THE SUSTAINABILITY INTERVIEW
“ Everything has shifted from being broad-scale corporate ambition to considering what specific products are delivering and how that helps the company or customer meet its goals while ensuring that it’ s still fit for purpose.”
Sustainable forestry Many companies have environmental factors that are intrinsically linked to their operations. For IP, forestry is at the top of that list. Part of its 2030 strategy was a goal to restore and conserve one million acres of ecologically significant forestland – which the company has surpassed years ahead of target.“ Sustainable forestry is fundamental to our business strategy,” Sophie says.“ Forests provide our raw materials as well as all the ecosystem services of carbon, biodiversity and water quality.”
Working with forests means working in defined areas, with a resource that requires active management from harvest through regeneration. The mills that IP works with are mammoth – often the size of football fields – and the fibre the company buys comes within 100 miles of the mills.
“ SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY IS FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR BUSINESS STRATEGY”
Sophie Beckham Chief Sustainability Officer International Paper
30 June 2026