Sawn timber is generally a highly sustainable raw material: the carbon contained in trees is stored for decades in buildings or engineered wood products made from sawn timber. Ultimately, the level of sustainability is determined by the production chain as a whole, and forest management in particular.
Metsä Fibre operates sustainably. We ensure that our products and supply chain always adhere to the highest sustainability standards. Additionally, we report on our activities in detail and transparently.
Sawn timber originates from sustainably managed forests
Sustainably managed forests prevent deforestation, increase carbon storage, and maintain biodiversity.
We source our wood raw materials from areas where forests grow more than they are used. In 2023, the growth of Finnish forests was 103 million cubic meters. 69 million cubic meters of wood were harvested from the forests, which is significantly less than the annual growth.
We always regenerate forests after felling, using native tree species and seedlings. We mainly purchase wood from privately owned forests. Metsä Fibre is part of Metsä Group, which is owned by a cooperative of 90,000 forest owners.
Forest certification verifies the origin of wood raw material
Forest certification ensures that sustainable forestry requirements are met. Third-party certification provides information about sawn timber and verifies that the wood raw material used for sawn timber production comes from well-managed forests.
Forest certification indicates that forest management is ecologically and economically sustainable and does not diminish the opportunities for future generations to utilize forests.
Metsä Fibre uses both FSC® and PEFC™ certifications (FSC-C002102, PEFC/02-33-21), and 94 percent of the wood raw material we used in 2024 was certified. All the wood we receive meets the requirements for controlled wood.
The origin of our wood is always known
We manage our wood supply very carefully in cooperation with Metsä Forest, which supplies all the wood we use. We always know the origin of the wood we purchase.
We source wood from vibrant commercial forests in Northern Europe. Our sawmills are located near wood procurement areas, and the entire supply chain is transparent and traceable.
We strive to utilize wood raw materials 100 percent. In sawing, the maximum amount of sawn timber is produced from each log. About half of the log's mass eventually ends up as finished sawn timber products.
The sawing process always produces chips and sawdust. Wood chips are used as raw material for pulp. Sawdust is utilized in bioenergy production. The bark of the wood is also used for energy.
Towards completely fossil-free production
Our sawmills are already 98 percent fossil-free. Our goal is to achieve completely fossil-free operations by 2030.
Our new pine sawmill in Rauma, completed in 2022, already operates entirely without fossil fuels. Additionally, the side streams of Rauma sawmill's production are efficiently utilized in our pulp mill located on the same site.
Sources: Luke Natural Resources Center, Puuinfo, Suomen Metsäkeskus Forest Centre