Metsä Board (Finland), a leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards, has been awarded the Gold level rating by EcoVadis for the second consecutive year for its approach to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Overall Metsä Board was ranked in the top 1% of suppliers assessed by EcoVadis across all categories.

"This is a significant achievement, as the EcoVadis assessment is becoming an increasingly important guide for our customers when judging their suppliers’ sustainability and corporate social responsibility performance. We recognise that sustainability must go beyond regulatory compliance to also focus on how companies manage their economic, social, and environmental impacts, as well as their relationships with stakeholders such as customers, employees, suppliers and government," said Director Anne Uusitalo, Product Safety and Sustainability at Metsä Board.

As part of the process, Metsä Board’s latest achievement of ‘A-List’ recognitions in CDP’s Water, Climate and Supply Chain programs as well as Leadership status in CDP’s Forest program were important considerations for the EcoVadis team.

EcoVadis operates a platform allowing companies to assess the environmental and social performance of its suppliers on a global basis. The criteria include four themes; the environment, labour practices, sustainable procurement, and fair business practices. The methodology and criteria used are in line with international Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standards including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), UN Global Compact, and ISO 26000.