Holmen’s Iggesund mill in Sweden, which produces the iconic paperboard Invercote, has once again been awarded the highest level by EcoVadis. The Platinum level means the company is within the top one percent of all companies assessed, and the number of companies being rated is steadily growing.
The international assessment agency EcoVadis evaluates the sustainability performance of companies. In 2022, EcoVadis conducted around 30,000 assessments of companies in over 200 sectors in 160 countries. Holmen Iggesund joined EcoVadis at an early stage, in order to compile and communicate its sustainability performance in a transparent way.
“We joined EcoVadis because we believe in transparency and were looking for ways to share our sustainability performance with customers and stakeholders, who also regard this as essential”, says Johan Granås, Sustainability Director at Holmen Iggesund.
“Climate change is the biggest challenge of our time, and we want our customers to trust that we will supply them with the highest standard of sustainable packaging material. We need to seriously consider all aspects of sustainability, including transparent and comprehensive reporting”, Granås says.
He also points out that, going forward, it will be even more difficult to achieve the Platinum level, since it is an award for the top one percent.
“Systematic and substantial sustainability work is increasing, which of course is a good thing and is crucial going forward if we’re going to meet environmental targets. As a natural consequence, the better everyone becomes, the harder it will be for us to achieve the highest level,” Granås continues.
With increased demand for more sustainable packaging material, Holmen Iggesund will continue to grow. But its increase in capacity will be carefully considered from the perspective of sustainability.
“We must always make sure that we are operating within the boundaries of our environment. We must also ensure that our forests can supply a sufficient volume of wood for our production without sacrificing biodiversity. We also look at the water supply, our air emissions and, of course, our employees’ working environment. Everything needs to be considered before we take our next step. This is the way to work when you put sustainability at the core of your business.
As a market-leading supplier of premium fresh fibre paperboard, we recognise that we have an important role to play, both at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing and as a role model in terms of how transparent we are about how we do things. This is the only way we will achieve our goal of being a responsible and sustainable partner for our customers”, Johan Granås concludes.
Holmen Iggesund is part of Holmen, one of the largest forest owners in Sweden. The group’s business is based on the power found in the forests, rivers and winds. From sustainably managed forests, the wood is harvested and refined into wood products for sustainable building, and what is left is used to produce world-leading quality and innovative paper and paperboard products.
“As part of Holmen we have a strong wood supply and advantageous energy situation,” says Johan Nellbeck, CEO Holmen Iggesund.
“With wood from nearby forests and water sourced from a local river, which also provides us with electricity for the process, it’s safe to say that environmental sustainability is part of our DNA. Also, as the largest employer in our region, we are responsible for taking care not only of our own personnel, but also our local community,” Nellbeck concludes.
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