VR and Metsä Group intensify their cooperation on sustainability

“Sustainability is a key part of the strategy of both VR and Metsä Group. Together, we reduce emissions from transport and accelerate the transition to a carbon neutral Finland. In principle, rail transport is the most energy-efficient mode of transport with the lowest emissions, and it plays a critical role in mitigating climate change. As a strong partner to industry, we are helping our customers achieve their environmental goals,” says Eljas Koistinen, Senior Vice President, VR Transpoint.

Metsä Group and VR have set up a joint working group to define concrete ways to achieve the emissions reduction target. The measures include the electrification of the rail network, more efficient train concepts and the use of diesel made from renewable raw materials.

“One of Metsä Group’s strategic sustainability goals for 2030 is to reduce the fossil emissions of our operations and fossil based materials. We have already made good progress in achieving this goal at our mills and would like to see similar development in our supply chain. VR is an important partner for Metsä Group in the logistics of both wood raw material and products, and together we can achieve significant improvements in our environmental performance,”, says Jari Voutilainen, SVP, Sourcing and Logistics, from Metsä Group.

Every year, VR transports around 5 million cubic metres of Metsä Group’s wood and mechanical wood products and 2.1 million tonnes of other forest industry products such as pulp and paperboard. With Metsä Group’s ongoing investments, transport volumes will increase.