UPM’s human rights due diligence (HRDD) defines an ongoing process to assess the company’s impacts on people and the potential risks everywhere in its own operations and supply chain. It aims to ensure that UPM mitigates human rights related risks, track the effectiveness of its actions, and communicate its efforts internally and externally. The process also comprises the UPM supply chains corporate risk assessment process and UPM’s compliance system.
This applies in Uruguay and the project, as well.
The most significant impacts of the mill are improved access to jobs, training and health care services.
An impact study for the new pulp mill was made before the investment included the identification and assessment of any potential environmental and social impacts as well as mitigation measures and conclusions. The study was public, and its conclusions were that the new pulp mill will not have any negative impacts to human health, living conditions, urban structure, land use, cultural environment, wildlife and conservation sites, soil, bedrocks or groundwater.
The potential negative impacts identified require mitigation measures. These concern temporary housing during the mill construction phase, increased traffic, waste generation, air quality as well as water consumption and quality. All these potential impacts are minimised with mitigation plans, which UPM plans and implements in cooperation with local and national organisations and authorities.
Local stakeholder can raise their concerns directly to dedicated UPM representative and via locally provided channels such as email, phone, and WhatsApp. UPM responds to and documents all stakeholder concerns, and their resolution is continuously monitored.
