Biodiversity is the variety of plant and animal life on our planet. To solve our biodiversity crisis, companies must commit to enabling environments for different species to thrive.
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Biodiversity is fundamental to the planet and people; it provides functioning ecosystems that supply oxygen, clean air, water and food. Globally, biodiversity has been decreasing for decades, and more action is needed to reverse this development.
As a renewable natural resource, wood is a favourable alternative to fossil-based and other non-renewable materials. Growing trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and, together with wood-based products, act as carbon storage. At Stora Enso, we have been working actively with biodiversity measures for many years, but are now speeding up our efforts to not only reduce harm, but to leave ecosystems better than we found them.
Safeguarding biodiversity is a cornerstone of building a successful bioeconomy. Substituting fossil-based materials with low-carbon, renewable materials requires sustainable forest management, sufficient forest protection, and open stakeholder dialogues.
We are evolving and improving our transparency and performance on biodiversity. As part of our sustainability ambition, we are committed to achieving a net positive impact on biodiversity in our own forests and plantations by 2050 through active biodiversity management.
We have developed and initiated a set of actions towards 2030 to improve biodiversity on species, habitat and landscape levels. Our work will be supported by a science-based monitoring programme and continuous research, and we support mandatory disclosure of business’ impacts and dependencies on nature.
Climate change can shift patterns of temperature, wind, and rainfall. Well-managed forests can make entire ecosystems more resilient to the negative impacts of climate change, and benefit from positive ones. Forest health and growth must be ensured by managing forests sustainably throughout the forest life cycle and beyond.
At Stora Enso, biodiversity management is an integral part of our forest management practices. We have been working actively with biodiversity measures for decades. We aim to do more than just mitigating biodiversity loss, but also creating biodiversity gain. Our goal is to enhance biodiversity and create a net-positive impact in our own forests and plantations by 2050.
Sustainable management of forests is emphasised in the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the EU Forest Strategy. For us, sustainable forest management has always underlined how we operate. It is a holistic approach, taking into account the economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainability and by definition preserves the forest resource.
We do not harvest more than forests grow and do not convert natural forests, protected areas or areas currently undergoing official processes of designation for protection into tree plantations. We also actively participate in projects that enhance biodiversity in our forests across all three levels with species, habitats and landscapes.
We follow our progress in responsible forestry with science-based indicators to monitor how well our operations follow our guidance on avoiding negative impacts on biodiversity. Biodiversity is also an integral part of forest certifications including protection of valuable ecosystems.
Stora Enso uses science-based indicators to monitor how well our operations follow our guidelines on avoiding negative impacts on biodiversity.
Our approach to biodiversity
Biodiversity means the variety of life in genes, species, and in entire ecosystems. It is absolutely vital for our planet and humankind.
Protecting the biodiversity of northern forests
Sustainable forestry in the Northern hemisphere has become a hot topic, with environmental NGOs widely calling for forests to be better protected.
