(UPM, Helsinki, 24 September 2018 at 09:30 EET) - UPM has been recognised as a Global Compact LEAD company for its strong engagement to the United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. The recognition was addressed to only 34 global companies at the Global Compact Leaders Summit in New York on 24 September 2018.
"LEAD companies represent the highest level of engagement with the UN Global Compact," says Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. "Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and creating the world we want will not happen without bold actions from the responsible business community," Kingo says.
"Being among the 34 world's leading companies in sustainability is an outstanding recognition for the work UPM has done in the area of responsible business conduct," says Pirkko Harrela, Executive Vice President, Stakeholder Relations, UPM. "We have had the LEAD status since January 2016 when we were invited for the first time to this distinguished network as the only forest industry company and also as the first Finnish company ever," Harrela continues.
UPM has been a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact initiative since 2003 and is strongly committed to responsible business conduct. "We have a strong basis to promote the core values of the Global Compact Ten Principles covering human rights, labour standards, environment and anti-corruption," Harrela says.
The recognised LEAD companies include companies like Unilever, Nestle S.A., BASF SE and L'Oreal.
To be eligible for LEAD recognition, companies are expected to be a participant in at least two Global Compact Action Platforms. They also need to demonstrate engagement with the initiative and commitment to defining and fostering leadership practices in line with the Global Compact Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, the companies are to report on their progress on implementing the Ten Principles on annual basis.
UPM has participated in two Action Platforms: Reporting on the SDGs and Decent work in global supply chains. The Decent Work Action Platform members have today published their commitment to advance responsible supply chains and a Baseline Report describing the challenges and opportunities of this area. Read more here.
The Reporting on the SDGs Action Platform has already earlier published two reports and a guidance document for SDG reporting.
For more information, please check UN Global Compact LEAD website.
For further information please contact:
Pirkko Harrela, Executive Vice President, Stakeholder Relations, UPM, tel. +358 40 5078 764
UPM, Media Relations
Mon-Fri 9:00-16:00 EET
tel. +358 40 588 3284
media@upm.com
UPM
We deliver renewable and responsible solutions and innovate for a future beyond fossils across six business areas: UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Communication Papers and UPM Plywood. We employ around 19,100 people worldwide and our annual sales are approximately EUR 10 billion. Our shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. UPM Biofore - Beyond fossils. www.upm.com
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About the United Nations Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of UN goals and issues embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals. The UN Global Compact is a leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible corporate practices. Launched in 2000, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with more than 9,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and nearly 70 Local Networks.
For more information, follow @globalcompact and visit www.unglobalcompact.org.