Mondi Group, Austria, and WWF International (World Wildlife Fund), Washington, D.C., USA, announced that they have renewed their global partnership for an additional three years. In 2014 Mondi entered into a three-year global partnership with WWF, focusing on promoting environmental stewardship in the packaging and paper sector. This global partnership has now been extended by another three years, becoming the longest standing WWF International partnership of its kind.

This partnership evolved from the collaboration between Mondi and WWF South Africa through the WWF-Mondi Wetlands Program, and is a clear signal, Mondi noted, that it is committed to demonstrating that responsible environmental stewardship makes good business sense.

Phase II of the partnership will embed and extend Mondi's stewardship of forests, climate & energy, and freshwater, with the work being organized around three areas:

• Ecosystem Stewardship - with special focus on sustainable forestry development in northwest Russia and collective water 
• Manufacturing Stewardship - to demonstrate Mondi's ongoing commitment to reducing its freshwater footprint, and its contribution to a low-carbon economy by further reducing Mondi's energy footprint.
• Product Stewardship - via responsible sourcing of wood and fiber, and working to increase the availability of credibly certified fiber.

Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International, said that "forests are providing some of the most vital nature services that underpin the global economy and are critical for supporting the lives and prosperity of local people, communities, and humanity globally. If protected and managed responsibly, these key ecosystems can continue to provide economic and social benefits now and for future generations, while contributing to the local and global ecological balance essential to all life on Earth. The partnership with Mondi focuses on achieving this, and we are very excited to take forward this new phase of collaboration."

Peter Oswald, Mondi Group CEO, said that "this international partnership contributes to our goal of growing responsibly and sharing best practice in our industry. We've worked closely with WWF for many years and this partnership continues to give us a great platform for exploring sustainable solutions with a trusted partner. The work of the partnership is focused on the future and as we celebrate Mondi's 50th anniversary this year, we're able to recognize our past successes while firmly keeping our focus on the future."

Ultimately, this partnership is working to ensure that forests continue to be an ongoing sustainable source of fiber within a world enriched by extensive, resilient forest landscapes benefiting biodiversity, climate, and human well-being.

WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than 5 million supporters and a global network active in 100-plus countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. 

Mondi is an international packaging and paper group, employing around 25,000 people across more than 30 countries. Its key operations are located in central Europe, Russia, North America, and South Africa. In 2016, Mondi had revenues of $6.7 billion and a return on capital employed of 20.3%.