Improving its labour and human rights performance has helped papermaker UPM to its highest score in EcoVadis’ business sustainability ratings.

The ‘platinum level’ rating – putting it in the top one per cent – covers environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement, with UPM scoring 87/100.

Responsibility vice president Sami Lundgren says the company has introduced new social responsibility targets for 2030, focussing on diversity and inclusion and fair rewarding. “We have also developed our human rights due diligence processes and reporting.”

The sustainability rating helps customers assess the responsibility of their suppliers, with UPM’s main improvement in the labour and human rights category

EcoVadis assesses performance of globally operating companies in more than 200 purchasing categories in more than160 countries. The rating is based on an assessment of the companies’ sustainability operations, including verified, public information about supply chain practices.

UPM calls itself “the industry leader in responsibility”, committed to the UN Business Ambition for 1.5°C and science-based targets to mitigate climate change.