Displaying items by tag: cepi

On 15 February 2022, the Final Conference marked the conclusion of the two-year EU project “Turn the Page” – Recruitment strategies to attract young talents in the paper industry (project VS/2020/0016).

“Turn the Page” was launched in March 2020 by the Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi) in cooperation with IndustriAll European Trade Union. Supported by national partners in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy and Poland and by Spin360 as technical partner, its main goal was to develop an overall strategy to attract and retain young people to the pulp and paper sector.

2020 02 21 105500"The European pulp & paper industry is a green, highly innovative and increasingly digital sector, offering many exciting job and career opportunities. However, this is not commonly known. Turn The Page allowed us to develop solutions and tools to communicate in a way that is matching the needs and expectations of the young generation” said Jori Ringman, Director General of Cepi at the opening of the event.

Luc Triangle, General Secretary of industriAll Europe added: “Attractive and future-proof jobs in the pulp and paper sector are a common concern for employers and trade unions. Strong social dialogue will be key for quality working conditions and attractive workplaces, and for addressing skills needs. As social partners, we will continue our work on this at the different levels.”

During the two years, the project has achieved important outcomesthat can be used across all Europe, such as:

• The creation of an interactive Best Practice Toolkit for paper companies, education and training providers, unions and associations providing recommendations and concrete best practices to attract and retain young workers.

•  A dedicated  website with information on the sector, including a list of paper related schools and courses across the EU, descriptions of job profiles specific for the paper industry, as well as video testimonials of young people working in the industry.

• Success stories from dedicated events organised in the four partner countries that brought young students in contact with the industry, outlining job opportunities and sharing experiences about working in the paper industry.

The final conference was attended by 100 representatives of the European Commission, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), paper producers, trade unions, VET providers as well as young people working in the industry. During the conference, project results were presented and discussed with sectoral stakeholders on how to further enhance the attractiveness of the paper sector and set the way forward.

To find out more, visit the Turn the Page project website: www.turnthepageproject.eu.

About industriAll Europe:

IndustriAll Europe represents the voice of 7 million working men and women across supply chains in manufacturing, mining and energy sectors across Europe. We aim to protect and advance the rights of workers. Our federation has 181 trade union affiliates in 38 European countries. Our objective is to be a powerful player in the European political arena visà-vis European companies, European industries, employers’ associations and European institutions.

IndustriAll Europe website.

About Cepi :

Cepi is the European association representing the paper industry. We offer a wide range of renewable and recyclable wood-based fibre solutions to EU citizens: from packaging to textile, hygiene and tissue products, printing and graphic papers as well as speciality papers, but also bio-chemicals for food and pharmaceuticals, bio-composites and bioenergy.

Cepi is the European association representing the paper industry. We offer a wide range of renewable and recyclable wood-based fibre solutions to EU citizens: from packaging to textile, hygiene and tissue products, printing and graphic papers as well as speciality papers, but also bio-chemicals for food and pharmaceuticals, bio-composites and bioenergy. We are a responsible industry: 85% of our raw materials are sourced in Europe and certified as sustainable, 92% of the water we use is returned in good condition to the environment. We are the world champion in recycling at the rate of 73.9%. At the forefront of the decarbonisation and industrial transformation of our economy, we embrace digitalisation and bring 18.5 billion value addition to the European economy and €4.5 billion investments annually. Through its 18 national associations, Cepi gathers 495 companies operating 895 mills across Europe and directly employing more than 180,000 people.

More information about our sustainability performance here.

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Like other sectors, paper and board is bouncing back from the economic downturn brought about by Covid-19. But new trends on how we use these materials, first exacerbated by the pandemic, are now looking like more profound changes in our consumption patterns. This has caused the industry to adjust its production, discontinuing lines and investing to adapt to the change. That’s the story told by preliminary statistics for the past year, published by the in-house statistics team of Cepi, the Confederation of European Paper Industries.

2020 02 21 105500While consumption of paper products had decreased by 6.6% in 2020, the sector is now showing signs of a strong recovery, with consumption increasing by 5% over the past year in countries represented in the Confederation of European Paper Industries. Answering a renewed demand from clients both European and global, production rebounded by 5.8%. Exports outside of Cepi countries, which had gone down by 8.4% in 2020, are back to their 2019 level, driven by strong increases in sales on North and South American markets.

Beyond the effects of the global economic engine roaring back to life, other factors are coming into play. Covid-19 has caused a dramatic surge in online shopping, which has been a boon for producers of paper and board packaging. The production of paper and board used for this purpose is estimated to have increased by 7.1% in 2021 when compared to 2020, and up from a 2.1% increase in 2019.

Combined to this is a new demand for our products’ encasings to be more sustainable, and the high recyclability of paper and board have contributed to the materials’ popularity amongst consumer-oriented shippers and transporters. Various sectors are now using paper and board packaging, notably as a solution for the delivery of food or medical and pharmaceutical supplies. Paper is also a staple for the hygiene industry and, while demand for paper for sanitary uses has somewhat decreased in 2021, it is still slightly above pre-pandemic consumption levels.

The overall production of ‘graphic grades’, paper used for printing, drawing and writing, has now registered a small increase, confirming some sub-sectors’ resilience in the midst of a structural decline. But demand for paper used in newsprint is still waning as a result of our ever-increasing reliance on screens for news consumption, with some producers still adjusting to this new reality.

Another set of statistics shows a more positive trend, and maybe an even deeper transformation. The production of wrapping grades – used for paper bag production, increased by a whopping 11.7%, benefitting from the EU-backed phase-out of plastic packaging. Production of paper for innovative uses, mainly for industrial purposes, increased by as much as 9.6%.

These figures, relating to both traditional and more innovative products from biorefineries, point towards what is known in the industry as the ‘substitution effect’. Paper and other forest-based products are set to progressively replace, to some extent, various less sustainable materials and chemicals. This is something the pulp and paper industry has pledged to support. Although these products still represent a marginal share of the overall production, Cepi statistics show that these changes are taking place rapidly and are even accelerating.

Download Cepi’s preliminary statistics report for 2021.

About Cepi :
Cepi is the European association representing the paper industry. We offer a wide range of renewable and recyclable wood-based fibre solutions to EU citizens: from packaging to textile, hygiene and tissue products, printing and graphic papers as well as speciality papers, but also bio-chemicals for food and pharmaceuticals, bio-composites and bioenergy.

Cepi is the European association representing the paper industry. We offer a wide range of renewable and recyclable wood-based fibre solutions to EU citizens: from packaging to textile, hygiene and tissue products, printing and graphic papers as well as speciality papers, but also bio-chemicals for food and pharmaceuticals, bio-composites and bioenergy. We are a responsible industry: 85% of our raw materials are sourced in Europe and certified as sustainable, 92% of the water we use is returned in good condition to the environment. We are the world champion in recycling at the rate of 73.9%. At the forefront of the decarbonisation and industrial transformation of our economy, we embrace digitalisation and bring 18.5 billion value addition to the European economy and €4.5 billion investments annually. Through its 18 national associations, Cepi gathers 495 companies operating 895 mills across Europe and directly employing more than 180,000 people.

More information about our sustainability performance here.

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As of January 2022, Ilkka Hämälä takes over from his predecessor Ignazio Capuano as Chairman of Cepi, one of the leading and most influential trade association representing the forest and bio-based industry sector in Brussels, the capital of the European Union. His mandate will last for two years.

2021 07 09 110047Mr. Hämälä has since 2018 been the President and CEO of Metsä, a forest industry group originated in Finland and operating in about 30 countries. The Group's annual sales is roughly EUR 5.5 billion and it employs some 9,300 people worldwide. Metsä Group’s parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative, which is owned by approximately 100,000 Finnish forest owners representing almost half of Finland's private forests, which are some of the largest in the European Union. During his career, Mr. Hämälä has held various high-level positions within Metsä Group, starting his career in the company in 1988.

The outgoing Chairman Mr. Capuano, a strong supporter of the modernisation of the paper and pulp industry, oversaw during his tenure the alignment of the sector with the objectives of the EU Green Deal, now at the stage of a legislative proposal by the European Commission and the EU’s main instrument in reaching the Union’s climate objectives. He saw the Green Deal as an opportunity for an industry which everyday products are meant to offer sustainable options and alternatives to more carbon-intensive goods.

Mr. Hämälä will be taking over in what is a challenging global economic and political environment. As the face of an industry which is often seen as a role model for its commitment to sustainability, he will continue the work of his predecessor, working hand-in-hand with EU Institutions in support of the European Green Deal, while ensuring that the industry remains competitive and that a safe regulatory environment enables the investments necessary for it to further transform, innovate and achieve its emission reductions targets, in line with the EU’s climate ambitions.

About Cepi :

Cepi is the European association representing the paper industry. We offer a wide range of renewable and recyclable wood-based fibre solutions to EU citizens: from packaging to textile, hygiene and tissue products, printing and graphic papers as well as speciality papers, but also bio-chemicals for food and pharmaceuticals, bio-composites and bioenergy.
We are a responsible industry: 92% of our raw materials are sourced in Europe and certified as sustainable, 91% of the water we use is returned to the environment, in good condition. We are the world champion in recycling at the rate of 72%. At the forefront of the decarbonisation and industrial transformation of our economy, we embrace digitalisation and bring 20 billion value addition to the European economy and €5.5 billion investments annually.  
More information about our sustainability performance here.
Through its 18 national associations, Cepi gathers 500 companies operating 895 mills across Europe and directly employing more than 180,000 people. 

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The European pulp and paper industry fully supports the European Commission’s initiative to plant three billion additional trees in the EU by 2030. Cepi is ready to contribute to the long-term sustainable growth of forests. We believe this is the right strategy: forests need to be grown more, rather than their use limited.

2021 07 09 110047Together with the forest owning and managing companies from our sector, we are committing to reinforce our efforts towards the objective of the initiative, from our own forests to those managed by our suppliers. Cepi’s contribution to the Three Billion Trees Objective offers concrete ways in which our industry can support: through our experience in ensuring regeneration of harvested areas, afforestation and reforestation, climate-smart forest integration, and our expertise on digitalisation and information systems, the European pulp and paper industry has the necessary “tools” to help make the initiative a success.

Our companies, operating in the European forest-based sector have a longstanding history in owning and managing forest land in Europe and have a strategic interest on keeping forests healthy and growing,” says Jori Ringman, Cepi Director General. “The European Pulp and Paper industry is ready to contribute to the Three Billion Trees Initiative and to continue to provide the wider society with forest fibre-based products which replace fossil-based alternatives that are harmful in terms of climate and environment.”

We need more forests in Europe but a short-term tree-planting exercise will not be sufficient to reach the EU’s climate objectives. A consistent EU and national policy framework for forests and the forest-based sector enable us to fully contribute to a successful transition towards fossil-free and sustainable solutions for everyday needs of the citizens.

Cepi’s contribution to the Three Billion Trees Objective is available here.

About Cepi : Cepi is the European association representing the paper industry. We offer a wide range of renewable and recyclable wood-based fibre solutions to EU citizens: from packaging to textile, hygiene and tissue products, printing and graphic papers as well as speciality papers, but also bio-chemicals for food and pharmaceuticals, bio-composites and bioenergy.

We are a responsible industry: 92% of our raw materials are sourced in Europe and certified as sustainable, 91% of the water we use is returned to the environment, in good condition. We are the world champion in recycling at the rate of 72%. At the forefront of the decarbonisation and industrial transformation of our economy, we embrace digitalisation and bring 20 billion value addition to the European economy and €5.5 billion investments annually.

More information about our sustainability performance here.

Through its 18 national associations, Cepi gathers 500 companies operating 895 mills across Europe and directly employing more than 180,000 people.

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With the slowing down of the European economy and the sanitary restrictions, European paper and board consumption decreased by 5.3% in 2020 compared to 2019, totalling 71 million tonnes.

Cepi members produced 85.2 million tonnes of paper and board, a decrease of 4.8% compared to 2019. This downward trend was observed in many other parts of the world, namely the US, Japan, Brazil and Canada.

2021 07 09 110047Covid crisis has accelerated both negative and positive existing trends

Despite the slowing down of the European economy and the sanitary restrictions, most of the mills ran without disruption in 2020; even if some operated at reduced speed because of lower levels of demand.

In 2020, the pandemic accelerated the structural decline of graphic grades but stimulated the production of packaging grades as well as sanitary and household paper. The overall output of graphic grades including newsprint fell by 19%. Demand from publishers, offices and commercial printing declined dramatically.

In contrast, the packaging paper and board as well as the sanitary and household paper production increased by 2.1% and 3.1% respectively in 2020 while speciality paper and board production remained stable.

Packaging paper and board are essential materials to transport and deliver supplies, such as medicines or food, they also benefitted from the acceleration of e-commerce related to the sanitary crisis. Demand for sanitary and household grades benefitted from higher hygiene requirements, despite the restrictions affecting the ‘away-from-home’ markets.

Also impacted by the economic slow-down and the decrease in paper and board production, pulp consumption decreased by 6.4%. Total pulp production decreased by 4.7% while market pulp output remained unchanged.

Net-exports remained strong despite minor decrease

Market pulp exports grew by 2.8% while paper and board exports decreased by 3.1%, a lower extent than production and imports (-4.5%). Looking at market pulp and paper and board combined, the share of our production going for export has reached a new height: 26% in 2020.

Sustainability performance on track

While providing essential products to European citizens in 2020, the European paper industry delivered on its competitiveness and sustainability agenda.

In spite of the pandemic impacting availability and quality of paper for recycling throughout 2020, the European recycling rate increased by 1.4 percentage points and reached 73.9% in 2020. Looking back at the progress made since 1998 - the base year for the first voluntary commitment set in the European Declaration on Paper Recycling [1]- recycling has increased by 40% or 16.0 million tonnes.

CO2 direct emissions from the European paper industry also declined by 7.1% in 2020, mainly due to the reduced activity but also the continuing efforts of the industry to decarbonise. As a result, the specific CO2 emissions (per tonne of product) further decreased in 2020 by 3.1%. In terms of energy use, 62.2% of the fuel consumption was based on renewable energy: woody biomass sourced from sustainably managed European forests.

“I am proud to announce today that our investments in reducing emissions and using more renewable energy are paying off, with a 7.1% reduction of our CO2 direct emissions last year. We continue to lead among industries switching to renewable energy, renewables represented 62.2% of our primary energy in 2020. Our climate commitment is even more important this year, just days ahead of the European Commission’s “Fit for 2030” package. It will radically revamp the regulatory framework to achieve higher emission reductions by 2030”, commented Jori Ringman, Cepi Director General.

Production will pick up with economic recovery in 2022

Looking ahead, the paper and board demand will undoubtedly benefit from the economic rebound forecasted for 2021. The EU economy is estimated to grow by 4.2% in 2021 and to strengthen to around 4.4% in 2022 according to the European Commission. As of end-April 2021, the production of paper and board in Cepi countries increased by1.0% over the same period of the previous year.

Access the full Cepi Key Statistics 2020 here.

[1] The European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC) was set up as an industry self-initiative in November 2000 to monitor progress towards meeting higher paper recycling targets.

About Cepi : Cepi is the European association representing the paper industry. We offer a wide range of renewable and recyclable wood-based fibre solutions to EU citizens: from packaging to textile, hygiene and tissue products, printing and graphic papers as well as speciality papers, but also bio-chemicals for food and pharmaceuticals, bio-composites and bioenergy.

We are a responsible industry: 92% of our raw materials are sourced in Europe and certified as sustainable, 91% of the water we use is returned to the environment, in good condition. We are the world champion in recycling at the rate of 72%. At the forefront of the decarbonisation and industrial transformation of our economy, we embrace digitalisation and bring 20 billion value addition to the European economy and €5.5 billion investments annually.
More information about our sustainability performance here.

Through its 18 national associations, Cepi gathers 500 companies operating 895 mills across Europe and directly employing more than 180,000 people.

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Last year the European Commission launched a major review process of the European Union's trade policy to help contribute to a resilient and sustainable EU economy after the coronavirus pandemic.

The review process looked at strengthening relationships with key trading partners, creating global trade opportunities for small EU businesses and reinforcing the contribution of trade policy to climate change, sustainable development and the digital transition. There is no strong Europe on the world scene without a strong industry, competitive at home and abroad in fair competition with other partners.

2020 02 21 105500This review came to an end today with the formal presentation of renewed trade policy presented by Executive Vice President, Valdis Dombrovskis.

The European Paper Industry welcomes the European Commission’s resolve to ensure that trade tools accompany and promote value chains that are circular, responsible and sustainable. Our products are made in Europe for Europeans with European renewable raw materials and technology, and their growing use reduces EU’s dependence on fossil energy sources from third countries. The European pulp and paper industry also contributes to EU’s autonomy. Our products are also widely traded with 22 % of our production being exported and therefore depend on foreign market access.

We also support the European Commission’s intention to address deforestation and forest degradation at global level. The European Paper Industry is committed to fighting against illegal logging and promotes sustainable forest management (SFM) as one of the solutions to preserve forest biodiversity while helping Europe in it’s ambition towards climate neutrality.

The European Paper Industry hopes that this new EU trade policy will improve market access via the conclusion of ambitious Free-Trade Agreements (FTAs), addressing unfair competition on the EU Single Market and abroad, and addressing level-playing field aspects as top priorities.

A strengthened focus on implementation and enforcement of trade agreements, a strong toolbox of instruments to address unfair practices and promote a level playing field will be crucial.

The pulp and paper industry requires a level playing field with third countries but also a regulatory framework that allows industry to stay and expand in Europe, here are our priority asks:

  • The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement should be fully implemented, with a pragmatic approach to solve trade disruptions and facilitate supply chains functioning between the EU and the UK
  • With a strong Trade and Sustainable Development Chapter, the EU-Mercosur FTA should be ratified as soon as possible
  • At multilateral level, the negotiations for an Environmental Goods Agreement should be relaunched and ways to deal with industrial subsidies should become a priority
  • At bilateral level, the EU should explore options to include targeted provisions on trade in environmental goods and services, including tariff reductions and addressing non-tariff barriers and work with other countries to harmonise standards, labels and regulatory frameworks to facilitate the commercialisation of green products and services

We welcome the higher climate ambition embedded in this trade policy review. In relation to this, the EU Commission will propose in June this year a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), to protect a number of energy-intensive industries from the risk of carbon leakage i.e. businesses transferring production to other countries with laxer emission constraints due to the costs related to climate policies in Europe. If this carbon leakage materialises, there will be no reduction in global emissions, and this will frustrate the efforts of the EU and its industries to meet the global climate objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Climate change mitigation targets can only be achieved if all countries - EU and non-EU - contribute to it. The same burdens placed on EU manufacturing must apply equally to goods imported for consumption in the EU.

Finally, we call for this trade policy review to positively impact the revamped EU industrial policy. An ambitious EU industrial policy should contribute to the consolidation and resilience of the EU strategic value chains and ecosystems and the strengthening of the EU as a trading power.

Balanced climate, energy and raw materials policies, supported by an ambitious trade strategy, are essential for competitiveness, sustainable growth and employment, supporting innovation and investment by industries.

About Cepi : Cepi is the European association representing the paper industry. We offer a wide range of renewable and recyclable wood-based fibre solutions to EU citizens: from packaging to textile, hygiene and tissue products, printing and graphic papers as well as speciality papers, but also bio-chemicals for food and pharmaceuticals, bio-composites and bioenergy.

We are a responsible industry: 92% of our raw materials are sourced in Europe and certified as sustainable, 91% of the water we use is returned to the environment, in good condition. We are the world champion in recycling at the rate of 72%. At the forefront of the decarbonisation and industrial transformation of our economy, we embrace digitalisation and bring 20 billion value addition to the European economy and €5.5 billion investments annually.

More information about our sustainability performance here.

Through its 18 national associations, Cepi gathers 500 companies operating 895 mills across Europe and directly employing more than 180,000 people.

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Cepi, the Confederation of European Paper Industries, and EPIS, the European Pulp Industry Sector Association and its members, present their #GreenSource initiative, a European-wide effort to explain how the forest-fibre industries make the 2050 climate neutrality target a reality.

The forest-fibre industry wishes to offer innovative solutions to the needs of the European citizens and contribute to a sustainable lifestyle while making sure that forests keep growing, absorbing CO2 and protecting biodiversity.

cepi logo 2020A recent scientific study commissioned by Cepi on the Climate effect of the forest-based sector in the European Union shows that, thanks to the forests and forest-based products, we take 806 million tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere every year – this corresponds to 20% of the EU’s annual emissions - while bringing 3.5 million jobs, especially to rural areas.

“We can help decarbonise the economy and revolutionise consumption habits thanks to our innovative alternatives to fossil-based materials. According to a recent Material Economics[1] study, 25% of plastics could be easily replaced with paper and board already today without compromising end-product functionality.” Jori Ringman, Cepi DG.

We provide fossil-free alternative solutions for many sectors already today: media, packaging, health care and hygiene but also and increasingly for textiles. Cellulose-based materials might even replace the graphite used in portable technologies and the virtually limitless possibilities in biorefineries help us champion in bio-based green chemistry.

In times of COVID-19, it’s important to remember that we are delivering packaging, tissue and hygiene products that are essential to EU citizens while being good for the planet and good for the European economy.

#GreenSource is the common voice of our industry rising to tell the world how we are making a difference in the transition to a sustainable and climate-friendly future.

To learn more, watch our introductory video here.

[1] https://materialeconomics.com/publications/sustainable-packaging

About Cepi:

Cepi is the European association representing the paper industry. We offer a wide range of renewable and recyclable wood-based fibre solutions to EU citizens: from packaging to textile, hygiene and tissue products, printing and graphic papers as well as speciality papers, but also bio-chemicals for food and pharmaceuticals, bio-composites and bioenergy.

We are a responsible industry: 92% of our raw materials are sourced in Europe and certified as sustainable, 91% of the water we use is returned to the environment, in good condition. We are the world champion in recycling at the rate of 72%. At the forefront of the decarbonisation and industrial transformation of our economy, we embrace digitalisation and bring 20 billion value addition to the European economy and €5.5 billion investments annually.  

More information about our sustainability performance here.

Through its 18 national associations, Cepi gathers 500 companies operating 895 mills across Europe and directly employing more than 180,000 people. 

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In 2019, Cepi members produced close to 90 million tonnes of paper and board, of which 54.6% were based on recycled fibres - compared to 53.1% in 2018 - as indicated by the utilisation rate of Paper for Recycling (PfR).
 
This exceptional performance goes hand in hand with a 72% paper recycling rate after 71.7% the previous year, reinforcing our commitment to sustainable and circular business practices.
 
More than ever, paper for recycling is a major source of fibres while the share of domestic wood used by the pulp and paper industry reached 84.2% in 2019 (84.1% in 2018), demonstrating that we are truly “Made in Europe” from European raw materials. Of wood consumed, a large share (24%) is also circular as it is residues from saw mills and wood working industries. Our industry is also a net exporter with 22% of our production exported outside Europe.
 
2020 02 21 105500Speciality paper & board production was stable in 2019, showing robust positioning on end-markets. Also, market pulp production grew (+6.1%) as a result of recent significant investments in new capacities. Market pulp exports grew by 48% in 2019.
 
Over the first 5 months of 2020, due to the COVID-19 impact, paper and board production declined but to more favourable rate (-4.5 %,) than what most other manufacturing industries experienced (on average -20.4%), showing that the Covid-19 impact on pulp & paper industry was less pronounced than in other manufacturing sectors due to intrinsic resilience of our sector.
 
Paper and board consumption declined in 2019 following the slowing down of the EU’s economy. However domestic demand for hygiene papers (tissue, toilet paper, etc.) remained relatively high in the first months of 2020, and packaging has been benefiting from e-commerce growth.
 
The COVID-19 crisis has also accelerated an underlying change in consumption patterns related to the increase in teleworking and digitalisation which could have a long-lasting impact in the retail structures and production patterns. It could also open new opportunities for packaging. Similarly, production patterns are likely to change after the crisis exposed the lack of resilience of the EU economy; repatriation of industry, such as pharmaceuticals, in Europe is positive also for pulp and paper industry.
 
During the lockdown situation, our industry has been recognized as an essential sector in various Member States such as Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Italy and Spain. In line with this recognition, the priority for our industry has been to ensure that EU citizens were able to access the products they needed for hygiene, health and food purposes.
 
In that spirit, we have been working with other industries in the value-chain to operate as much in a “business as usual” mode as possible and guarantee security of supply and transport despite the lockdowns.
 
In 2020, paper and board markets will likely be impacted by the anticipated decline of the European GDP in 2020 both in the EU and the euro area by -8.3% and -8.7% respectively as a result of the Covid-19 crisis (source: EU Commission – Summer economic forecast 2020).
 
However, in 2021, the EU economy is expected to grow by 5.8% and the euro area economy will grow by 6.1% bringing a positive outlook for paper and board markets as well, knowing that they will rebound. 
 

Access the full Cepi Key Statistics 2019 here.

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In December 2019, the European Commission presented its ambitious Green Deal roadmap, a comprehensive strategy aimed at putting Europe on the right track for climate neutrality in 2050 while encouraging sustainable economic growth.

In this strategy, the role of consumers is clearly recognized: this transition won’t happen without them. However, green washing is a threat to their involvement: they won’t be able to make more sustainable choices if they don’t receive reliable, comparable and verifiable information.

2014 01 07 074025For that reason, the European Commission has decided to leverage the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method to distinguish between valid green claims and green washing.

We are proud to announce today that Cepi together with its member companies has developed an LCA tool fully based on the Intermediate Paper Product PEF Category Rules (PEFCR).

The PEF tool enables any Cepi member company to calculate product LCAs and validate their green claims within the Green Deal context. The tool has been designed for both LCA experts as well as users less familiar with the LCA methodologies. Having access to an LCA tool makes it significantly easier for small and medium size enterprises to compute complex Product Environmental Footprints for their products.

The foundations of the PEF work were established in 2013, the idea was to develop a harmonized method to evaluate the environmental friendliness of products, focusing on their carbon footprint and related GHG emissions.

The initiative gave way to two projects: Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and Organisation Environmental Footprint (OEF) with the objective of developing a harmonized environmental footprinting methodology that can accommodate a broader suite of relevant environmental performance criteria.

The European Paper Industry participated to the EU PEF Pilot project in 2011 and again in 2013-2018: we were one of the 15 sectors that delivered PEF Category Rules. The Intermediate Paper Product PEFCR is the most complete of any EU PEF Pilot Category Rules allowing in-depth primary production data be used for the results and enabling understanding of improvements in time as well as improvement areas. The Intermediate Paper Product PEFCR is a detailed LCA calculation method for paper that will be converted into finalised products such as packaging, print and tissue.

The tool that Cepi is launching today has been developed in collaboration with Green Delta, the partner with whom the Intermediate Paper Product PEFCR Development Group tested the remodeling of the Category Rules. The tool strictly follows the PEFCR and uses the secondary datasets dedicated for PEF while being the only available tool to deliver EU PEFCR compliant results. The tool has been developed to be of use for small and mid-size enterprises in mind and is available to all Cepi members free of charge.

There are still areas of improvement for both the industry and the PEF methodology. These include:

  • Improved and up-to-date datasets for all paper products
  • Further development of the land use impact methodology that reflects sustainable forest management realistically
  • Further develop the circularity formula
  • Developing rules on how intermediate product footprint results will be linked to the final product calculations.

The EU PEF Project continues in 2021 with lessons learned from the 2018-2020 transition period. Cepi together with its sister associations is committed to work further with the EU institutions on the development of the PEF and OEF.

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Cepi, the Confederation of European paper industries and its members across Europe, strongly support the initiative of Pascal Canfin, Chair of the Environment Committee at the European Parliament, to launch a European alliance for a Green Recovery. Cepi joins 180 political decision-makers, business leaders, trade unions, NGOs, and think tanks who have come together to create the alliance.

In the face of the coronavirus crisis, the biggest challenge Europe has faced in peacetime, with devastating consequences and a shock to the economy tougher than the 2008 crisis, Ministers from 11 countries, 79 cross-party MEPs from 17 Member States, 37 CEOs, 28 business associations representing 10 different sectors, trade union confederation representing members from 90 national trade union organisations and 10 trade union federations, 7 NGOs and 6 think tanks, have committed to working together to create, support and implement solutions to prepare our economies for the world of tomorrow.

2020 02 21 105500This first pan-European call for mobilisation on post-crisis green investment packages will work to build the recovery and transformation plans which enshrine the fight against climate change and biodiversity as a key pillar of the economic strategy.

Sharing the belief that the economic recovery will only come with massive investments to protect and create jobs and to support all companies, regions and sectors that have suffered from the economy coming to a sudden halt, the alliance commits to contribute to the post-crisis investment decisions needed to reboot and reboost our economy.

Covid-19 will not make climate change and nature degradation go away. The fight against this crisis will not be won without a solid economic response. The alliance commits to participate in the fight and the victory of these two battles simultaneously, and by doing so, being stronger together.

About Cepi: Cepi is the European association representing the paper industry.

We offer a wide range of renewable and recyclable wood-based fibre solutions to EU citizens: from packaging to textile, hygiene and tissue products, printing and graphic papers as well as speciality papers, but also bio-chemicals for food and pharmaceuticals, bio-composites and bioenergy.

We are a responsible industry: 92% of our raw materials are sourced in Europe and certified as sustainable, 91% of the water we use is returned in good condition to the environment. We are the world champion in recycling at the rate of 71,6%. At the forefront of the decarbonisation and industrial transformation of our economy, we embrace digitalisation and bring 20 billion value addition to the European economy and €5.5 billion investments annually.

Through its 18 national associations, Cepi gathers 500 companies operating 895 mills across Europe and directly employing more than 180,000 people.

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