According to Gabriele Wende, Director, Reporting and Product Stewardship, UPM, people are interested in companies' impact on society in addition to the environmental matters. "Mills are a part of local people's everyday lives, so what happens within the company is not insignificant by any means. That's why we want to provide verified and concrete information, e.g. on our contribution to employment, tax income and  purchasing power, as well as co-operation with the communities. The information also has to be easily accessible," Wende says.

"UPM's initiative to open the scope of its environmental reporting to include social indicators shows the strong commitment of the company to transparency, a value shared by all EMAS organisations," says Kestutis Sadauskas, Director for the Green Economy at the European Commission's Directorate General for the Environment.

"The performance of the company is verified by an independent EMAS verifier, providing the public and other stakeholders with reliable information on its contribution to sustainable development. We would encourage other companies to move in this direction too", he says.

A mathematical model of effects on consumption

Extended EMAS reporting was improved first time this year using a mathematical calculation model developed by the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy. The model was used to estimate indirect jobs and effects on consumption created by the company's production units in Finland.

Research Director Jyrki Ali-Yrkkö from Etlatieto Oy says, that calculations can be made both regionally and nationally.

"The model is based on input-output statistics from Statistics Finland. Those statistics show how companies from different industries buy goods and services from each other," Ali-Yrkkö explains.

Local tax income generated by our business operations as well as cooperation with local operators, such as educational institutes, are an essential part of our societal impacts. Read more about these and many more societal impacts at the following websites:

www.upmbiofore.com
www.upm.com > Responsibility
 
The final EMAS registration is complete only when the Corporate Environmental http://www.mppglobal.comStatement 2017 has been approved.

UPM

UPM leads the forest-based bioindustry into a sustainable, innovation-driven and exciting future across six business areas: UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Communication Papers and UPM Plywood. UPM provides sustainable and safe solutions for growing global consumption. Our products are made of renewable raw materials and are recyclable. The group employs around 19,100 people worldwide and its annual sales are approximately EUR 10 billion. UPM shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. UPM - The Biofore Company - www.upm.com

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