For Immediate Release:

[Richmond, BC] – Paper Excellence commends the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere Program decision to accept the Howe Sound Biosphere Region into its family of Biosphere Reserves. The network of Biosphere Reserves includes 701 sites in 124 countries around the world. The application was submitted by the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society.

UNESCO Biosphere Regions are learning places for sustainable development. They are sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems. Each region has three complementary and balanced functions including:
1. Conservation of biodiversity and cultural diversity
2. Economic development that is socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable
3. Logistic support, underpinning development through research, monitoring, education and training

Graham Kissack, Paper Excellence’s VP of Environment, Health, Safety and Communications commented that, “This is an important project that recognizes the ecological uniqueness of Howe Sound. We have been operating in and working hard to protect this area for many decades now and we’re proud of our state-of-the-art emissions controls equipment and our facility’s salmon hatchery which hosted salmon fry from the Sunshine Coast Salmonid Enhancement Society again this summer. We look forward to building new partnerships as Howe Sound becomes a learning place for sustainable development.”

In 2020, Paper Excellence’s Howe Sound Pulp and Paper facility used 91% renewable energy having reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 49% since 1990. The facility, which also generates biomass derived electricity onto BC’s grid, is certified to the independent ISO 14001 environmental management standard.

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Paper Excellence, headquartered in British Columbia, is a diversified manufacturer of pulp and specialty, printing, writing, and packaging papers. The company operates seven mills and a large-scale cargo distribution centre in Canada producing and shipping over 2.8 million tonnes annually with a workforce of more than 2,800. Paper Excellence is poised to continue to grow with its strategy of operational excellence and high-quality, cost-effective products.

Media Contact: Graham Kissack, VP, EHS and Corporate Communications | media@paperexcellence.com | Mobile: (250) 732-7991