Permits, Certificates and Management Systems
Holmen's industrial operations require permission from the environmental authorities in each country. The operations are controlled by the environmental authorities. The certified management systems are regularly checked by external, certified auditors. Holmen's units have the permits required to conduct the operations. In addition, there are a large number of certificates for different types of management systems.
Permits
The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED)
The EU’s Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) from 2013 requires that pulp, paper and
paperboard mills comply with tougher emissions requirements by October 2018. The environmental status of Holmen’s Swedish mills is good and the mills meet the new criteria. The mill in Workington has been granted a derogation whereby the mill is to have invested in measures to ensure that the emission requirements for water are met by 2021.
Certificates
Holmen applies certified systems for environmental, energy and quality management as well as for forest stewardship. All its systems are integrated into the business and reviewed annually by internal and external specialists.
ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO 50001 and OHSAS 18001 are international standards for environmental management, quality management, energy management and occupational health and safety issues.
Wood procurement in Sweden
Holmen’s forestry is certified to both PEFCTM and FSC® (FSC-ID). Holmen Skog also applies the environmental management system ISO 14001. The forestry certifications are a way to confirm that Holmen’s forests are managed according to recognised standards that take account of environmental, production and social assets.
FSC® – Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC-ID) is a system for the certification of forestry that is supported by several environmental organisations.
PEFCTM – Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes is an international system for forest certification.
Chain-of-custody certification enables wood used at the certificated units to be traced back to its origin. Holmen Skog's chain-of-custody certification provides assurance that non-certified wood has not been harvested illegally or in contravention of the rights of indigenous peoples, does not come from controversial sources, has not been genetically modified and does not come from natural forests that have been converted into plantations.
FSC
FSC® – Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC-ID) – is an international member organisation that works to promote responsible use of the world’s forests, giving due respect to the ecological, social and economic needs of both current and future generations. Along with many major environmental organisations, Holmen is an active member of FSC® and applies its certification scheme.
PEFC
PEFCTM – Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification – is an international system for forestry certification. By applying PEFC’s Chain of Custody certification, Holmen is able to ensure that our wood raw material comes from sustainably managed forests.
EU Ecolabel
The EU Ecolabel is the official ecolabel of the European Union. The ecolabelling criteria are drawn up by responsible bodies in the Member States. To achieve certification, the products are assessed from a life cycle perspective from raw material to waste. The products have to meet strict environmental, functional and quality requirements. These requirements are tightened on a continuous basis.
ISO 14001
ISO 14001 is an internationally recognised standard for environmental management that helps to identify, prioritise and manage the operation’s environmental impact. Certifying our plants to the standard enables us to be proactive in our environmental work and focus on continuous improvement.
ISO 9001
ISO 9001 is a management standard used by companies all over the world to quality assure all their operational processes. Based on the customers’ needs and expectations, the standard helps us to maintain the high levels of quality for which we are so well known.
ISO 50001
ISO 50001 is an international standard for the development of an energy management system. The standard is used to survey the operation’s energy consumption and develop strategies and processes to reduce Holmen’s energy use and thus our impact on the environment.
OHSAS 18001 / ISO 45001
OHSAS 18001/ISO 45001 is an international standard that is used to certify health and safety management systems. In certifying ourselves under this standard, Holmen gains an opportunity not only to manage existing health and safety risks, but also to work proactively on improving the work environment for employees and contracted personnel.
Other certificates
Holmen runs several types of operations that may be certified to various standards. Here we have gathered the certifications that do not fall into any of the categories above, but we feel should be highlighted as further evidence of our responsibility. The business areas’ own websites list additional certifications and permits.