Global sustainability progress report [Int]
Friday 2 Oct 2026
The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) released its
biennial Sustainability Progress Report which demonstrates progress in
seven key areas of sustainability. The 2026 report also
highlights the role the forest products sector can play in helping meet
global climate goals.
“As the 2026 Sustainability Progress Report makes clear, the
global forest products sector continues to make measurable progress
toward a more sustainable future,” said José Carlos da
Fonseca Jr., ICFPA President. “Across regions, our members are
demonstrating that sustainably managed forests, renewable materials and
paper recycling are essential to supporting communities, strengthening
circularity and advancing responsible growth around the world.”
The ICFPA Sustainability Progress Report tracks progress achieved in
2022-2023. The overall trend is positive – a reflection that the
industry continues to improve in key sustainability areas from our
baseline years. In addition to quantitative metrics that demonstrate our
industry’s progress towards sustainability commitments, the report
includes case studies to provide a more robust and qualitative
reflection of our industry’s sustainability performance.
Key progress on ICFPA’s sustainability performance
indicators include:
- 51 percent of procured wood fibre came from third-party certified
sustainably-managed forests, a 39 percentage point increase from the
2000 baseline year.
- Greenhouse gas emission intensity decreased 29 percent from the
2004/2005 baseline year.
- The share of mill energy needs met by biomass and other renewable
fuels increased to 66 percent, a 13 percentage point increase since
2004/2005.
- Sulphur dioxide emission intensity from on-site combustion sources
decreased 80.5 percent from the 2004/2005 baseline year.
- Water use intensity decreased 6.4 percent from the baseline year.
- Investment in health and safety interventions yielded a 31.6 percent
reduction in the global recordable incident rate from the 2006/2007
baseline with the number of recordable incidents falling to 2.81 per 100
employees annually.
- 62 percent of paper and paperboard consumed globally was used by
mills to make new products, marking a 15 percentage point increase in
the global recycling rate since the year 2000.
The 2026 ICFPA Sustainability Progress Report also includes the 2025
International Finalists for the prestigious ICFPA Blue Sky Young
Researchers and Innovation Award. The theme for the 2024-2025 Blue Sky
Awards was “Building a Lower Carbon Economy with Climate Positive
Forestry and Forest Products.”
ICFPA serves as a forum of global dialogue, coordination and co-operation. Currently, the ICFPA represents 16 pulp, paper, wood and
fibre-based associations that encompass 27 countries, including many of
the top pulp, paper and wood producers around the world.
The 2026 ICFPA
Sustainability Progress Report can be downloaded.
Source & image credit: International Council of Forest and Paper
Associations (ICFPA)
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