SWEDEN (News release) -- Stora Enso has launched a comprehensive biodiversity programme and related targets for its land holdings in Sweden. The programme, which covers the Company's forest land in Sweden, has five focus areas, each with specific actions and measurable targets for 2030.

Stora Enso owns 1.4 million hectares of land in Sweden, and the company is one of the country's largest forest owners. Combined with the ongoing biodiversity work, the new biodiversity programme with more than 30 actions will lead to increased nature values and strengthened biodiversity across Stora Enso's land holdings in Sweden. Some examples of activities from the programme's focus areas and main targets for 2030:

- Deadwood: Over 40% of red-listed forest species depend on deadwood. Stora Enso aims to increase the amount of dead wood on its land holdings by 40%.

- Broadleaved trees: Broadleaved trees provide critical habitats for many species. Stora Enso will double the number of broadleaved trees in young forests and plant 700,000 birch trees annually.

- Water: Watercourses and wetlands are often rich in biodiversity since many species depend on water for different life stages. Stora Enso will identify four major water landscapes for restoration and remove migration barriers in all identified valuable watercourses.

- Species and habitats: An umbrella species is an animal or plant that lives in an area with many other endangered species. The new biodiversity programme focuses on protecting four umbrella species, which in turn benefit hundreds of other red-listed species.

- Active biodiversity management: actions in this focus area include increasing annual prescribed burning by 20% on average in the protection areas over a five-year period.

Stora Enso uses selected areas of its Swedish forests to test and develop biodiversity management methods and capabilities. This work is done in close collaboration with universities, environmental organisations, NGOs and authorities to share knowledge and foster joint innovation and development.