UPM and SGS sign agreement to ensure origin of wood fiber

UPM and SGS have finalized an agreement in which the origin of all UPM pulp and paper products will be ensured with a single, global system. For UPM's customers, the new multi-site certification means a major step towards a simple, standardized way to guarantee the origin of UPM products.

The multi-site certification, signed with the inspection, verification, testing and certification company SGS, ensures that 100 percent of fiber used for UPM's pulp and paper products is from forests that are managed responsibly. This agreement brings UPM's global operations together under two certified chain-of-custody certificates—FSC and PEFC.

The certification covers all UPM's pulp sourcing activities, pulp and paper mills, and sales offices. The certification continues to allow UPM and its customers to accurately follow the amount of certified wood fiber in their operations and products being distributed worldwide.

‘The project to merge the individual chain-of-custody certificates from 19 operations and 30 sales offices into two global certificates has been a great accomplishment. With our key partner SGS we have achieved a global system which is very simple and manageable,’ said Sami Lundgren, head of environmental services, UPM.

‘The new program with UPM is a most comprehensive and wide-ranging multi-site certification that exists to date. We are proud and well-positioned to assist. The wide geographical coverage of our network, whilst maintaining a good, high level feedback to UPM from our project management team, ensures maximum benefits from this complex requirement and gives the client the best opportunity to leverage their internal strengths,’ added Jeff Dowson, international sales manager at SGS. 

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