Stora Enso has divested its controlling interest in practically all the forests previously owned by the Group, and the share of certified wood in production is dependent on how much certified wood is available in different markets. Stora Enso is therefore continuing to promote forest certification wherever the Group operates.

Less than 5% of all forests around the world are covered by third-party-certified forest certification systems. In the areas where Stora Enso is operating, the share of certified forests varies from almost zero to over 95%. This means that Stora Enso’s goal of maximising the share of wood originating from certified forests is a very challenging one.

To reach this objective, Stora Enso actively promotes forest certification wherever the Group operates, and advocates the mutual recognition of different certification systems. Stora Enso interprets mutual recognition as meaning the full reciprocal acceptance of different systems. In the foreseeable future mutual recognition is most likely to happen at a national or regional level.

Wood traced right back to its origin

A variety of tools can be used to ensure that harvesting sites meet Stora Enso’s demands. These tools include forest certification systems, such as forest management certification and chain-of-custody certification systems, as well as company-specific traceability systems.

Stora Enso monitors the origin of nearly all wood sources – the Group’s traceability systems currently cover 98% of all the fibre used within the Group including wood from both certified and uncertified sources. This figure is not comparable with figures published in earlier years, because the 2004 figure covers roundwood, chips, sawdust and pulp, while previous years’ figures were limited to roundwood.