UPM has been awarded ‘Most Innovative Company’ at the 2012 Ethical Corporation Awards held in London. UPM was highlighted for its Eco Design approach and overall sustainable thinking.  UPM’s innovative approach has seen new products created such as the world’s first biodiesel manufactured from wood raw material.

“Our focus on producing more with less is a clear example of UPM as a forest industry company is now creating tangible results with bio composites, bio fuels and the use of non-fossil fuel energy”, comments Hartmut Wurster, Executive Vice President Technology and responsible for new businesses and environmental issues. “The integration of the bio-based and forest industries has created the Biofore vision the foundation of our corporate responsibility.”

A spokesperson for Ethical Corporation commented: “The judges commended UPM for its commitment to creating innovative materials for increased recyclability and robustness. This is traditionally a very challenging category and the judges commended the effort of all entrants to demonstrate genuine innovation in their sustainability approach.”

UPM has brought to market several innovative products recently including UPM ForMi a composite material made from pulp fibres from sustainably managed forests and clean plastic polymers. It has also launched the fuel of the future, UPM BioVerno, the first wood-based biofuel. UPM aims to be a major player in the production of advanced transportation biofuels.

The Ethical Corporation Awards (http://events.ethicalcorp.com/awards/) recognises companies and individuals who have made significant advances in the field of corporate responsibility. Previous winners have included Unilever, L’Oreal and the Rainforest Alliance. UPM was shortlisted alongside Acelor Mittal, McDonalds Europe and CottonConnect.