American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the proposed National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Kraft pulp mills, issued under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Residual Risk and Technology Review process. “By signing the proposed rule, the EPA has indicated that the 2001 maximum achievable control technology (MACT) rule protects public health: That’s a positive testament to our industry’s investments and commitment to air quality and sustainability. Pulp mills have invested over $1.5 billion in state of the art controls to reduce emissions, and these technologies remain the best available. “We are continuing to review the proposed rule, but have concerns with changes to the opacity provisions for recovery furnaces that we will address in our comments to EPA.”

American Forest & Paper Association President (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement in support of the District of Columbia (D.C.) Circuit Court’s December 23rd decision to remand the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) rule: “With this ruling, the court has provided an opening for the EPA to quickly address concerns and finalize a rule that supports our industry’s capability to generate essential power from its boilers. We’re pleased that the court has listened to our support of a remand, and we urge the agency to work as quickly as possible to bring this rule to closure after 20 years and three tries. “Our industry has been subject to a roller coaster of regulatory uncertainty that needs to stop. We need and deserve affordable and achievable standards that are not constantly in flux.”

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman released the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule on its Risk Management Program. “In meetings with EPA and in our comments on the rule, we raised a number of concerns that have gone unaddressed in this final rule: that’s disappointing. High on that list is the application of the Safer Technology Alternatives Analysis. We believe it should be an enforcement tool used on a case-by-case basis, not an industry requirement as the final rule indicates. Additionally, we think the requirement for third party audits are less robust than internal auditors who know location and processes. “Our manufacturers continue to make improvements and are committed to providing a safe workplace for our employees and the communities that surround our facilities. Unfortunately, adding an additional layer of regulation could impede, rather than promote, safety improvements as well as creating additional burdens.”

Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper Mills, a business unit of Asia Pulp and Paper Group (APP), is introducing a further innovation to save energy and natural resources in its production process. In collaboration with the IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative, Pindo Deli is incorporating the new Clean Manufacturing Program (CMP) into the production of all its paper, tissue and packaging products. The Clean Manufacturing Program emphasizes the need for greater energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions, as part of APP's commitment to the Roadmap Vision 2020. The program also supports the Indonesian Government's Nationally Determined Contribution, which includes an unconditional greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 29% by 2030. APP began to implement CMP in the fourth quarter of 2016 and the process will continue for the next 12 months. The main objective is to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency and to implement measures to achieve optimal savings in energy use and carbon emissions over the short and long term. click Read More below for additional detail

REI continues its efforts to lead on sustainable operations. The retailer’s newest distribution center, in Goodyear, Arizona, has achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum certification — the highest level in the U.S. Green Building Council’s green building rating system — making it the first DC in the U.S. to achieve both LEED Platinum certification and Net Zero Energy. The 400,000-sq.-ft. building is the second largest Platinum-certified distribution facility in the United States. "REI worked hard to deliver a new standard for the industry that was in line with our values and commitment to sustainable operations,” said Rick Bingle, REI's VP of supply chain. “To create an impact that extends far beyond the co-op, we chose to open the design of the facility and our doors to the industry, not only to make it easier for other companies to build this technology into their operations, but to actively encourage them to do so." REI achieved LEED Platinum certification by implementing sustainable strategies and solutions throughout the building. click Read More below for additional detail

It has come to our attention that Defra has just published its updated “Greening Government Commitments 2016-2020” which, amongst a number of environmental initiatives, includes a commitment to reducing paper consumption by 50%. However, the report does not consider what communications medium will replace this reduced paper use or that alternatives, most likely digital, will themselves have substantial environmental impacts. Two Sides promotes the attractiveness and sustainability of print and paper as an environmentally friendly communications medium. We work closely with major organisations to ensure that paper reduction initiatives are not made on the basis of spurious environmental claims. Defra’s own code of conduct, (and we attach an extract), states: “A green claim should be truthful, accurate and able to be substantiated”. Therefore, in order to claim that a reduction of paper use by 50% would assist the government to reduce its carbon impact, there needs to be a clear life cycle analysis behind the claim which also must include the impact of the associated increase in electronic communications which would presumably arise. click Read More below for additional detail

2016 was a fantastic year for the PEFC Alliance, as we welcomed six new national members to the family – but 2017 could be even better! As has become the tradition during our General Assembly, representatives from countries actively developing national forest certification systems were invited to speak – and this year we had a very busy agenda, with Cambodia, Mexico, Nepal, Philippines, Republic of Congo and Viet Nam all taking part. “There was no interest in forest certification, until PEFC came to our country,” said June Alvarez from the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development. “Since then, we have led an education campaign, started drafting our national system and begun the creation of a national governing body – all with the assistance of PEFC International.” click Read More below for more of the story

From seed to shelf, J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI)’s forestry and forest products operations produce very little solid waste. Our approach is to work continuously to identify waste streams, reduce, and then recover process residuals, and put them to beneficial use. One of the best examples of this effort is JDI's Biomass Ash to Farmers’ Fields program. The ash is the by-product of green energy biomass boilers at three New Brunswick JDI locations: Irving Pulp & Paper in Saint John, and our sawmills - Grand Lake Timber in Chipman and Scierie Grande Rivière in Saint Leonard. This is a great "’Reduce-Reuse-Recycle’ story," said Renée Morais, JDI Environmental Coordinator. “What was once considered a waste destined for the landfills is now reused as a beneficial supplement for agricultural soil enhancement." click Read More below for more of the story

“We were delighted to welcome three new national members to the PEFC Alliance during our General Assembly”, said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, as Macedonia, Romania and Thailand became the latest countries to join PEFC. “In fact, this year has been an incredible year for us, with six new national members and four new international stakeholder members. We’ve not had a year like this since we were created over 16 years ago!” Any organization wishing to join the PEFC Alliance must be voted in by the other PEFC members. For most of the year, this is done through a postal ballot. But once a year, at the General Assembly, all our members come together and get to cast their votes in person. click Read More below for additional detail

“In a world where the demand for timber is going to increase as populations grow, it is very interesting to see that there are ways to allow the Russian economy to develop further, particularly in rural areas, in a way that benefits both biodiversity and local communities,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, following his participation at the II International Conference of the Russian Pulp & Paper Industry last week. “Forest certification is one of the key tools to allow not only local benefits to be achieved, but also to ensure that there is acceptability for Russian timber in the marketplace,” Ben continued. click Read More below for more of the story

Ethiopia’s forests support the livelihoods of millions of people. But as we see elsewhere around the world, these forests are continually threatened – cleared to become grazing and agricultural land, or simply the space is needed for ever increasing populations. “While there is a clear need for sustainable forest management within the country, Ethiopia is actually in a great position to develop a national forest certification system,” said Rémi Sournia, Projects and Development Officer for PEFC International, following his outreach trip which saw him travel around the country to meet with stakeholders, farmer unions and government. “We now plan to start working on the development of a project in the country, collaborating with a range of partners including ENAO, Ethiopia’s accreditation organization, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, universities and farmer organizations.” click Read More below for more of the story

The UPM biodiversity programme received an honourable mention in the 2016 corporate biodiversity awards by Finland's leading corporate responsibility network FIBS. The six finalists presented their proposals to a judging panel and audience in a pitching event. "The UPM biodiversity programme has complex and extensive effects on biodiversity both in Finland and abroad. The programme contains numerous innovative experiments and solutions, and it is a frontrunner in the preservation and maintaining of biodiversity, as well as communicating about this at a national and international level," says Lauri Kivekäs, chairman of the jury. UPM created its strategic biodiversity programme 20 years ago. The aim of the programme is to incorporate forest biodiversity and its key requirements into the modern forest industry. click Read More below for additional detail

Appleton Coated has received the WWF Environmental Paper Awards 2016 (Category “Striving for Continual Improvement”) for screening the forest, climate, and water footprint of selected paper products with WWF’s Check your Paper Method. Appleton Coated senior vice president of marketing & customer services, Ann Whalen, comments, “Appleton Coated strives to make it easy for customers to choose environmentally-responsible papers. WWF recognizes our efforts to expand our offering of higher post-consumer recovered fiber products. In areas where we have made less progress than desired, the WWF focus on transparency and continuous improvement pushes us to be more innovative and diligent in those efforts.” click Read More below for additional detail

Latvia, one of the most heavily forested countries in Europe, has successfully achieved the re-endorsement of its national forest certification system. This endorsement confirms that the Latvian system continues to meet our globally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks and ensures that certified forest owners and companies in the country continue to benefit from the global acceptance of PEFC. Since Latvia was first endorsed by PEFC in 2001, half of the country’s forests - more than 1.6 million hectares - have achieved PEFC certification. With about half of the Latvian forests owned by the state, there are about 150,000 private forest owners in Latvia, who, together with their families, form a remarkable part of society in country with a population of just over 2 million people. click Read More below for more of the story

Top companies in Asia say they are standing behind the Paris climate accord reached last year, regardless of what path the U.S. takes. That includes at least one major producer of palm oil, a product whose plantations are often associated with deforestation and air pollution caused by the burning of land to make way for them. "We will continue to emphasize our priorities and keep climate at the top of the agenda," John Hartmann, chief executive Cargill Tropical Palm Holdings Pte. Ltd., wrote in an email. A number of other corporate leaders, from Australia to Japan, said they also would stand firm on plans to reduce their carbon footprints, even as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has created uncertainty about the climate-change accord formed last year in Paris and now agreed to by nearly 200 nations. Top executives with many big American corporations also have said they would follow through on their plans to shrink their carbon profiles, even with Mr. Trump's skeptical view of some Obama administration environmental policies. click Read More below for additional detail

HP has been identified as a global leader for the actions and strategies it is taking to manage its use of timber products more sustainably by CDP, which named HP one of only eight companies to earn a position on the inaugural CDP “Forest A List” for its deforestation management efforts. HP is the only information technology (IT) company to make this year’s Forest A List. “We are proud to be recognized by CDP for our ongoing efforts to responsibly and sustainably manage our paper-based products and packaging,” said Nate Hurst, Chief Sustainability & Social Impact Officer. “This recognition reflects our commitment to combatting climate change and deforestation by operating a more sustainable business throughout our value chain.”

UPM has become member of RSB, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials. RSB is a global standard and certification scheme for sustainable production of biomaterials and biofuels. It is also an independent multi-stakeholder coalition, which works to support the sustainability of biomaterials. RSB is considered one of the strongest sustainability schemes, verifying that biomaterials are ethical, sustainable, and credibly sourced. It is also one of the EU approved voluntary schemes for biofuels to show compliance with sustainability requirements set for the production of biofuels in the EU's Renewable Energy Directive. UPM sees great potential in RSB and is keen to be part of the future development of the scheme. click Read More below for additional detail

Plastic bags are commonplace in retail. But there’s an alternative that is much better for the climate. “Of the different carrier bags that we studied, the paper bag made by material from BillerudKorsnäs has the smallest carbon footprint,” said Lena Dahlgren from IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. EU citizens use an average of 200 plastic bags a year, many of which are used in the current Christmas shopping period. Lots of plastic bags are only used once and end up in landfill. A Swedish life cycle analysis carried out by IVL Swedish Environmental Institute has now shown that the carbon footprint of a carrier bag made from recycled plastic is twice that of a paper bag made by material from BillerudKorsnäs. click Read More below for additional detail

SCA has been acknowledged as a global leader for its sustainable use of timber products with a position on the Forest A List for timber by the leading environmental non-profit, CDP. SCA is one of only eight companies to have achieved a commodity A grade. This list features businesses that are on the path to sustainably sourcing or producing timber commodities, which is among the four key commodities linked to global deforestation. click Read More below for additional detail

Metsä Board has achieved Leadership status in the materials sector of CDP’s 2016 Forest Programme for the second year in a row. This follows swiftly on the news that CDP recently recognised Metsä Board’s management of water security and climate change with A-List positions in both programmes. For Metsä Board, a key part of sustainable forestry is forest renewal. “Here in Finland, four new seedlings are planted for each harvested tree. Metsä Group delivers seedlings to forest-owners for planting, and during the past couple of years this has amounted annually to 30 million seedlings, which is an impressive number,” says Mika Joukio, Metsä Board’s CEO. click Read More below for more of the story

Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) has achieved a Gold Recognition Level for sustainability from EcoVadis, placing the company at the top 4% of suppliers in the category of pulp, paper and paperboard manufacturing industry. EcoVadis operates the first collaborative platform for 150 multinational companies enabling them to benchmark and monitor the sustainable performance of their suppliers with easy-to-use CSR scorecards helping procurement teams to monitor their suppliers’ environmental, social and ethical practices across 150 purchasing categories and 110 countries. APP was ranked in the top 5% for environmental performance and in the top 15% for Fair Business Practices and Supply Chain, among other categories. click Read More below for additional detail