Translating environmental principles into practice
Voluntary environmental management systems are the primary means for Stora Enso to translate the Group’s environmental principles to practice.
They ensure that units focus on the most critical issues in each location where the company operates, and they are also a good way to provide information about the environmental aspects of the Group’s products.
Environmental management systems answer the following important questions:
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Is environmental work being carried out effectively?
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Have targets been achieved?
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What are the plans for the future?
The European Union’s latest Environmental Action Programme strongly emphasises the need to use market-oriented and consumer-oriented tools to promote sustainable development. The renewal of EMAS regulations in 2001 has facilitated significant improvements in Europe by, for instance, encouraging the use of the EMAS logo in marketing to signify continuous improvements in environmental performance.
Stora Enso was one of the first companies to adopt third-party audited systems like EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) and ISO 14001, and to realise the benefits of transparency in environmental quality work.
Forest certification schemes concerning Stora Enso’s wood procurement are a vital part of environmental management. An independent party inspects forest management and utilisation to assess compliance with a set of ecological, economic and social standards.
See Stora Enso's EMAS and ISO 14001 certificates