In 2019, UPM Raflatac announced that RAFNXT+ was the world’s first label material verified by The Carbon Trust to reduce its carbon footprint and help mitigate climate change. Now, UPM Raflatac takes a step further in providing its customers with more sustainable solutions in labeling and introduces its RAFNXT+, said to be the world’s first CarbonNeutral label material certified as a CarbonNeutral product by Natural Capital Partners.
“The recent IPCC climate report showed that the time to act is now. There is more than a 50% chance that global warming will exceed 1.5 °C in the early 2030s. Consumer brands have set ambitious climate targets, and they are looking for tangible solutions to take positive action in a credible manner. Product packaging plays an important role here, and we can help our clients make a difference in the battle against climate change,” says Robert Taylor, Sustainability director at UPM Raflatac.
As a part of its climate approach, UPM Raflatac is continuing reducing its own emissions as well as emissions from raw materials and transportation. The positive climate action of choosing RAFNXT+ instead of a standard labeling material is verified by The Carbon Trust, including the smarter use of raw materials which reduces pressure on forests and increases the capacity to improve mitigation of climate change.
Taking a step further from reducing the label material’s carbon footprint, UPM Raflatac is now taking immediate action to compensate for today’s unavoidable emissions. As a first in the labeling industry, UPM Raflatac helps its customers to make a smart choice by choosing CarbonNeutral certified options of selected RAFNXT+ labeling materials. The products’ cradle-to-customer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are compensated in full through global projects that are verified to internationally recognized standards, such as the Gold Standard.
The CarbonNeutral product certification is issued by Natural Capital Partners in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. This global framework provides a robust and pragmatic blueprint for carbon neutrality.
The projects UPM Raflatac has chosen to offset emissions deliver verified GHG emission reductions and bring additional benefits for example by supporting local communities. The selected projects include providing cleaner cooking solutions to communities in China and Bangladesh, improved water infrastructure in Africa, and grassland conservation in the United States.
“Our CarbonNeutral certification enables our clients to achieve carbon neutrality in a robust, credible, and transparent way. This certification complements and builds upon the wider climate action taken by UPM Raflatac to reduce the carbon footprint of their product. We are pleased to work with UPM Raflatac, helping them to support their clients to have an impact on global emissions with the product choices they make,” says Natalie Taylor, director of Client Solutions at Natural Capital Partners.
UPM Raflatac is leading in sustainable labeling through its innovative self-adhesive label materials and services. It offers high-quality paper and film label stock for branding and promotion, informational labels, and labels with functionality. It operates a global network of factories, distribution terminals, and sales offices. The company employs around 3,000 people and made sales of EUR 1.6 billion (USD 1.9 billion) in 2020. UPM Raflatac is part of UPM.
UPM delivers renewable and responsible solutions and innovates for a future beyond fossils across six business areas – UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Communication Papers, and UPM Plywood. As an enterprise in responsibility, it is committed to the UN Business Ambition for 1.5°C and the science-based targets to mitigate climate change. It employs 18,000 people worldwide and its annual sales are approximately EUR 8.6 billion (approximately Rs 74,501 crore). Its shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
