UPM donates €400,000 to University of Helsinki for Carbon Sinks+ research to understand impact of commercial forests on climate beyond role as carbon sinks; study to measure more than a thousand different variables at the Hyytiala forest station

Sample article from our Forestry & Timberland

March 13, 2024 (press release) –

UPM donates EUR 400 000 to the University of Helsinki to study the overall climate impact of commercial forests. The research, called Carbon Sinks+, aims to understand how commercial forests affect to climate change in ways other than as carbon sinks and stores. For example, forests also have an impact on the formation of aerosol particles and clouds, rainfall and the reflection of sunlight back into space, all of which affect to climate change.

“It is not yet known which forest or ecosystem has the greatest overall cooling effect on the atmosphere and by which mechanisms. It is known that forests act as carbon sinks, but the SMEAR (station for measuring Earth surface-atmosphere relations) study aims to find out what else commercial forests do for the climate”, explains Markku Kulmala, Professor of Aerosol and Environmental Physics at the University of Helsinki, who is leading the study.

The study will measure more than a thousand different variables, and the main measurement site will be the Hyytiälä forest station at the University of Helsinki, where measurements have been taken for decades.

“Only when we understand all these mechanisms and effects can we understand the overall impact of forests on climate change”, Kulmala concludes.

UPM wants to make a significant donation to support top research at the international level in order to gain knowledge to support its own operations.

“We are committed to managing our forests in a climate-positive way and caring for biodiversity. We want to promote cutting-edge research on the impact of forests on climate change, as our business is based on forests and their wellbeing. Commercial forests play a key role in combating climate change, and we want to contribute to understanding these impacts and provide renewable alternatives to fossil raw materials”, says Sami Oksa, Director, Stakeholder Relations at UPM Forest and Timber.

The donation is part of UPM’s Biofore Share and Care programme, which focuses on projects that are relevant to the company’s strategy and responsibility targets. Its focus areas are Reading & learning, Engaging with communities and Beyond fossils initiatives.

For further information, please contact:
Markku Kulmala, Professor of Aerosol and Environmental Physics, Helsinki University, tel. +358 40 596 2311, markku.kulmala@helsinki.fi
Sami Oksa, Director, Stakeholder Relations, UPM Forest & Timber, tel. +358 40 560 3474, sami.oksa@upm.com

UPM Media Relations
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UPM
We deliver renewable and responsible solutions and innovate for a future beyond fossils across six business areas: UPM Fibres, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Communication Papers and UPM Plywood. As the industry leader in responsibility, we are committed to the UN Business Ambition for 1.5°C and the science-based targets to mitigate climate change. We employ 16,600 people worldwide and our annual sales are approximately EUR 10.5 billion. Our shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. UPM Biofore – Beyond fossils. www.upm.com

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