The renewable materials companyBiodiversity
Biodiversity means the variety of life in genes, species, and in entire ecosystems. It is vital for the humankind. Sustainable forest management safeguards forest health and productivity, and protects biodiversity – whilst securing the long-term availability of our renewable resources.
Find out how we work
20 years of cooperation with WWF-Russia
The Pskov Model Forest project is one of the landmarks of the joint efforts to improve sustainable forestry. Why was that project established and what have we learned?
Safeguarding biodiversity in Uruguay
Montes del Plata, Stora Enso’s 50/50 joint operation in Uruguay, provides our production units with eucalyptus pulp. Protecting the environment and biodiversity is a top priority.
Twenty years of biodiversity protection by Veracel
The Veracel Station centre, in the middle of an area of preserved rainforest habitat, conducts research and conserves native and endangered ecosystems while raising environmental awareness.
The future of our forests
Global warming, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss are some of the most important challenges in the world at the moment. Could sustainable forestry help reduce the impacts?
Podcast: Responsible tree plantations and biodiversity
Much of the raw material to the paper industry comes from tree plantations. Does that mean that biodiversity is at risk or can actually the biodiversity benefit from responsible and sustainable tree plantations?
Podcast: The future of biodiversity in Nordic forests
Biodiversity loss at global level is considered potentially catastrophic. What does biodiversity mean and why is it important? How serious a problem is biodiversity loss and what is being done in the forest sector?
Bugging for forest biodiversity
Beetles, birds, and insects – decaying wood provides habitats for a variety of small decomposers and larger animals in the forest. Stora Enso is committed to increasing the amount of decaying wood in Finnish forests for the benefit of biodiversity.
A harvesting method better for the soil
Stora Enso has introduced a method in which precise pre-planning and applied harvesting reduce the risk of damages to the soil, with a focus on wet areas. The method is suitable for both final felling and thinning.
Planning is essential
As trees take many years or decades to mature, long-term forestry planning is essential. Such planning involves ecological landscape plans and biodiversity assessments to identify, conserve and restore vital ecosystems.
We know the origin of all the wood we use: 100% comes from sustainable sources. We use various tools to ensure this, including forest certification and third-party traceability systems such as the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC*) Chain of Custody/Controlled Wood scheme, the Chain of Custody/Due Diligence System of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), and the ISO 14001 environmental management standard.
We always ensure that the forests we harvest from are regenerated.
* Stora Enso Communications’ FSC® trademark license number is FSC-N001919.
Click here for a description of Stora Enso's biodiversity management practices in Northern forests.
SDG 15 – Life on land
Stora Enso supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Protecting biodiversity in forestry operations
Compliance with national legislation is only the starting point for our work. We actively support and implement voluntary forest conservation and restoration measures on lands owned, leased, and managed by Stora Enso, and in other areas where we purchase wood.
Forest planning involves finding ways to optimise wood production and conservation. We work together with forest owners to identify sensitive forest areas in need of protection. Our experts are trained to identify such areas and we regularly consult the authorities on these matters.
Around ¾ of the wood we use is purchased from European markets and ¼ originates from forests and tree plantations owned and managed by Stora Enso. Regardless of the origin, we ensure that all wood comes from sustainable sources where biodiversity values are secured. Stora Enso closely monitors the management of the forests and plantations from which it sources wood.
Biodiversity and tree plantations
About 11% of our wood comes from tree plantations. Stora Enso never establishes plantations in natural forests, protected areas, or water-sensitive locations. We only use land with low biodiversity value, such as former pastureland.
In Brazil, our joint operation Veracel goes beyond regeneration by conserving and restoring areas of natural Atlantic Rainforest. Since the plantations were established, Veracel has worked systematically to protect and restore local biodiversity. Approximately half of Veracel’s 213 000 hectares of land are dedicated to rainforest preservation and restoration. A total of 6 600 hectares of forest has been restored between 1994 and the end of 2019. This work is part of a regional restoration programme that helps connect the remaining areas of valuable natural habitat to each other with forest corridors that enable wildlife to move more freely from one area to another.
Sustainable forestry
We follow sustainable forestry best practices, including the protection of key biotopes and leaving additional voluntary set-aside areas, restoring endangered species’ habitats and leaving decaying wood in final felling areas.
