Jakarta, Indonesia – (September 11, 2015) – Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) today welcomes the decision by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to enter into a dialogue about the establishment of a roadmap to lead towards compliance with the FSC Policy for Association.
The FSC Board decided to progress APP to the FSC’s ‘roadmap phase’ following the evaluation of independent reports and documentation submitted by APP during a period of constructive dialogue commencing in 2012. The FSC Board has concluded that APP demonstrated a top management commitment towards complying with the FSC Policy for Association, has adopted relevant policies to improve its business practices, and has taken credible steps towards implementation of these policies in a transparent manner involving relevant stakeholders.
At the same time, the FSC Board highlighted a number of continuing concerns on issues such as forest clearance, illegal logging, community conflicts, working conditions and threats to High Conservation Values. The FSC Board therefore noted that the dialogue represents the beginning of a journey, and not necessarily a near ending of APP's disassociation status.
“We support the FSC certification system as a credible standard for responsible forest management. I look forward to working with the FSC to continuously improve the implementation of our Forest Conservation Policy and landscape approach” said Aida Greenbury, Managing Director Sustainability, Asia Pulp & Paper Group.
About Asia Pulp & Paper
Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) is a trade name for a group of pulp and paper manufacturing companies in Indonesia and China. The APP Group of companies is one of the world’s largest vertically integrated pulp and paper companies, with an annual combined pulp, paper, and converting products capacity of over 20 million tons. APP-Indonesia and APP-China currently market their products in more than 120 countries across six continents. The majority of APP’s production facilities are Chain-of-Custody certified by SVLK, LEI and PEFC. Email: sustainability@app.co.id.
About Solaris Paper
Solaris Paper®, Inc. (SPI) is a U.S. based manufacturer of premium quality towel and tissue products for the North American Away-From-Home commercial marketplace. SPI’s products are made from virgin Rapidly Renewable Fiber, which produces a whiter, brighter, softer and greener product. SPI is dedicated to a sustainable business model. Our commitment applies to the full scope of our operations, starting with our primary strategic supply partner Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) through end-of product life scenarios. Solaris Paper’s family of products currently includes Nvi® Advanced Dispensing Systems, Nvi® LoCor®, Livi® VPG and Livi® Basic Towel and Tissue. To learn more about Solaris Paper, please visit SolarisPaper.com.