The company said it had "significantly increased" availability of independently certified papers worldwide and that, as a result, its sales of certified and eco-labelled papers had grown globally.

In 2008, the UK, USA, Germany, France, Spain and Japan dominated UPM sales of third-party certified and EU Eco-label paper.

The company also said major publishers and cataloguers were now purchasing larger volumes of certified paper than before.

Philippe Riebel, UPM vice president for environmental affairs, said: "Several of our customers have adopted an all-inclusive policy."

See also:

UPM cuts emissions and pledges further reductions in eco impact

UPM launches paper designed for high-speed inkjet printing