Lena Hjorth – Stora Enso

As one of the world’s largest private forest owners, with documented roots going back to the late 1200s, Stora Enso is the leading global provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, and wood products. With the philosophy that everything made from fossil-based materials today can be made from trees tomorrow, they are on a steady transition toward a greener world.

Lena Hjorth, Director of Innovation, Insights, and Marketing at Stora Enso Biomaterials, will guide you through the responsibilities of a company that uses and maintains the forest as material to innovate and produce more sustainable products as well as maintain the biodiversity of the forests and keep them grow and flourish. Meanwhile, dealing with the brand’s lower recognition outside the Nordics and how to communicate the process of forest harvesting and the replantation of new trees.

SUSTAINABILITY is the underlying core of what Stora Enso is all about

“For Stora Enso, our purpose is to continue our commitment to transition into a more sustainable future and by doing so we aim to find ways to innovate and produce renewable and more sustainable products that will change industries. Even though our history goes back several centuries, our path of doing right for society has always led us forward. An earlier passage towards today’s multi-billion company with over 21 000 employees, is the Falu Koppargruva, a copper mine and the world’s largest exporter of copper at that time. During this period, the forest played a decisive role in even being able to mine the copper, because it was used as pure fuel. And moving forward, when paper began to be produced, the forests were a direct resource for raw materials.” Lena explains.

“Despite being a company that has reinvented its business model several times over the centuries, forestry and sustainable forest management are still the essence of what Stora Enso does today. Finding ways to incorporate the benefits of the forest into new, sustainable, and innovative businesses and products.“ Lena shares. She continues: “As an example, we have an innovation centre involved in scientific research to find new, elaborate products to use in different markets such as the automotive industry by initiating greener car batteries, replacing finite and/or polluting resources with sustainable wood-based materials.”

“Our path of doing what’s right has always led us forward to find new ways to incorporate the benefits of the forest into new and innovative businesses and products.”

The KPI of knowledge

“To be this designated purpose-driven company that Stora Enso is requires an additional amount of responsibility namely that our innovations are built on the terms of a better footprint. Considering our full value chain, and in cooperation with customers and supply chain partners, we strive to achieve circular products that have a net positive impact on climate change and biodiversity. A difficult, but truly worthy task to be able to see the change that the brand DNA is all about. Furthermore, in a world where the demand for sustainable solutions is continuing to grow, we aim to be the best advisor for our customers to be more eco-friendly and transition into a greener way of working.” Lena tells.

“Nonetheless, when we talk about brand recognition and creating long-term relationships with clients, we mustn’t forget to also talk about credibility together with the tremendous work Stora Enso does to first create and second maintain those relationships. This is our most indicative KPI, which helps us create awareness of the brand and our innovations while at the same time helping us to find new markets and clients to present our products. I would say our main area of responsibility lies within building knowledge. If you are a purpose-driven, sustainable, and well-recognized brand, customers would want to work with you. As for now, we are mostly known in the Nordics, but the rest of Europe does not necessarily know what Stora Enso is or does, especially regarding innovations. This is a key driver for us and something we want to change in the coming years starting with sharing our story and our commitment to contribute to a greener world.” Lena discusses.

“Our main area of responsibility lies within building knowledge. This is an important KPI to which we must build engagement and commitment towards new markets and clients.”

Unfamiliarity, biodiversity, and self-sufficiency

Lena shares: “The approach towards the process of forestry is quite different in the Nordics compared to the rest of Europe. Therefore, we see that progress in new markets and business areas is needed to be able to share our story in those markets as well. We want to highlight the benefits of sustainable forest management as well as what Stora Enso does to maintain the natural biodiversity of the forests even though it is used as an industrial asset. As we are one of the biggest private forest owners in the world, we make sure that the land we use in wood production and harvesting is covered by forest certification schemes that fulfill the high demands on sustainable forest management. With these high standards, our commitment, and practices that drive protecting biodiversity beyond the basic requirements, we know that we have a trustworthy story to share.”

“Additionally, to be a green, renewable, and sustainable company, we never harvest more trees than we replant, thus our process of re-plantation is of the utmost concern. Also, whenever we have a harvest of trees, we always make sure to use every single component of the tree in an optimal way. For example, branches are used as an energy source in our mills which supports us in being almost self-sufficient in energy.” Lena clarifies.

“Additionally, to be a green, renewable, and sustainable company, we never harvest more trees than we replant, thus our process of re-plantation is of the utmost concern”

Reliability is our key to entering new markets

“To convince various stakeholders and new markets to believe in your process, it is required to tell a true story with core values. With our forest biologists, we make sure to attain harvesting that promotes biodiversity to be able to tell this story. Nevertheless, it is important to protect every creature living in the forests and we also make sure that the soils and waters are protected during the process. This is one of Stora Enso’s operational impact indicators; to protect biodiversity when harvesting. The forest is the hub and component of a thriving biodiversity, and it is our responsibility as an investor in the forest to treat it humbly. Many of our innovations are also made directly from wood residue and we firmly promote the reduction of waste as much as possible, using valuable raw materials to the fullest extent.” Lena informs.

“In the business of sustainability, we have a high ambition to tell our story out of the brand DNA itself. Our keywords of success that everything made from fossil-based materials today can be made from trees tomorrow will forever be this important core value that we create our stories around.” 

She continues: “If our story is received positively, Stora Enso has made its impact and is one step closer to finding new markets to present its innovative thinking and way of working. We have high ambition in the business of sustainability and constantly ask ourselves; what can we do better to transition towards a greener world?”