Actions
[E4-3, MDR-A 68a]
List of key actions
Avoid: Biodiversity due diligence via sustainable sourcing
Restore: Lenzing’s plantations in Brazil
Restore: Maintenance and enhancement of ecosystem services in Austria
Transform: Biodiversity-related research activities
Initiatives beyond the value chain
[E4-3 28a]
To present Lenzing’s actions in relation to biodiversity and ecosystems, the AR3T framework (Avoid, Reduce, Restore, Regenerate, Transform) is used as a practical classification tool. This is based on the mitigation hierarchy, as set out in the International Financial Corporation’s Performance Standard 6.
Avoid |
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
Prevent impact from happening in the first place: prevent the impact entirely |
|
||
Reduce |
|
||
Minimize impacts, but without necessarily eliminating them |
|
||
Restore |
|
||
Initiate or accelerate the recovery of an ecosystem with respect to its health, integrity, and sustainability, with a focus on permanent changes in its state |
|
||
Regenerate |
|
||
Take measures designed to increase the biophysical function and/or ecological productivity of an ecosystem or its components within existing land uses, often with a focus on a few of nature’s specific contributions to people (e.g. regenerative agriculture often focuses on carbon sequestration, food production, and nitrogen and phosphorus retention) |
|
||
Transform |
|
||
Take measures contributing to system-wide change, notably to alter the drivers of nature loss, e.g. through technological, economic, institutional, and social factors and changes in underlying values and behaviors |
|
||
|
|||
[E4-3 28b, 28c]
While Lenzing supports several restoration and regeneration projects worldwide, both within and beyond its value chain, it does not engage in biodiversity offsetting. While stakeholder engagement takes place, local and Indigenous knowledge on nature-based solutions and related perspectives have not yet been integrated into internal processes.
Avoid: Biodiversity due diligence via sustainable sourcing
[MDR-A 68a, 68b, 68c]
Wood and dissolving wood pulp are Lenzing’s most important raw materials. The company is committed to sustainable sourcing that aims to ensure a deforestation-free supply chain. All wood and dissolving wood pulp used by the Lenzing Group is either FSC® or PEFC certified or controlled in line with these standards.1 This is continuously ensured through annual internal and external audits. For details on certification and due diligence, see the “Sourcing” section in the “G1 Business conduct” chapter and the Focus Paper “Wood and Pulp”.
The forest certificates held by the Lenzing Group include international criteria for biodiversity and forest ecosystem protection. Additional requirements are set out in national standards, which vary by country.
Restore: Lenzing’s plantations in Brazil
[MDR-A 68a, 68b, 68c]
To mitigate wood scarcity risks, Lenzing operates its own eucalyptus plantation in Brazil (License codes: FSC-C175509, FSC-C165948) to ensure reliable and sustainable wood supply. The plantation is managed by LD Celulose, which implements targeted measures to protect biodiversity and safeguard soil and water quality. LD Celulose does not use genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The plantation is located approximately 800 km away from the Amazon region.
Ongoing measures by LD Celulose include minimum soil cultivation to preserve nutrient cycles, plot-specific fertilization based on soil analysis, the creation of ecological corridors to connect habitats and the monitoring and protection of riparian forests designated as Permanent Preservation Areas under Brazilian law. The Forest Management Plan has been updated to strengthen pest management and reduce the risk of eucalyptus dispersion into natural vegetation. Monitoring of flora and fauna is carried out annually or twice per year and covers the entire plantation area.
Restore: Maintenance and enhancement of ecosystem services in Austria
[MDR-A 68a, 68b, 68c]
Since 2022, Lenzing has been actively engaging with its wood suppliers in Austria to maintain and support forest ecosystem services addressing the concrete risk of “wood scarcity and resultant high wood prices”. The Lenzing site pulp mill sources more than 35 percent of its wood from Austrian forests, thereby making their health condition particularly important.
Lenzing collaborates with Österreichische Bundesforste AG (ÖBf, Austrian Federal Forests) as a member of the Alliance for Biodiversity (Allianz für Biodiversität). In 2024, Lenzing started to support an existing action plan by ÖBf to protect and restore peat bogs in the Ausseerland region in Styria, Austria. Management activities started in autumn 2024 and were completed in 2025 resulting in the restoration of high-biodiversity wet meadows and ponds for amphibians. In 2025, a project was approved for the restoration of spawning grounds for endangered fish species in the river Traun (Upper Austria). Its implementation is scheduled for early 2026. The Lenzing site in Austria is situated in the catchment of this river.
Transform: Biodiversity-related research activities
[MDR-A 68a, 68b, 68c]
In 2023, Lenzing and Wood K Plus initiated a doctoral research project on biodiversity metrics to assess corporate impacts and dependencies. As an initial output, a review paper on the SBTN methodologies for the “Assess” and “Interpret and prioritize” steps was published in 2025.2 In the same year, a study on the applicability of indicators for sustainable forest management was completed; its publication is still pending. This research, ongoing through 2026, supports the development of Lenzing’s biodiversity strategy, especially the selection of suitable indicators for drivers of nature change and the state of nature.
A publicly funded research project, “Biodiversity and multifunctional forest management” (BIMUWA)3 in Austria, has developed specific measures to protect endangered species (Red-List) and enhance biodiversity under local conditions in PEFC Region 6 (in Styria and Carinthia, Austria). These measures are already being integrated into daily forest management. The ÖBf is implementing these measures in cooperation with the NGO umbrella organization Umweltdachverband. As the measures are concrete and easy to apply, their positive effects can be scaled across large forest areas. The follow-up project for PEFC Region 2 (in Upper Austria, Lower Austria and Salzburg) was approved in 2025 and is financed through public funds and corporate contributions, including Lenzing’s. Implementation is scheduled to begin in 2026.
Initiatives beyond the value chain
Lenzing also supports conservation solutions in regions outside its own supply chain. These projects address the “risk of wood scarcity from non-resilient forests and effects of increasing global average temperature” and the “risk of increasing wood prices due to climate change and biomass competition”. They contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation by enhancing carbon sinks, stabilizing regional climates and strengthening ecosystem resilience. For actions addressing “climate change as a driver of biodiversity loss”, please see the “E1 Climate change” chapter.
Regenerate: Social innovation for communities
[MDR-A 68a, 68b, 68c]
In the Luozi Region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lenzing co-funds a pilot project by Caritas Upper Austria. It integrates social and environmental measures for sustainable environmental protection. This project reduces CO2 emissions by promoting alternative charcoal made from agricultural waste and energy-saving stoves, thereby lowering reliance on wood. Income-generating activities such as agroforestry and beekeeping help small-scale farmers transition away from wood charcoal while improving soil fertility and reducing deforestation. Advocacy and education efforts aim to limit slash-and-burn agriculture and improve forest protection. The project started in October 2023 and will run until 2026.
Restore: Sustainable agriculture and agroforestry
[MDR-A 68a, 68b, 68c]
Deforestation in Tanzania severely affects ecosystems and rural livelihoods. In partnership with Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT), Lenzing supports a project in the Morogoro Region and the Uluguru Mountains Nature Forest Reserve to improve environmental conditions, preserve biodiversity, stabilize the water cycle, reduce soil erosion and strengthen local communities. Small-scale farmers are supported in planting native trees as well as spice and fruit trees. The project is implemented by SAT and Inspiring Cooperation Empowering People (ICEP), with Lenzing assuming a financing role over the 2024 to 2025 period.
Regenerate: Reforestation and climate protection project
[MDR-A 68a, 68b, 68c]
Lenzing supports a collaborative project in Burundi aimed at ecosystem restoration and climate protection in the Ruvubu National Park. In partnership with Caritas Steiermark, ODAG-Caritas Gitega and the University of Burundi, this initiative seeks to reduce utilization pressure and restore the natural ecosystem through reforestation with native trees. It also aims to strengthen local livelihoods by raising awareness and providing training on sustainable forestry and agriculture to farming families in Mutumba and Nyabikere. This should improve environmental conditions by controlling bushfires and reducing illegal activities. The project is implemented by the partner organizations, with Lenzing providing financial support within the period of 2024 to 2026.
Restore: Fashion forest afforestation project
[MDR-A 68a, 68b, 68c]
Lenzing Fiber (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. collaborates with the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) and China Green Carbon Foundation (CGCF) on the Fashion Forest – Ecologic Carbon Neutral Forest project in Suochong Village, Sangdui Township, Daocheng County, Sichuan Province. The initiative reflects Lenzing’s commitment to sustainability and responsible raw material sourcing and demonstrates its contribution to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation through active stakeholder engagement.
The project focuses on spruce afforestation to restore high-altitude forest ecosystems by planting approximately 35,000 Qinghai spruces across an area of 18 hectares. This supports local ecosystem resilience and helps local communities adapt to climate change. Moreover, the project aims to enhance residents’ awareness of nature conservation and provides local communities with greater employment opportunities in silviculture and conservation. The project officially started in 2025 and will run for four years. A kick-off event was held during the 2024 reporting period.
1License codes: FSC-C041246, PEFC/06-33-92
2Barth, A. et al. (2025). Bridging business and biodiversity: An analysis of biodiversity assessment tools. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 26, 100682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2025.100682