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Metsä Board gets an “A” for water management

For its actions to improve water security and better manage this shared resource, Metsä Board, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of paperboard, has been awarded with a position on CDP’s Water A List.

This list features companies that are seen as being on the path to sustainably managing water. It has been produced at the request of investors by CDP, a global NGO which holds what is said to be the most comprehensive dataset of publicly available corporate water information collected on behalf of investors.
Information provided by 405 listed companies has been independently assessed against CDP’s scoring methodology – developed in collaboration with leading peers and experts in corporate water stewardship. Metsä Board is one of eight awarded an A grade for its water management efforts. Others on this global list of corporate leaders are Asahi Group (Japan), Colgate Palmolive (U.S.), Ford Motor Company (U.S.), Harmony Gold Mining (South Africa), Kumba Iron Ore (South Africa), Rohm Co (Japan) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan).
In 2013, Metsä Board launched an extensive development project to improve water usage and material efficiency by reducing water intake and fiber loss. The company will also improve the efficiency of sludge and wastewater management. The raw material for its paperboards, fresh forest fiber, already comes from northern forests that do not draw on recycled, brackish or processed water. Around 95% of water used for production is returned to its source, and carefully cleaned before being released back into the watercourse, ensuring the environment surrounding Metsä Board’s mills is not affected by their water usage.
“We are proud that our efforts in water security and management have been recognized by our inclusion in the CDP Water A List, especially as the only forest industry company in this category,” says Mika Joukio, CEO of Metsä Board. “Water is essential in making pulp and paperboard, but we continuously seek new ways to reduce its use. Our main water usage is fresh water, almost all of which is surface water from rivers and lakes, and we are very conscious of our need to minimize impact on this natural environment.”
Cate Lamb, head of water at CDP, says: “The business case for action to improve water security has never been stronger or more urgent. For this reason we congratulate those businesses that have achieved a position on CDP’s Water A List. These companies are responding to market demand for environmental accountability and at the same time are making progress towards the realization of sustainable economies.”
CDP, formerly known as Carbon Disclosure Project, is an international, not-for-profit organization providing a global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share vital environmental information.
The CDP Water A List, along with the disclosures of all companies publicly taking part in CDP’s water program this year, is available on CDP’s website.