We’re kicking off Earth Week 2019 on April 22, which is International Earth Day. While we incorporate sustainability into all parts of our business every day, we are excited to have a whole week dedicated to enhancing nature’s gifts and improving life in our communities.
Colleagues and, at many sites, their family members and friends will raise sustainability awareness through volunteering, learning and playing in the world around us.
EarthChoice Ambassadors
As part of our caring values, we regularly give to educational initiatives, sustainability programs and efforts to improve the health and wellness of our neighbors. Our EarthChoice Ambassador program further reinforces this concept.
EarthChoice Ambassadors (ECAs) are Domtar employees who volunteer their time and energy to promote sustainable practices that focus on our customers, employees, company, and community. By identifying and sharing innovative manufacturing methods, educating and encouraging sustainable habits, and leading by example, ECAs embody our sustainability message throughout the organization.
Heather Stowe, Domtar’s corporate social responsibility manager and mother of the ECA program, describes the program simply: “All EarthChoice Ambassadors across the company are just that: ambassadors of making and teaching good earth choices. An EarthChoice is any act that benefits the planet or your community.”
Earth Week 2019
This year, during Earth Week 2019, more than two dozen ECA teams in North America and Europe are getting together to make hundreds of EarthChoices at work or at home. Events planned for Earth Week 2019 include:
Planting trees and gardening in community gardens and parks
Holding recycling drives
Hosting lunch-and-learn events focused on debunking agriculture and recycling myths
Providing families in need with resources to grow vegetables at home
Teaching students about papermaking and recycling
Creating a monarch butterfly habitat
Conducting reading events at schools in coordination with First Book
How will you celebrate Earth Week 2019? Will you be collecting rainwater, planting trees or participating in a community clean-up event? Share your EarthChoice by tweeting us at DomtarEveryday.
Learn more about our commitment to sustainability in the communities where we work, live and play:
Metsä Group has updated its 2030 sustainability targets. The update includes both changes to existing targets and new targets focusing on logistics emissions, personnel diversity and occupational safety, for example. Sustainability targets are part of Metsä Group’s strategy work. “We are updating our ambitious targets and reinforcing our commitment to fossil-free operations, the improvement of the state of forest nature, an inclusive and ethical corporate culture and occupational safety,” says Anni Kovanen, Metsä Group’s Director, Sustainability Management. The targets were last updated two years ago, when measures improving forests’ biodiversity and health as well as measures promoting fossil-free production were added to them.
Estonia and Poland have become the latest countries to successfully achieve PEFC re-endorsement of their national forest certification systems for the first time. This not only confirms that they continue to meet PEFC’s globally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks, but also ensures that certified forest owners and companies in these countries continue to benefit from the global acceptance of PEFC. "The re-endorsement of these national forest certification systems shows both the commitment of our members to PEFC and underlines PEFC's leadership in the continuous improvement of forest certification," said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. “We appreciate their continued commitment, as well as the contributions of all the stakeholders who have participated in the standards revision and assessment processes.”
FSC has blocked three Peruvian certificate holders and their FSC certification has been suspended because they were unable to verify the origin of wood they sold and purchased from the Amazon. As a result, they can no longer claim FSC certifcation on their products, or use the FSC trademark label. They will also not be able to seek recertification until FSC lifts their blockage. The blocked and suspended certificate holders (along with their certifcate numbers) are: Maderera Rio Yaverija SAC (MADERYJA) (NC-FM/COC-002175); Maderera Rio Yaverija SAC (CU-COC-810564); Maderera Industrial Isabelita SAC (EMINI) (CU-COC-858403)
