Environmental and energy policy
Holmen's environmental and energy policy contains principles for the Group’s environmental activities and covers the aspects that are of relevance to Holmen and its stakeholders.
Environmental responsibility
The Group’s CEO, as well as the heads of the business areas, have overall responsibility for the environment. Operational responsibility is held by mill managers and forest managers. The Group’s head of environmental affairs chairs Holmen’s Environmental Council and coordinates environmental efforts.
Joint action groups
The purpose of the Environmental Council is to ensure that the environmental and energy policy is applied. The Council consists of the environmental managers of each business area and is chaired by the Group’s Director of Environmental and Sustainable Affairs. The Energy Council makes decisions on hedging electricity prices, as well as on electricity certificates and emission allowances. This Council consists of representatives from the relevant business areas and Group staffs. Climate issues are mainly dealt with by the Group Technology Staff and the Grop management. Senior Management follows up the Group’s climate and energy targets. Other joint action groups in the environmental field deal with matters including management systems and waste.
Official supervision
All the Group’s mills have environmental permits containing conditions regulating emissions to air and water. The environmental authorities regularly inspect operations at the mills. Holmen’s various mills submit an environmental report to the authorities annually. Forestry operations are supervised by the Swedish Forest Agency.
Environmental management systems
Certified in accordance with ISO 14001 are applied at all the units and in forestry operations. All the production units have quality management systems that have been certified in accordance with ISO 9001.
Energy management systems
Certified energy management systems (ISO 50001) are in place at all the Swedish units and at Holmen Paper Madrid. Workington Mill works to a certifiable management system. Work is in progress to achieve certification of the management system to the international standard ISO 50001.
Forestry standards
Holmen’s forestry is certified in accordance with the international criterias issued by PEFC and FSC®.
Chain-of-custody certification
There is Chain-of-Custody certification at Holmen Skog and at most of the Group’s mills under the PEFC and FSC® standards.
Auditing of certification
All certified systems are regularly checked by external, certified auditors.
Supplier appraisal
A system for appraising suppliers of goods and services is in place. Environmental responsibility, quality issues and social aspects form part of the appraisal. In 2012, work was stepped up on assessing how Holmen’s suppliers of goods and services manage sustainability issues. Work is under way to produce a code of conduct for suppliers in order to clarify Holmen’s expectations and demands.
Holmen makes continuous efforts to manage risks related to the environment
- Self-inspection of wether conditions regarding emissions and other conditions imposed by environmental authorities are being fulfilled
- Checks of water areas outside the mills
- Checks on the management of chemicals and waste
- Environmental risk assessments in the mills
- Checks and inspections by authorities
- Reporting to public authorities
- Group-wide climate and energy targets
- Certified environmental and energy management systems incorporating environmental and energy targets
- Environmental certification and chainof- custody certification under criterias issued by FSC® and PEFC
- Active programme to remedy damage to the forest caused in the main by storms and snow damage, as well as insects, fungus and moose
- All certified management systems are regularly checked by external, certified auditors
- Appraisal of suppliers (goods and services) with respect to sustainability aspects
- Self-inspection of compliance with power industry guidelines for dam safety
- Studies and remediation measures are carried out at discontinued sites in consultation with the environmental authorities.
ICC
Holmen has been affiliated to the International Chamber of Commerce’s Business Commission on Sustainable Development for many years. The program establishes 16 principles for environmentally aware leadership. www.icc.org