Carlos Reinoso, Director General of Aspapel

The use of a natural and renewable raw material, the recyclable nature of their products and investment effort to get a few more and cleaner production processes, place the paper sector in "pole position" of sustainable development. This privileged positioning in the way of sustainability is both an opportunity and a challenge to the paper industry is faced with decision and commitment, aware that there is still lot of career ahead.

In March 2005 Aspapel introduced the first memory of sustainability of the Sector role (www.aspapel.es), which publicly rubricaba the commitment of the paper industry to sustainability, the first time that an industrial sector in Spain developed a similar document.

Pioneer in the compromise, the sector has assumed responsibility for continuing to publish this report every three years. And already in the middle of this period, it should be make a preliminary assessment of the actions undertaken to achieve the objectives set in the memory.

Based on the concept of cycle of the role, sector articulates its commitment to sustainability through four axes of action: sustainable forest management, efficient and accountable production process, leadership in recovery and recycling, and generation of wealth and contribution to the quality of life.

In the field of sustainable forest management, Aspapel activities in this period have focused on assisting companies in the sector with a view to the forest certification, which covered both the sustainability of the forest management and the follow-up (or traceability) by drawing from the wood of a given product (cellulose) (and paper, in this case).

To this end, a wide distribution of the Guide for the implementation of a system of traceability of wood in the companies in the sector pastero paper, published by Aspapel has been made and which is intended to facilitate the implementationwith a common method, a system of management that takes into account that traceability, that is to say, the chain of custody of the matter prima acquired in certified timber use. Also organized a seminar on chain of custody in the industry of pulp and paper and its integration in a system of quality ISO 9000 or ISO 14000 environment.

With reference to the National Plan of allocation of emissions of CO₂ in the last 18 months began the CO emissions trading scheme₂ and carried the preparation and planning in the face of the new National Plan of allocation 2008-2012

The second axis of preferential activity of the sector refers to the efficient and responsible production process. In this field, have developed various sectoral activities, notably those related to the National Plan of allocation of emissions of CO₂, the signing of a voluntary agreement on discharges with the Ministry of environment and an ambitious project of prevention of occupational risks.

With reference to the National Plan of allocation of emissions of CO₂, in the past 18 months began the CO emissions trading scheme₂ and carried the preparation and planning in the face of the new National Plan of allocation 2008-2012. Aware of the significance of the subject, Aspapel has developed a range of actions coordinated with other sectors involved and the various authorities (Ministry of industry, Spanish Ministry of environment and climate change Office).

And from air to water, in November 2005 the discharges sectoral voluntary agreement was signed between the Ministry of environment and Aspapel, which is a very high level of demand, with values emission limit considerably more demanding than those laid down in the surrounding countries and those in international treaties.

Another priority in the field is the prevention of occupational hazards. And in this area has been launched the sectoral programme of prevention of occupational risks, within the framework of which are carrying out ambitious projects such as Prevenpapel, Asistec Prevenpapel and Maqpapel, developed by the Institute paper Spanish and promoted by Aspapel, together with FCT-CC.OO. and FIA-UGT, with funding from the Foundation for the prevention of occupational risks.

The recovery and recycling is another clear line of priority action for the sector. The Spanish paper industry is a leader in recycling in Europe and is seriously involved in the improvement and promotion of the recovery. The evolution of the collection of paper used the past year, with growth of the a 10 per cent in volume, confirms that good results are obtained when they are the appropriate means. Already we recover for recycling the 60 per cent of the paper we consume, thanks to the efforts of citizens, public administrations and the industry itself.

The recovery and recycling is another clear line of priority action for the sector

Spanish paper sector is committed to recycle all the paper that recovers in Spain and has launched the program your role is important, designed for the continuous improvement of the recovery of paper and cardboard, which already work more than 40 municipalities.

Finally, the fourth and last, but by no means less important, axes surrounding articulated sectoral performances of the paper industry is its contribution to the generation of wealth and the quality of lifeboth as a productive sector of the economy, as with the products that it manufactures and are daily used in the world of art and culture, education, communication, hygiene and health, trade...

It's an industry in a strong investment process: in the past three years has made investments by more than 1.2 billion euros in new facilities, which have mostly become operational over the past year 2005 or will do so in the course of this year. These investments represent one million and a half tons of additional capacity, increasing more than 25 percent of current capacity.

Investments and increases in capacity have been conducted in all subsectors and mainly in nine autonomous regions: Andalusia, Aragon, Castile and León, Catalonia, Valencia, Galicia, Madrid, Navarra and Basque country. In total, eight new factories or new machines, which must be added numerous changes and improvements to existing factories.

The sector also contributes to the improvement of the quality of life through initiatives developed by Aspapel in the field of forestry education and education in recycling, and with different actions carried out in collaboration with its stakeholders or interest groups.

Spanish paper sector is committed to recycle all the paper that recovers in Spain and it has set up the program "your role is important"

The programme for the promotion of the recovery recycling "your role is important", it also has an educational dimension, as it could not be otherwise. Teachers and school children have on the website of the programme of preferential space, the role of the cole, in which the Professor is a teaching guide and additional documentation and the student scores of games and activities. The Videolibro has been edited for distribution in schools, "your role is to recycle", which includes a film about the cycle of the role, guide the teaching of Professor and a manual to organize a system of collection of paper in the classroom (www.tupapelesimportante.com).

With regard to forestry education program, the recent establishment of the Edufores Foundation will continue this educational project and allows you to expand horizons. The lines of action of the Edufores Foundation are oriented to the development of educational and informative materials and to promote and organize events, conferences, events, seminars, workshops, forums and all kinds of activities to promote knowledge of the forest and its products and disseminate the values of sustainable forest management trainersteachers and society in general. This Foundation is open to the participation of all those institutions, companies or organizations that want to collaborate on this goal (www.edufores.com).

Another of the activities carried out in 2005, in the context of the commitment to sectoral to intensify cooperation with groups of interest, was the establishment and implementation of the Observatory of the competitiveness of the paper industry, equally composed of representatives of the FCT-CC.OO, FIA-UGT and Aspapel. Its main objectives are to contribute to the development and competitiveness of the sector, consolidate their businesses, ensure that the conditions of life and work, and consolidating employment.

This synthesis of the activities of Aspapel over these past months is a clear exponent of the commitment of the paper sector with sustainability. In this area the Spanish paper industry has been a pioneer and will spare no effort to continue at the forefront of the path of sustainable development, because that is the course of his future as industry of the 21st century.