SIG champions future of sustainable forestry as top sponsor for FSC General Assembly

“At SIG, we are committed to create more thriving forests as part of our ambition to go Way Beyond Good for people and the planet,” said Samuel Sigrist, CEO of SIG. “We are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with the FSC by supporting an event that will help to determine the future of sustainable forest management.”

Shaping the future of sustainable forestry

The FSC operates the world’s most rigorous and trusted forest certification system – one that SIG has spearheaded in its industry. Members, including citizens, businesses, governments and NGOs, work together to define the FSC’s high standards for responsible forest management practices that support biodiversity and communities.

From 9 to 14 October 2022, members from around the world will gather for the 9th FSC General Assembly. As the FSC’s highest decision-making body, the General Assembly sets the direction of the organisation for the coming years.

The meeting will also serve as a platform for participants to connect and collaborate on solutions to global challenges related to forests. Vital aspects of responsible forest management, conservation and sustainability will be on the agenda, including their connection to global topics such as climate change, biodiversity loss, gender equity and the rights of workers, Indigenous Peoples and communities.

SIG’s sponsorship will make it possible for valued FSC members who might miss the event due to insufficient resources to be part of this important meeting and share their insights. This will help to ensure diverse social, environmental and economic interests are well represented in the pursuit of the FSC’s common goal to protect healthy, resilient forests for all, forever.

“Having SIG as our Green Sponsor for the 2022 FSC General Assembly is one of many indicators of SIG’s role as a sustainability leader in industry,” said Kim Carstensen, Director General of FSC. “We are deeply grateful for SIG’s valuable contribution, and we are committed to ensuring that it will inspire participants at the General Assembly to come together around ambitious and visionary decisions that can help shape the future of the world’s forests.”

Leading the industry on FSC certification

SIG has partnered with the FSC for over a decade and has consistently led the industry on FSC certification.

In 2009, SIG began a series of FSC industry firsts as the first aseptic carton producer to achieve FSC Chain of Custody certification at all its own operations, ensuring full traceability in its sourcing.

Since January 2021, 100% of the paper board used in SIG packs is procured as FSC certified – another industry first – and 98% of SIG packs sold in 2021 carried the FSCTM label. By sourcing 100% of its paper board as FSC-certified, SIG is supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on climate change, the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the EU Forestry Strategy.

The Way Beyond Good

SIG is committed to sourcing 100% of its main raw materials from certified sources by 2025 and already offers the world’s first and only aseptic carton packs with all three key materials certified by highly reputable global certification schemes: FSC paper board, ISCC PLUS renewable polymers and ASI aluminium foil.

SIG’s innovative SIGNATURE portfolio presents the first aseptic carton packaging materials linked to 100% to renewable forest-based materials, using polymers linked to forest-based materials via mass balancing.

Now, SIG is going further with its bold 2030 Forest+ commitment on its Way Beyond Good. Not only will the company maintain 100% of the sustainable forests it sources from, it will also create or restore an additional 100% of biodiverse sustainable forest area on top of that required to make its cartons. This will mean an additional 650,000 hectares of biodiverse sustainable forest by 2030 – an area more than the size of Bali, the place of this year’s FSC General Assembly.