There is a need for additional protection of forests with significant nature values. By establishing a conservation foundation, Metsä Group wants to complement the conservation network and offer the forest owner compensation for forest sites of conservation value. The foundation will be established in the coming autumn, and its operations will start at the beginning of 2026. The conservation foundation supplements Metsä Group's services, with which the forest owner can strengthen the biodiversity of their forests. The conservation foundation focuses on the permanent protection of forests with high biodiversity value and thus supports the development of the forest conservation network. Metsä Group's impacts on biodiversity are greatest in commercial forests. The aim is to strengthen the state of nature of commercial forests through regenerative forestry measures, such as the Metsä Group Plus management model.

“Sustainable forestry is a core value among AF&PA members. Our country boasts 20 percent more trees than it did on the first Earth Day celebration nearly 50 years ago, and the U.S. paper and wood products industry plays an important role in helping keep forests as forests. "Efforts to plant more trees are an important piece of a complex puzzle. This is why the paper industry has the most comprehensive set of quantifiable sustainability goals of any U.S. manufacturing industry in our Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 initiative. With goals centered around increasing the amount of certified fiber we procure, increasing paper recovery, improving energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing water use - among others - we are proud of the holistic approach our industry has adopted to ensure our resources will be available for future generations just as they are today.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, has been recognised for leadership in corporate transparency and performance on climate change, forests and water security by global environmental non-profit CDP. Based on data reported through CDP’s 2024 Climate Change, Forests and Water Security thematic questionnaires, Metsä Board is one of a small number of companies that achieved a triple A, out of over 22,000 companies scored. This is the third time that Metsä Board scored the prestigious triple ‘A’. “We have ambitious sustainability targets including 100% fossil free production and products, and reduced process water use by the end of 2030. In our wood supply, we promote regenerative forestry practices to strengthen the status of forest nature. The high score in CDP assessments year after year is a confirmation on the positive progress of our systematic work," says Mika Joukio, CEO of Metsä Board.