Our sustainability targets 2030: Environment

Metsä Fibre safeguards biodiversity by increasing the share of mixed forests with several species of trees and preserving valuable habitats. We mitigate climate change and continuously reduce our emissions. And we use natural resources efficiently, increasing our material, energy and environmental efficiency.

Target: Safeguarding biodiversity

Preserving biodiversity is part of sustainable forest management. Forest certifications define precise criteria for conserving biodiversity. Beyond these, Metsä Group has its own programmes for safeguarding biodiversity and ensuring that forests can continue to act as a carbon sink.

Metsä Group level activities towards 2030

We diversify the tree species in the forest with forest owners, who form the Metsä Group’s parent company Metsäliitto Cooperative. Only the tree species that will be used are felled. Diverse forests are resilient to the various risks posed by a warming climate, such as extreme weather conditions or insect pests.

We recommend planting mixed forests. When establishing a new forest in Finland, forest owners can order mixed cultivation of pine and spruce from Metsä Group. We leave a variety of tree species in the forest, both in tending and in thinning.

We increase the amount of decaying wood by making high biodiversity stumps (a trunk of a tree cut at a height of 2–4 metres) for the species that need it. Various decaying fungi, insects, beetles and forest-dwelling birds benefit from high biodiversity stumps, which offer them living spaces and nutrition. The lack of decaying wood is the most common single cause for the endangerment of forest species.

We ensure that herb-rich forests and ridges provide habitat for endangered species. We leave protective thickets during all phases of forest management. Thickets provide shelter and food for birds and other animals. Burned and charred wood is also needed for specialised species.

Key Performance Indicators by 2030

100% of regeneration sites have retention trees. Retention trees are left in the forest permanently and are not supposed to be removed at any stage. Saving living retention trees and dead wood is a good way to prevent forest species becoming endangered.

100% of harvesting sites have high biodiversity stumps

0% spruce as the only tree species growing after young forest tending

10,000 actions to increase biodiversity, such as

Burned retention tree groups

Nature management for herb-rich forests and ridges

Water protection

New Metso protection areas for our owner members

FSC^® (FSC-C111942) nature site service contracts

Biodiversity at Kemi bioproduct mill

Supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

SDG 13: Climate action and SDG 15: Life on land

Target: Mitigating climate change and reducing emissions

One of our most important sustainability targets is to ensure that by the end of 2030 our mills no longer use any fossil fuels nor purchase any fossil-based energy. This will mean our production will no longer generate any fossil-based carbon dioxide emissions.

Metsä Group level activities towards 2030

Change to renewable fuels in our mills, so we will not emit fossil carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (Scope 1 emissions). In Metsä Fibre, all our mills have clear plans for achieving these goals. In 2023, 97 per cent of all the fuel used in Metsä Fibre’s production was fossil free.	Purchase fossil-free electricity and heat (Scope 2 emissions, market-based). In Metsä Fibre, the self-sufficiency rate of our mills in terms of electrical energy totals 159% (in 2023), and we are a significant producer of bioelectricity.
Change to raw materials and packaging materials which are free of fossil carbon by finding solutions together in our value chain. In Metsä Fibre, we use pulp packaging and metal straps for the pulp bales. Plastic is used only in sawn timber wrappings, and for that which we’re seeking a more sustainable solution.	Keep forests vibrant, thriving and healthy by increasing their management and use in line with research-based recommendations.
Recommend that peatland forests be grown continuously to minimise the impact of forestry on water and to prevent unnecessary release of carbon sequestered in peat into the atmosphere.	Increase of wood-based products with long carbon sequestration time.

Key Performance Indicators by 2030

-10 energy efficiency improvement*

0 t of fossil CO₂ emissions (scope 1 & 2, market-based)**

100% of fossil-free raw materials and packaging materials

+30% regeneration and tending area in forest**

+50% forest fertilization area*

+30% continuous covered forestry in peatland forests

+30% carbon sequestered in products**

* Energy efficiency index, compared to 2018
* CO₂-ekvivalent, compared to 2018
** hectares, compared to 2018

Supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate action and SDG 15: Life on land

Target: Sustainable production and efficient use of resources

We are improving energy and water efficiency through continuous development and investment. Reducing water use helps mitigate climate change, as process water use and wastewater treatment consume energy and thus cause greenhouse gas emissions.

Metsä Group level activities towards 2030

We reduce our water use by developing and renewing production processes and introducing new technologies. We also advance the development of the concept for an effluent free pulp mill.

Improving the use of electricity, heat and fuels by using secondary heat or production side streams to increase energy efficiency. In Metsä Fibre, all of our pulp and bioproduct mills generate more energy (electricity and heat) than they use. They are among Finland’s largest producers of renewable energy.

Finding new uses for the waste generated in our production, together with our partners. In Metsä Fibre, we for instance work on a joint project with the University of Oulu investigating whether green liquor dregs could be used in making artificial stones and construction materials, replacing virgin raw materials such as crushed rock and gravel or concrete. We will also construct a demo plant for lignin refining in connection with Äänekoski bioproduct mill in cooperation with technology group ANDRITZ. Construction will begin in Summer 2024, and the demo plant will be completed in late 2025.