Mar 03, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. UPM has significantly decreased its fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions in 2008, as the company informed Lesprom Network. Changes in the fuel mix and improved energy efficiency resulted in a decrease of 12% in fossil CO2 emissions per ton of paper and a 30% decrease in SO2 emissions in 2008 compared to 2007. Since 1990, UPM has invested about Euro 1 billion in new mill site biomass-fired power plants and recovery boilers. These long-term investments have reduced fossil CO2 emissions by 40% per ton of paper, UPM said in a press release. "We are very satisfied with the good overall development of our environmental performance,” said Hartmut Wurster, Executive Vice President, Technology. “Continuous improvement is UPM's target, and we will continue our work to reduce emissions even further in 2009." Development in UPM's pulp mills' effluent treatment resulted in a six percent decrease in adsorbable organic halogens and chemical oxygen demand emissions per ton of pulp. The effluent flow per ton of pulp and paper remained at the same level reached in previous years. The absolute amount of effluent decreased by eight percent due to reduced production volumes. The amount of landfill waste decreased by 12% due to increased reuse of ash, for example as a raw material for the construction of roads and as a soil fertilizer.