Our targets

How we measure success:

100% of fiber from sustainably managed forests or recovered fiber while safeguarding forests, watersheds and biodiversity
Conserve and restore 1 million acres of ecologically significant forestland
Our approach

Forests are at the heart of everything we do.

Healthy forests are essential to a healthy future for our planet: they mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration, clean our water and provide habitat that wildlife populations need to thrive. With more than 1.6 billion people reliant on forests for their livelihoods, forests also deliver substantial economic benefits. And at International Paper, forests are at the heart of everything we do.  

Maintaining the health, well-being and resilience of our forests is integral to global ecosystems and our business. That’s why we are committed to producing the products our customers need while being a responsible steward of the world’s natural resources.

 

Our approach to forest stewardship has three main elements:  

Responsible fiber procurement
Forest certification
Collaboration with forest and wildlife conservation partners
View our certificates
2022 CDP Report - Forests

Strategic collaborations 

We recognize the importance of strategic collaboration to make meaningful progress across our value chain.

  • American Bird Conservancy

    American Bird Conservancy is dedicated to conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. With an emphasis on achieving results and working in partnership, ABC takes on the greatest problems facing birds today, innovating and building on rapid advancements in science to halt extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate threats and build capacity for bird conservation. International Paper partners with the American Bird Conservancy to provide critical habitat conditions for at-risk bird species by engaging our fiber supply teams, forestry experts, wood suppliers and landowners in our mill basins in the U.S. South. Our initiatives include bird surveys, academic research collaborations, implementation of bird-friendly forest management practices and workshops with consortia of landowners, conservation organizations and community partners.

  • Family Forest Carbon Program

    We joined American Forest Foundation (AFF) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in supporting the Family Forest Carbon Program to enhance carbon sequestration in family owned forestland across the U.S. Families own the largest portion of all forests in the country, and this program represents a new approach to climate change mitigation that taps into the carbon storage potential of family-owned forestland while creating a new market and source of income for the families that dedicate time and effort to their forest management.  

  • The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)

    Launched in 2013, the Forestland Stewards Partnership (FSP) between International Paper and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) catalyze targeted investments that benefit wildlife, people and the planet. Now entering its second decade, FSP has funded 156 projects across twelve states that will restore, enhance or protect more than 1.2 million acres of forest habitat once all projects are completed. In 2022, IP announced the renewal for another five-year period, committing $10 million for wildlife and working forest conservation. 

  • The Nature Conservancy

    We are collaborating with The Nature Conservancy on the development of natural climate solutions, the conservation, restoration and improved forest management techniques that increase carbon storage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in managed forest landscapes. Our collaboration supports their Reduced-Impact Logging for Carbon (RIL-C) initiative in Gabon and Indonesia, where they are developing a set of scientific practices that balance the economic needs of forest-based communities with environmental goals.

  • World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

    International Paper is one of the first five companies in the United States to join WWF’s Forests Forward program. This global program engages with companies and other stakeholders around the globe to deliver effective nature-based strategies for forests that help achieve their business and sustainability goals.