Metsä Board expands climate targets to cover full value chain emissions

Metsä Board has received validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for updated near-term emissions reduction targets, marking a significant expansion of its climate strategy beyond its own operations to include wider value chain impacts.

The Finnish paperboard producer, part of Metsä Group, has maintained SBTi-validated targets since 2019. With the latest update, the company is extending its climate ambition to address greenhouse gas emissions across the full lifecycle of its products, reflecting a shift from operational emissions alone to broader environmental responsibility.

A key element of the revised framework is a new Scope 3 target covering emissions from the end-of-life treatment of sold products. Metsä Board has committed to reducing these emissions by 25% by 2030, using 2024 as the baseline year. The company said this move is intended to better capture the total climate impact of its paperboards once they enter waste and recycling streams.

Alongside this, Metsä Board has also strengthened its supply chain requirements, setting a target for 47% of its suppliers by spend to adopt science-based emissions reduction targets by 2030. This covers purchased goods and services, capital goods, and upstream transport and distribution, aiming to embed climate accountability deeper into its procurement structure.

The updated targets also broaden the accounting of greenhouse gases within Scope 1 and 2 emissions, although the company confirmed that its existing ambition to phase out fossil energy in production by 2030 remains unchanged. Metsä Board currently reports that 93% of its production energy is fossil-free.

Esa Kaikkonen, Chief Executive Officer of Metsä Board, said the expansion of targets reflects both progress already made and a need to address impacts beyond manufacturing. He noted that by including end-of-life emissions, the company aims to support customers in reducing packaging-related climate impact through recyclable materials and design collaboration.

The move reflects a wider trend among industrial producers to extend climate strategies across entire value chains, as investors and regulatory frameworks increasingly demand full lifecycle emissions transparency and reductions.