UPM_Biofore_Magazine2016_ENG_160623_e-magazine_72dpi

Nasser Kahil

“In recent years, Lyreco has initiated two programmes with the purpose of ensuring that our suppliers comply with local laws, respect human rights and take care of safety at work,” says Nasser Kahil.

UNDER THE SHARP EYE OF LYRECO

Suppliers are selected for auditing by UPM based on risk assessments.

The answers are provided by Tuomas Niemi, Senior Specialist, Systems and Tools, Ecolabels and Reporting, who monitors pulp suppliers in collaboration with the sourcing team. Tuomas: Our goal is to source all wood from certified forests, but in Russia the majority of forests have not been certified. That’s why we have to carry out a risk assessment andmake sure the wood has not been harvested illegally or from a conservation area. The use of child labour is prohibited. We have hundreds of suppliers in Russia. We started carrying out audits in the 1990s, so our wood suppliers are used to them. They know that everything must be in order. We regularly come across deficiencies and deviations, however, and sometimes we have to terminate our contract with the supplier. Nina: Pulp sourcing is also an area where suppliers are being monitored carefully. Tuomas: That’s right. We annually collect detailed information from suppliers related to their environmental and social responsibility and wood sourcing. If necessary, we carry out audits to verify the collected data. Nina: As for fibre sourcing, rawmaterial supply chainmanagement has been revolutionized over the past 20 years. It would be great if the same level of performance was achieved for other rawmaterials as well. That’s our goal.

Audits are based on UPM’s supplier requirements compiled in accordance with international standards (ISO 9001, 14001, OHSAS 18001, SA8000). Audits have improved working conditions and safety at work at a number of sites.

Lyreco, the French worldwide distributor of office products, has been purchasing UPM’s paper grades for more than 15 years. All of Lyreco’s operations are guided by its EcoFuture strategy, which aims to build a sustainable future through economic development, social responsibility and environmental protection. Both Lyreco and UPMexpect all their suppliers to comply with equally strict standards. In January 2016, Nasser Kahil , Lyreco Group Quality, Security & Sustainability Director audited the UPMChangshumill in China, which produces graphic papers and copy

papers for Lyreco. The audit was carried out over two days, providing a comprehensive overview of the mill. “Lyreco is supplied by 63 factories located in developing countries, mainly in China. I used to go to the Southeast Asia for auditing purposes quite often, on average once a month. We inspected such things as working conditions, wages and safety at work. We noticed a number of positives at the Changshu mill. Everything was in order with the buildings, the organisation and the working environment. The premises were clean and bright. A lot of attention had been focused on safety and hygiene. We did not identify any

deficiencies related to wages, contracts or insurance,” says Kahil. “We did detect some issues, particularly in relation to fire safety in employees’ living premises, that will no doubt be addressed in a proper way. In recent years, Lyreco has initiated two programmes with the purpose of ensuring that our suppliers comply with local laws, respect human rights and take care of safety at work. We carried out the first supplier assessment in 2015. In that assessment, UPMwas ranked first among all the paper suppliers.”

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