Irving Pulp & Paper (IPP) has been given permission to begin construction immediately of an Environmental Treatment Facility and Water Use Reduction Project at Saint John’s mill following a successful Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). After receiving the Minister of Environment and Climate Change’s Certificate of Determination in accordance with the EIA, IPP will break ground on the project which is estimated to cut the mill's water consumption by up to 50 percent and result in cleaner water leaving the mill. Construction will require 60 contractor jobs averaged over the 2-2.5-year period with peaks of 120 local contractors. Construction and installation of the new equipment is expected to generate 609,000 person-hours of work over an estimated 22 months in New Brunswick. Construction will begin immediately and run until late 2024.

Rottneros' subsidiary Vallviks Bruk AB has on January 12th been granted permission by the Land and Environment Court in Östersund to produce the requested 255,000 tons of sulphate pulp. It is a comprehensive permit under the Swedish Environmental Code, which is associated with a number of conditions, which are broadly in line with the company's previously stated position. "The new permit will ensure that we can continue with our long-term industrial plan, Agenda 500 and increase the capacity of both our mills. The permit also ensures that we can continue to develop the company and our organization," says Per Lundeen, CEO of Rottneros.

The FSC Risk Assessment Framework provides step-by-step guidance to assess and mitigate risks effectively. With 64 indicators covering social, environmental and economic aspects, the Risk Assessment Framework aligns with FSC’s Policy to Address Conversion and EUDR regulatory requirements, facilitating compliance for companies affected by the Regulation. FSC’s robust forest management certification ensures sustainable practices in certified areas. However, assessing risks in non-certified regions is equally critical, and requires a deeper look. To support companies in meeting regulatory compliance requirements such as the EUDR, FSC offers free country and regional risk assessments, developed through regular/centralized processes led by experts or through national chamber-balanced processes. These risk assessments can help organizations evaluate forestry sector control systems, providing vital insights into sourcing risks. FSC is developing updated risk assessments for 90 countries. The next generation of FSC’s risk assessments for controlled wood sourcing will be based on the updated Risk Assessment Framework and valid for both Regulatory Module users and Controlled Wood users. If a country risk assessment is unavailable, organizations can access FSC’s Risk Assessment template and supporting tools to implement effective due diligence.