Stora Enso Advances Circular Bioeconomy Strategy with New Circularity Plan and Reporting Framework

Stora Enso Advances Circular Bioeconomy Strategy with New Circularity Plan and Reporting Framework

(IN BRIEF) Stora Enso has introduced a new Circularity Plan aligned with the Global Circularity Protocol for Business and set a target to achieve 90 percent material circularity in its directly controlled operations by 2030, up from a 79 percent baseline in 2025. The new target replaces the company’s previous technical recyclability goal and expands its circularity approach to include circular design, operational efficiency, waste reduction and value chain collaboration. By adopting the Global Circularity Protocol, launched by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Environment Programme, Stora Enso aims to bring greater transparency and consistency to how circularity is measured and reported. The company will track progress annually through its Sustainability Statement and Annual Report. Stora Enso said the plan supports its broader ambition to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy, reduce environmental impact and help customers advance their own sustainability goals.

(PRESS RELEASE) HELSINKI, 21-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Stora Enso has published a new Circularity Plan aligned with the first version of the Global Circularity Protocol for Business, introducing a broader target aimed at strengthening circular material use across its directly controlled operations.

The company, a global provider of renewable materials, has set a goal to reach 90 percent material circularity in its direct operations by 2030. The new target builds on a 2025 baseline of 79 percent and reflects a more comprehensive approach to resource efficiency, waste reduction, circular design and value chain collaboration.

The new circularity target replaces Stora Enso’s previous technical recyclability target, which is now incorporated into the broader material circularity metric. The company said the updated framework better captures its efforts to optimize material flows, reduce environmental impact and integrate circular economy principles more deeply into business strategy and daily operations.

The Global Circularity Protocol for Business was launched in 2025 by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Environment Programme in collaboration with industry and non-governmental organisations. The framework is designed to provide companies with a consistent and transparent way to measure and report circularity, similar to the structured reporting approaches already used for climate and greenhouse gas emissions.

Stora Enso said it is among the first companies to align its circularity approach with the new protocol and has updated its external circularity metric accordingly. The company will monitor and report progress against the new target annually through its Sustainability Statement and Annual Report.

Toby Croucher, Chief Sustainability Officer at Stora Enso, said the Global Circularity Protocol introduces needed consistency and transparency in an area where companies have previously lacked a common measurement framework. He added that the protocol supports both Stora Enso’s strategy and its customers’ sustainability ambitions, while highlighting the importance of collaboration across value chains.

Hans Sohlström, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stora Enso, said the new Circularity Plan turns the company’s circular economy ambitions into measurable progress. He emphasized that embedding circularity across the value chain and using renewable materials supports responsible growth and long-term value creation for stakeholders.

Sohlström also noted that Stora Enso aims to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy by improving resource efficiency, reducing environmental impact and helping customers meet their own sustainability objectives.

Diane Holdorf, Executive Vice President at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, said Stora Enso’s alignment with the Global Circularity Protocol demonstrates leadership at a time when companies need comparable approaches to manage material flows, reduce risk and create long-term value. She added that early adopters such as Stora Enso are helping move circularity from ambition into practical business implementation.

The new plan reinforces Stora Enso’s wider position in renewable materials and circular bioeconomy development, while signalling a stronger emphasis on transparent reporting and measurable performance across its operations.

Stora Enso is a global leader in renewable materials with a strong focus on packaging. Our purpose is to replace non-renewable materials with renewable solutions. Together with our customers, we design and deliver competitive, high-quality packaging materials and solutions, made from fresh and recycled fibers, accelerating the transition to a circular bioeconomy. Stora Enso has approximately 19,000 employees and our sales in 2025 were EUR 9.3 billion. www.storaenso.com.

Media contacts:

For further information, please contact:
Liisa Nyyssönen
VP, Group Communications, Stora Enso
tel. +358 40 544 3491
liisa.nyyssonen@storaenso.com

SOURCE: STORA ENSO OYJ