Foreword: A sunny interval summer? Yes please!

For those escaping to domestic destinations, this is traditionally a time that Swedes pray for sun, but this year, our family foresters would also like to see some rain scattered among the sunny intervals, a sign of the changing times. As the need for climate change mitigation accelerates, we continue to push ourselves and all our partners in the value chain to strive for a more sustainable, circular future.

Not least among these initiatives is the news that we’re working on an agro-enhanced pulp which will make use of waste agricultural residues while imparting significant strength to the sheet, that we’re actively seeking more partners to explore the potential of lignin, that we celebrate being the first to be FSC® and PEFC certified for our liquids (tall oil, biomethanol, turpentine), that we are strengthening our commitment to Science-Based Targets and to helping our customers meet theirs, that we plan to increase production of innovations such as the world’s first pulpable bale strap and of our pioneering OnceMore® pulp that breathes new life into used textiles: The list goes on. Södra is committed to delivering for its customers but this is always in tandem with, not at the expense of, our precious environment.

So as we sign off for the summer, we wish you a relaxing and rejuvenating break. May we all return with fresh ideas for a more sustainable future that showcase what this wonderful industry still has the potential to do, both in existing markets and ones we have yet to discover. We know that when it comes to unlocking the potential of the forest and innovating for a fossil-free future, this is just the start of the journey for all of us. Get some rest so we can get back to work! 

Henrik Wettergren, VP Södra Cell International, and Johannes Bogren, VP Södra Bioproducts