Enso). He has also served several positions as independent advisor and top interim executive . Gilles has proven all along his career a successful focus on the same pillars which form the basis of Lecta transformation today. He will drive with energy and passion our path to profitable growth through innovation, value selling and focused investment while developing further our operational excellence initiatives.

HIGHLIGHTS • Pulp sales of 2,722 thousand tons (+2% vs. 4Q20). • Paper sales of 371 thousand tons (+5% vs. 4Q20). • Adjusted EBITDA1 and Operating cash generation²: R$6.4 billion and R$4.8 billion, respectively. • Adjusted EBITDA1 /ton from pulp of R$2,114/ton (+59% vs. 4Q20). • Adjusted EBITDA1 /ton3 from paper of R$1,619/ton (+32% vs. 4Q20). • Average net pulp price in export market: US$630/ton (+38% vs. 4Q20). • Average net paper price3 of R$5,109/ton (+24% vs. 4Q20). • Pulp cash cost ex-downtime of R$747/ton (+20% vs. 4Q20). • Leverage down to 2.4 times in USD and 2.5 times in BRL.

JANUARY–DECEMBER 2021 (1–12/2020) •Sales were EUR 6,017 million (5,055). •Operating result was EUR 874 million (376). Comparable operating result was EUR 914 million (368). •Result before taxes was EUR 832 million (330). Comparable result before taxes was EUR 872 million (322). •Comparable return on capital employed was 16.2% (7.1). •Net cash flow from operations was EUR 1,023 million (667). OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2021 (10–12/2020) •Sales were EUR 1,560 million (1,357). •Operating result was EUR 221 million (97). Comparable operating result was EUR 220 million (94). •Result before taxes was EUR 215 million (88). Comparable result before taxes was EUR 214 million (86). •Comparable return on capital employed was 14.7% (7.4). •Net cash flow from operations was EUR 427 million (306).

UPM’s negotiations with the Finnish Paperworkers’ Union (Paperiliitto) are now underway for UPM Pulp, with the other UPM businesses expected to follow, according to media reports from Finland. Finnish trade publication Print&Media has reported that, following movement with the situation on Friday, negotiations have started today (7 February) for the UPM Pulp business and negotiations on UPM’s other divisions should also begin this week. The publication was also sent a comment from labels division UPM Raflatac, in response to the warning from the European association for the self-adhesive label industry, Finat, on the availability of label stocks, which it shared with Printweek: “The strike further aggravates the industry level supply situation which has been tight and constrained already since early 2021.

After 14 years with Canfor, Alan Nicholl, Executive Vice President, Bio-Based Solutions & Pulp Operations, has accepted the role of Managing Director with Licella Holdings, Canfor’s joint venture partner in Arbios Biotech (Arbios) effective April 2022. Alan will continue to serve as President & CEO of Arbios. David Calabrigo, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary, has assumed responsibility for leading the Bio-Innovation team as the Company continues to pursue opportunities to develop bio-based solutions to address the growing demand for low carbon, renewable products. Kevin Anderson, Vice President, Operations, Canfor Pulp is now reporting directly to Don Kayne, CEO, Canfor Pulp.

Verso Corporation announced the filing of a definitive proxy statement for a special meeting of stockholders, at which Verso stockholders will consider and vote upon various items related to the proposed and previously announced transaction with BillerudKorsnäs AB. If approved, all Verso stockholders will receive $27.00 per share in cash upon closing of the transaction, representing immediate and certain value at a significant premium. The consideration corresponds to a premium of approximately 57% compared to the unaffected closing price of Verso's shares on July 9, 2021, the day prior to the submission of an unsolicited, non-binding proposal to acquire Verso for $20.00 per share in cash, and a 35% premium over that unsolicited proposal.

Commenting on the group’s results, Sappi Chief Executive Officer Steve Binnie said: “I am very pleased with an excellent performance from the group. We outperformed the guidance provided at the end of the last quarter with EBITDA at US$240 million, a 36% increase over the prior quarter (US$177 million) and more than double the equivalent quarter last year (US$98 million). Robust market demand in all product segments combined with the implementation of higher sales prices facilitated the growth and offset rising costs. This achievement was despite logistics and transport bottlenecks, as well as significant increases in energy, pulp and other raw materials.” Financial summary for the quarter: • EBITDA excluding special items US$240 million (Q1 FY21 US$98 million) • Net debt US$1,917 million (Q1 FY21 US$2,056 million) • Profit for the period US$123 million (Q1 FY21 loss of US$17 million)

With a soon-to-be-launched gluing innovation at Nymölla Mill in Sweden, where Multicopy is produced, the mission towards a more competitive and sustainable paper production continues. One of the latest sustainable innovations at Stora Enso and Multicopy is the EcoSeal ream adhesive technology with a new dotting pattern application, that has recently been launched and will gradually be implemented in the paper production at the Nymölla mill. This new technology, supplied by Valco Melton, a global leader in sustainable gluing, coating machinery and quality assurance technologies, is a great process improvement both when it comes to bond strength and reduced environmental impact. The gluing guns are assembled by hand, and specifically designed for packaging, engineered for every sort of application and high-speed precision gluing.

McKinley Paper Company, the U.S. wholly-owned subsidiary of Bio PAPPEL, continues to grow in the U.S. and today announces the acquisition of 100% of Midwest Paper Group (“Midwest”) from the investment fund IOP. The acquisition of Midwest Paper Group, a large independent containerboard producer located in Wisconsin with a production capacity of 500 thousand tons annually, fits well with Bio PAPPEL– McKinley and substantially increases its current U.S. containerboard production. This allows the company to have a nationwide coverage to support McKinley’s plans of continuous growth in its packaging division as well as to reliably supply its current customer base throughout the U.S. With the acquisition of Midwest Paper Group, as well as the currently under construction and planned super plants of corrugated boxes, Bio PAPPEL will reach combined annual revenues in excess of $3 billion dollars, keeping a low debt level and financial investment grade rating.

Norske Skog’s EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2021 was NOK 422 million, an increase from NOK 111 million in the third quarter of 2021. Sales prices for all grades increased in the quarter as a necessary consequence of unprecedented high energy costs in Europe and a tightened publication paper market situation following significant capacity closures and post Covid-19 demand recovery. The European mills operated at full capacity during the quarter. Cash flow from operations was NOK 317 million in the quarter compared to NOK -99 million in the previous quarter, positively impacted by the improved operating margins, change in working capital and sale of CO2-allowances, but negatively impacted by employee redundancy payments at the Tasman mill in New Zealand. Operating earnings in the fourth quarter of 2021 were NOK 479 million compared to operating earnings in the third quarter of 2021 of NOK -565 million. Net profit in the quarter was NOK 400 million compared to a net loss of NOK 602 million in the previous quarter. Net interest-bearing debt was NOK 1 054 million at the end of the fourth quarter, with an equity ratio of 34%.

The Finnish Paperworkers’ Union has today informed UPM that their strike at UPM’s Finnish mills will be extended by three weeks until 12 March 2022, unless new agreements are reached before that. The Paperworkers’ Union’s strike at UPM Pulp, UPM Biofuels, UPM Communication Papers, UPM Specialty Papers and UPM Raflatac units in Finland started 1 January 2022. Currently, approximately 200 union members are working in tasks critical to society, such as power plants and water treatment facilities. The union simultaneously informed UPM that it is ready to negotiate with UPM businesses. UPM received an invitation to negotiations concerning UPM Pulp on Monday 7 February. The invitation indicated that the negotiations would be carried out with the CLA advisory board of the union. The board includes members of other forest products companies which means that discussions could be conducted on a very general level. Due to anti-trust compliance, genuine negotiations on UPM’s business-specific issues could not be conducted.

*Q4 GAAP net loss of $128 million / net income of $307 million for 2021 *Liquidity of $953 million / net debt of $190 million at year-end *Repurchased 1.3 million shares in Q4 / 4.6 million shares (6%) in 2021 *Net pension & OPEB liability down by over $400 million at year-end

Mactac® would like to introduce Nick Savelieff, an experienced Operations professional, as the company’s Vice President of Operations. With more than 20 years of experience in the plastics and pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) industries and in a variety of roles within supply chain, operations, and sales/marketing, Savelieff will lead the management of Mactac’s North American coating facilities and distribution centers. He will also oversee Mactac’s corporate engineering department. In his role, Savelieff will champion manufacturing excellence and drive a continuous improvement culture across Mactac’s production facilities. Among his primary responsibilities are workplace safety and environmental compliance, strategic operations planning, manufacturing performance and productivity, and asset management and planning.

Highlights: *4Q21 Reported EPS of $2.19, down 4% driven by impact of extra week in prior year *4Q21 Net sales increased 9.7% to $2.2 billion *FY21 Reported EPS of $8.83, up 34% *FY21 Net sales increased 20.6% to $8.4 billion. “2021 marked the company’s tenth consecutive year of strong top- and bottom-line growth,” said Mitch Butier, chairman, president and CEO. “We delivered 19 percent revenue growth on a constant currency basis and 25 percent adjusted earnings per share growth, while generating record free cash flow.

Norske Skog has entered into agreement with Talley’s Group, a New Zealand based dairy, fishing, produce and food company, to sell the Nature’s Flame pellets company for a consideration of approximately NZD 47.8 million (approximately NOK 280 million). The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2022. “Nature’s Flame is an excellent company producing high quality and sustainable energy pellets from wood residues, and thus the sales process generated significant interest. Under our ownership, we have expanded the capacity from producing some 20,000 tonnes when acquired to currently 90,000 tonnes, and we are very pleased that Talley’s has indicated interest to continue the ongoing project to further expand the capacity to 150,000 tonnes."

Sustana, a leading manufacturer of premium, sustainable recycled fiber and paper products, announces the appointment of Jeffrey Crawford to the position of Vice President of Sustainability. Jeffrey brings over 13 years of experience supporting Fortune 500 companies, investors, United Nations agencies, and national governments design and implement sustainability and climate strategies, policies, and projects in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America to Sustana. He will be responsible for driving Sustana’s sustainable products, strategy, and ESG initiatives across Sustana Fiber and Rolland Papers, advancing the group’s leadership in providing sustainable recycled solutions to the paper and packaging industry. Jeffrey will lead the company’s sustainability strategy for Rolland Paper as well as Sustana Fiber recycled fiber operations. Sustana has full control over the fiber production, recycled papermaking, and converting processes and Jeffrey’s role will build upon Sustana’s Sustainability Strategy and be an ambassador for recycled sustainability produced printing papers and packaging plus food packaging.

Stora Enso will invest EUR 40 million in new technology and restructuring of its fluff pulp production site in Skutskär, Sweden. The objective is to increase cost efficiencies and further improve the site’s climate footprint, thereby aligning with Stora Enso’s goal to provide regenerative solutions. Stora Enso is Europe’s leading producer of fluff pulp. The Skutskär site produces fluff pulp used in hygiene products such as baby diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence protection products, as well as in air-laid nonwovens such as wipes, napkins and medical pads. The investment in new bleaching technology supports Stora Enso’s ambitious climate targets and will enhance both operational efficiency and the site’s carbon footprint performance. With its science-based targets updated in 2021, Stora Enso commits to reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions from operations by 50% by 2030, aligned with the 1.5-degree scenario. The transition to new technology will enable a carbon footprint reduction of 5% for the site’s products through resource and energy efficiencies.

Q4/2021 (year-on-year) *Sales increased by 26.3% to EUR 2,719 (2,154) million. *Operational EBIT increased to EUR 426 (118) million. *Operational EBIT margin increased to 15.7% (5.5%). *Operating profit (IFRS) increased to EUR 839 (289) million including the positive impact from the valuation of biological assets. *Strong cash flow from operations amounted to EUR 619 (436) million. Cash flow after investing activities was EUR 424 (223) million. *The net debt to operational EBITDA ratio improved to 1.1 (2.3). The target is to keep the ratio below 2.0. Year 2021 (year-on-year) *Sales were EUR 10,164 (8,553) million. *Operational EBIT more than doubled to EUR 1,528 (650) million.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has signed the majority of the main contracts for civil works and machinery to build a new glass fiber tissue line facility located in Madisonville, Kentucky, U.S. The construction of the building will start in February 2022. The building and civil works are scheduled to be fully completed in summer 2023. The location of the new building is next to the existing Ahlstrom-Munksjö production site developing and producing filtration materials for transportation and industrial applications. “The positive progress with this new investment demonstrates our commitment to customers in North America. By expanding our geographical footprint, we will be well positioned to support our customers, today and tomorrow,” said Pekka Helynranta, VP Glass Fiber Tissue business.

Key highlights: 15% net sales growth, *Strong production in the quarter, *Record-high earnings for 2021' *Another strong cash flow delivery. Quarterly data: Net sales grew by 15% to SEK 6 688 million (5 803). Currency effects had a marginal impact on net sales, *Adjusted EBITDA* increased to SEK 1 075 million (568), corresponding to an adjusted EBITDA margin of 16% (10%), *Operating profit was SEK 418 million (163), including items impacting comparability of SEK -177 million (73),* Net profit was SEK 320 million (242)

• Operating profit for 2021 amounted to SEK 3 731 million (2020: 2 479). Excluding the item affecting comparability related to the damaged turbine at the paperboard mill in Workington, operating profit increased by SEK 1 582 million to SEK 4 061 million as a result of higher prices for wood products and the expansion of the wood products business. • Operating profit for the fourth quarter excluding the item affecting comparability was SEK 1 185 million, compared with SEK 1 129 million in the third quarter. The sale of a British forest property had a positive impact on profit of just over SEK 200 million, while lower wood product prices had a negative impact on profit. • Profit after tax in 2021 amounted to SEK 3 004 million (1 979), which corresponds to earnings per share of SEK 18.5 (12.2). • Prices for forest properties continued to increase in 2021, which meant that the recognised value of forest assets during the annual revaluation increased 9 per cent from SEK 43 202 million at the beginning of the year to SEK 47 080 million.

Q4 2021 highlights *Sales increased by 22% to EUR 2,673 million (2,188 million in Q4 2020) *Operating cash flow was EUR 406 million (347 million). 2021 highlights *Sales increased by 14% to EUR 9,814 million (8,580 million in 2020) *Operating cash flow was EUR 1,250 million (1,005 million) *UPM started the basic engineering phase of a next-generation biofuels refinery in January *UPM sold the UPM Shotton newsprint mill in the UK

Executive Summary *Fourth quarter 2021 net sales of $5.0 billion increased 3 percent compared to the year-ago period, including organic sales growth of 3 percent. Full-year 2021 net sales of $19.4 billion increased 2 percent, with organic sales down 1 percent. *Diluted net income per share for the fourth quarter was $1.06 in 2021 and $1.58 in 2020. Full-year diluted net income per share was $5.35 in 2021 and $6.87 in 2020. *Net sales in 2022 are expected to increase 1 to 2 percent, including organic sales growth of 3 to 4 percent. *The company's Board of Directors has approved a 1.8 percent increase in the quarterly dividend, which is the 50th consecutive annual increase in the dividend.

Total graphic papers shipments in November 2021 were UP 3.0% vs. November 2020 and were UP 4.5% year-to-date. Total newsprint shipments in November 2021 were down 0.3% vs. November 2020 and were down 3.3% year-to-date. Total sc-magazine shipments in November 2021 were down 8.3% vs. November 2020 and were down 0.2% year-to-date. Total coated mechanical reels shipments in November 2021 were UP 3.1% vs. November 2020 and were UP 2.4% year-to-date. Total uncoated mechanical (improved & others) shipments in November 2021 were down 6.6% vs. November 2020 and were UP 3.2% year-to-date. Total coated woodfree shipments in November 2021 were UP 13.7% vs. November 2020 and were UP 11.8% year-to-date. Total uncoated woodfree shipments in November 2021 were UP 6.9% vs. November 2020 and were UP 10.8% year-to-date.

ANDRITZ successfully started up the second of two PrimeLineTM W 2000 tissue machines delivered to Guangxi Sun Paper, China, for its mill in Beihai City, Guangxi Province. The tissue machine (TM6) has a design speed of 2,000 m/min, a working width of 5.65 m and a capacity of 60,000 t/a, and it is equipped with energy-saving components (steel Yankee with head insulation, heat recovery system, Yankee Ecosteam system for re-evaporation). Forming fabrics and press felts by ANDRITZ Fabrics and Rolls were installed for optimum end-product quality. Like the TM5 order, the scope of supply also included FibreSolve FSV pulpers, the paper machine approach flow systems, broke handling and fiber recovery, and automation systems.

ANDRITZ has successfully started up state-of-the-art and environmentally leading pulp production and chemical recovery technologies for Klabin’s Puma II line in Ortigueira, Paraná, Brazil. The ANDRITZ scope of supply included: *A wood processing plant with debarking and chipping line, which can process both eucalyptus (350 m3 sob/h) and pine (400 m3 sob/h), meaning that a log truckload of wood is emptied onto the line every ten minutes. *The HERBTM recovery boiler from ANDRITZ, which has a capacity of 3,300 tds/d with high steam parameters of 103 bar(a) and 502°C to maximize power generation. It is equipped with the autonomous Smart sootblowing control solution that combines Smart sensors (HEWI) and controls to ensure the cleanability period, a higher availability of the boiler, as well as greater operating safety. *A power boiler based on ANDRITZ EcoFluid bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) technology with a steam production capacity of 220 t/h. It is combined with the recovery boiler to form a “boiler island”, and some of the auxiliary equipment is shared between the two boilers. This provides savings in investment and operating costs. *A complete white liquor plant consisting of a recausticizing plant (5,000 m3/d) and an ANDRITZ LimeKiln (450 t/d) with a multi-fuel burner.

The Transport Workers’ Union AKT has today announced a blockade against UPM in Finland to support the strikes of the Paperworkers’ Union and the Finnish Electrical Workers´ Union. AKT’s support measures will be carried out as a blockade in Finnish ports. During the blockade, the stevedores will not handle UPM’s paper and pulp. The blockade will begin on 24 January at 06:00. “AKT’s actions do not advance functioning labour markets. AKT is not even a party in the negotiations, which we aim to start with the Paperworkers’ Union,” says Jyrki Hollmén, Vice President, Labour Markets, UPM. "We hope to get into negotiations with the Paperworkers’ Union soon, so that both parties can present their goals and seek solutions acceptable to all. Members of the Paperworkers’ Union certainly have the right to strike but now it only postpones the start of negotiations. The AKT blockade doesn’t make the situation any better," Hollmén continues.

Neenah, a leading global manufacturer of specialty materials, is announcing that it has joined the Soteria Battery Innovation Group (BIG), a consortium of 100+ companies representing different developers and users across the lithium-ion battery ecosystem. The consortium is committed to using new technology to bring safer batteries to the market, which aligns directly with Neenah's passion for innovation and the company's emphasis on safety. Lithium-ion batteries continue to dominate the battery market, with projected growth from $41B in sales in 2021 to over $110B by 2030. Neenah will utilize its significant expertise in nonwovens to pursue fiber-based separator applications that can meet users' short and long-term needs.

Mactac®, a LINTEC Company, announces it has entered into an agreement to purchase the assets of Spinnaker Coating, LLC, representing $130 million of specialty revenue at a price of $40 million. The acquisition is expected to close on Feb. 1, 2022, and consists of Spinnaker’s manufacturing facility and headquarters based in Troy, Ohio, and North American distribution centers located in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; and, Vails Gate, New York. Spinnaker will operate as a standalone subsidiary of Mactac. As part of LINTEC, Mactac is one of the largest, most diversified global pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) suppliers. Mactac’s acquisition of Spinnaker, which specializes in the customized production and distribution of pressure-sensitive roll label and sheet base materials in North America, creates a one-of-a-kind, world-class specialty labeling company.

Verso Corporation announced the filing of a preliminary proxy statement for a special meeting of stockholders, at which Verso stockholders will consider and vote upon various items related to the proposed and previously announced transaction with BillerudKorsnäs AB. If approved, all Verso stockholders will receive $27.00 per share in cash upon closing of the transaction, representing immediate and certain value at a significant premium. The preliminary proxy statement provides detailed disclosure regarding, among other things, the robust process overseen by the Special Committee, the Special Committee's consideration of indications of value, the fairness opinion received from Rothschild & Co., its financial advisor, regarding the merger consideration and the analysis underlying that opinion, the Special Committee's efforts to seek the best price reasonably available for stockholders, and the Board and the Special Committee's rationale for accepting BillerudKorsnäs' offer as being in the best interests of stockholders.