IP Is Committed to “Building a Forest Positive Future”

International Paper’s chief sustainability officer, Sophie Beckham, spoke at Bloomberg’s inaugural Green Festival, a new culture-shaping event that featured leading voices working at the edge of change in sustainability. Sophie joined Corey Brinkema, president, Forest Stewardship Council and Lynn Scarlett, chief external affairs officer, The Nature Conservancy, to co-host the panel, “Building a Forest Positive Future” during the festival. Speakers on the panel took a look at the ways top companies and nonprofits are helping preserve forests for our collective future. If you missed the panel, you can view it here.

Built to foster solutions-oriented conversations, the five-day virtual festival featured a cross section of visionaries from business, design, culture, food, technology, science and entertainment. Focused on core issues of climate action, the Green Festival celebrated thinkers, scientists and practitioners leading the way in the climate era.

Sophie joined other key speakers at the event which included Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and co-founder of Microsoft, Michael Mann, professor of Atmospheric Science and director of Earth System Science Center at Penn State, Carter Roberts, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund, and Ellen Jackowski, chief sustainability and social impact officer, HP.

Sophie highlighted International Paper’s commitment to building a better future for people and the planet through the packaging and paper company’s Vision 2030 goals, which were announced earlier this year.

“International Paper is one of the largest packaging and paper companies in the world. As such, we are one of the largest fiber buyers in the world which means our entire business model depends on the sustainability of forests," said Beckham, International Paper’s chief sustainability officer. “We strive to think holistically about forests, not just the economic return to the forest land owners, but also to the multiple goods and services forests provide. Whether that’s water quality, biodiversity or carbon sequestration, there’s a tremendous environmental, economic and social opportunity coming from forests.”

Click here to watch the full “Building a Forest Positive Future” panel.

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a leading global producer of renewable fiber-based packaging, pulp and paper products with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa and Russia. We produce corrugated packaging products that protect and promote goods and enable world-wide commerce; pulp for diapers, tissue, and other personal hygiene products that promote health and wellness; and papers that facilitate education and communication. We are headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., employ more than 50,000 colleagues and serve more than 25,000 customers in 150 countries. Net sales for 2019 were $22 billion. For more information about International Paper, our products and global citizenship efforts, please visit internationalpaper.com. See how we’re building a better future for people, the planet and our company at internationalpaper.com/Vision-2030.