Environmental

Mercer International Inc. announced its 35% Greenhouse Gas reduction target by 2030 has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with the levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The approval formally recognizes Mercer as a leading company and the first in Canada and one of the first North American companies in the forest and paper products sector with approved targets.

Dalhousie University researchers tracking air pollutants released by the Atlantic Canadian pulp and paper industry over nearly two decades say emissions from the Northern Pulp operation in Nova Scotia were higher than all other mills combined -- and exceeded recommended federal thresholds for particulates by a "staggering" 100,000 per cent.

The report highlights the company's progress towards its long-standing goal of driving change and supporting a greener planet through the three main pillars of Planet, People and Impactful Business. It shows that the company's actions are delivering today, and together with its ongoing investments and continuous improvement, it is well positioned to deliver on its long-term ambition to have net zero emissions by 2050.

Stora Enso will invest EUR 10 million at its Enocell pulp mill in Finland to replace fossil-based heavy fuel oil with renewable pitch oil. This will reduce the environmental impact of the operations and help in reaching the ambitious target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Aspa Bruk is working with a Swedish environmental technology company called Axolot Solution in a joint project during a three-month period. During this time extensive tests are performed aiming at reducing the phosphorus emissions from the mill. The project is based on Axolot's electrochemical AxoPur® 2.0 process and the trial is planned to continue until the start of the summer.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has published its Sustainability Report 2021 on the company's website http://www.ahlstrom-munksjo.com.

Borregaard has entered into a ten-year sustainability-linked loan agreement with the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB). The USD 50 million loan will contribute to financing Borregaard's investments to reduce CO2 emissions and water effluents.

For more than 20 years, Domtar has put sustainability at the heart of everything we do. Our newest sustainability report details our sustainability priorities for the years ahead. We have developed these sustainability priorities through the leadership of our cross-company Environmental, Social and Governance Committee and with input from a wide variety of stakeholders.

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and Weyerhaeuser Company announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), spanning five years and including $250,000 in new funding commitments. The new MOU will provide the framework for both organizations to work together to demonstrate a long-term commitment to support wetland and waterfowl stewardship throughout Weyerhaeuser's Canadian operating areas located in the temperate and boreal forest regions of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

Huhtamaki's site in Alf, Germany is switching its focus from plastics to smooth molded fiber (SMF) products to meet the growing demand for plastic free alternatives for food packaging. In 2022, the unit plans to replace more than 2,000 tonnes of plastic with fiber. Huhtamaki's state-of-the-art automated manufacturing site will have the capacity to manufacture up to 3.5 billion fiber products annually. This represents the first such large scale production capability in Europe.

PEFC is the largest forest certification system in the world, with more than 330 million hectares of certified forests. An international nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, PEFC is dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification.

More than $150 million worth of environmental upgrades were announced by Irving Pulp & Paper, Limited. The proposed upgrades include a new environmental treatment facility, as well as a cooling water heat exchanger and pumphouse closer to the mill.

Neenah, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of specialty materials focused on filtration, specialty coatings, engineered materials, and imaging and packaging released an update to its 2021 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report which highlights the ways in which Neenah is enabling sustainable practices that prioritize the safety and well-being of employees, our communities and environment.

The province delivered the terms of reference to Northern Pulp for the environmental assessment of its proposed $350 million new effluent treatment plant and mill transformation.

Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc., a pioneer in the production of fluff pulp, announced that it qualifies as an "Inspected Raw Material" by Nordic Swan Ecolabelling. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel sets strict environmental requirements in all phases of manufacturing, including requirements for eco-friendly chemicals used in ecolabeled products. The status will appear on products made with RYAM's fluff pulp and indicates to consumers and commercial buyers that the product is sustainably produced and environmentally friendly.

As a partner in DOE's Better Climate Challenge, International Paper is one of more than 80 organizations across the U.S. economy that are stepping up to the Challenge and driving real-world action toward a low-carbon future.

SCA has published its annual and sustainability report for 2021. In the report, SCA describes the company's work to contribute to a fossil-free society. SCA's climate benefit in 2021 amounted to 10.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide based on the forest's net carbon sequestration, substitution effect and reduced fossil emissions.

UPM has published a new Forest Action Programme, which will run until 2030.

The company says its Green Bay mill achieved Net-Zero-Water in its production of 100% recycled containerboard paper, the first-ever UL with validation of this environmental claim.

In line with its commitment to optimize energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

The report details the Company's accomplishments, progress and commitments with respect to its careful stewardship of tremendous assets and valuable resources.

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. announced a commitment to set science-based targets to achieve near-term greenhouse gas ("GHG") reductions across all its operations located in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Europe.

B.C.'s latest round of grants from the CleanBC Industry Fund pays for conversion of equipment at five pulp mills to reduce their natural gas use, while most of the rest of the $70 million goes to natural gas production facilities in Northeast B.C. to get them to switch processes to electricity.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement in support of the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act (RCAA), introduced by U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), John Boozman (R-AR) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act (RIAA), introduced by Senator Capito.

Amcor is proud to be among more than 70 businesses and financial institutions calling for a legally binding United Nations treaty on plastic pollution.