Mercer International’s Sustainability Leadership Recognized with 2024 SFI President’s Award

Juan Carlos Bueno on the Importance of Third-party Certification

We proudly announce that Mercer International received the 2024 Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) President’s Award today from Kathy Abusow, SFI’s President and CEO, at the SFI Conference. This recognition highlights our commitment to promoting mass timber and SFI certification in our supply chain.

At Mercer, particularly through Mercer Mass Timber, we are spearheading the advancement of wood technology to help redefine the North American construction landscape. Our leadership in this area is driven by our commitment to educating customers on the value of sustainably managed forests and the importance of SFI certification throughout the supply chain.

Certified wood matters at every stage of the supply chain. It ensures that forests are managed sustainably, supporting biodiversity, combating climate change, and respecting the rights and traditions of Indigenous Peoples. SFI-certified wood ensures that the wood used in construction projects meets high environmental and social standards, essential for architects, engineers, and builders responding to the growing demand for sustainable building materials.

Our President and CEO, Juan Carlos Bueno, shared his thoughts on this significant achievement and the importance of third-party certification:

“The fact that we run a business that inherently demands sustainability underscores our responsibility to ensure the future success of our operations in an environmentally positive way. Every action we take is guided by the principle of sustainability, starting from the source of our fibre. It is crucial that any fibre we use comes from forests that are certified and managed with the same sustainability principles we uphold in our business.

We are deeply committed to climate-conscious operations and maintaining proper certifications for our fibre. Our fibre comes from sustainable sources that do not contribute to deforestation— practices that fundamentally support our principles. Regardless of the country or business, we ensure that our operations and supply chain comply with stringent sustainability standards.

While we do not handle the certification process in-house, we rely on reputable partners such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) to conduct thorough and professional audits. SFI is a globally respected third-party verification body, and its role is critical in assuring our stakeholders—customers, investors, and communities—that our practices meet the highest sustainability standards. Third-party verification is essential because it ensures an unbiased and objective evaluation, maintaining arm’s length neutrality. Their expertise, experience, and methodical processes are crucial to our confidence in their evaluations.