Packaging firm Stora Enso has announced that it plans to plant more than 48 million saplings in the Nordic forests in 2021.
The saplings will be planted in forests in Finland, Sweden, Russia and Estonia and the initiative aims to regenerate Nordic forests.
The planting season in these forests is about 150 days long, which means that around 320,000 seedlings will be planted every day.
The use of cultivated plants and seeds speeds up the growth of forests by as much as 20%, the packaging firm noted.
In 2020, Stora Enso invested €68 million in regenerating forests.
'Climate Action'
Kari Kuusniemi, forest service manager at Wood Supply Finland, said, "Planting and following forestry work are the most important climate actions that can be carried out in the forest. The more trees grow, the more they absorb carbon dioxide."
This year, the company has teamed up with Tornator to plant 14 million saplings in Finland.
In Sweden, where Stora Enso owns approximately 1.4 million hectares of forest and seedlings are sourced from its own nurseries, the company is planting 33 million seedlings.
In Russia, around 850,000 saplings will be planted in Carelia and 250,000 in Novgorod.
In Estonia, Stora Enso is planting around 31,000 seedlings in private forests.
Executive vice president of the forest division at Store Enso, Jari Suominen, said, “Properly timed and implemented forest management measures increase the growth and vitality of the forest.
“Therefore, we always strive to keep forests healthy while promoting biodiversity and other aspects of sustainable forestry. We want to ensure that our forests are fit for the future.”
Sustainable Forest Management
Healthy and growing forests mitigate the impact of climate change, and with sustainable forest management, including planting, the role of forests can be enhanced further.
Growing forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store carbon throughout their lifetime.
Carbon stays in the fibre when the tree is used in manufacturing wood-based products, such as building elements, books and packaging – and it remains there even when these products are recycled, the company added.
