ETHISPHERE NAMES INTERNATIONAL PAPER AS ONE OF THE 2024 WORLD'S MOST ETHICAL COMPANIES® FOR THE 18TH TIME

Annual recognition highlights organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to business integrity through robust ethics, compliance, and governance programs

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- International Paper (NYSE: IP), a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, received the 2024 World's Most Ethical Companies® recognition by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.

IP has been recognized for the eighteenth time and is one of only two honorees in the Forestry, Paper and Packaging industry. In 2024, 136 honorees were recognized spanning 20 countries and 44 industries.

"Ethics is a core value at International Paper. We believe in doing the right things, in the right ways, for the right reasons, all of the time — this is The IP Way," said International Paper Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mark Sutton. "Our teams hold themselves to high ethical standards and shared principles of honesty, integrity and respect."

"This recognition is a testament to the commitment of our leaders and team members around the world who operate every day in a responsible and ethical manner,"  said Joe Saab, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary,  International Paper. "On behalf of the entire IP team, we are honored to be recognized among the World's Most Ethical Companies for 18 straight years."

"It's always inspiring to recognize the World's Most Ethical Companies®. Through the rigorous review process, we see the dedication of these organizations to continually improving their ethics, compliance, and governance practices to the benefit of all stakeholders," said Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere's Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair. "Companies that elevate best-in-class cultures of ethics and integrity set a standard for corporate citizenship for their peers and competitors to follow. Congratulations to International Paper for achieving this honor and demonstrating that strong ethics is good business."

Ethics & Performance: The Ethics Premium
The listed 2024 World's Most Ethical Companies® Honorees outperformed a comparable index of global companies by 12.3 percentage points from January 2019 to January 2024.

Methodology & Scoring
The World's Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient®, an extensive questionnaire that requires companies to provide over 240 different proof points on their culture of ethics; environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices; ethics and compliance program; diversity, equity, & inclusion; and initiatives that support a strong value chain. That data undergoes further qualitative analysis by Ethisphere's panel of experts who spend thousands of hours vetting and evaluating each year's group of applicants. This process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify truly best-in-class ethics and compliance practices from organizations across industries and from around the world.

Honorees
To view the full list of this year's honorees, please visit the World's Most Ethical Companies website, at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees.

About International Paper 
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of the world's largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what's next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2023 were $18.9 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com.

About Ethisphere
Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that strengthen corporate brands, build trust in the marketplace, and deliver business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies build strong cultures of ethics and integrity. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World's Most Ethical Companies® recognition program, provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and showcases trends and best practices in ethics with Ethisphere Magazine. Ethisphere also advances business performance through data-driven assessments, guidance, and benchmarking against its unparalleled data: the Culture Quotient dataset reflecting the ethical business practices of 3+ million employees around the world; and the Ethics Quotient dataset, featuring 240+ data points on the ethics, compliance, social, and governance practices of the World's Most Ethical Companies. For more information, visit https://ethisphere.com.

SOURCE International Paper