The pulp, paper and print industry is one of the lowest contributing industrial sectors to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at only 1% of emissions worldwide,[1] but consumers don’t know it.
A recent consumer survey commissioned by Two Sides showed a disconnect between consumer perceptions and the facts about the industry’s impact on global GHG emissions.[2] The survey showed that 29% of Americans believe that paper production is a major contributor to global GHG emissions. However, the U.S. pulp and paper sector is one of the lowest emitters of GHG emissions among major U.S. industrial sectors at 1.2% of total U.S. industrial GHG emissions (Figure 1).[3]
Figure 1: U.S. industrial greenhouse gas emissions in 2017 (million metric tons of CO2e)(3)
One of the reasons for the relatively low GHG emissions of the forest products industry is its use of renewable fuels. For example, bioenergy use by paper and wood product mills in the U.S. prevents the emission of 181 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents, by merely using waste wood from manufacturing operations. This practice produces the same reduction in GHG emissions as removing about 35 million cars from the road.[4]
In Canada, the forest products industry has made great strides to reduce GHG emissions in production, by cutting the use of coal and cutting oil use by over 90% since the year 2000.[5] In fact, 57% of the industry’s energy use in 2015 was generated by bioenergy.[6]
Forest products also play a key role in global carbon sequestration (absorption) and the mitigation of GHG emissions. As they grow, trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere and they release oxygen, allowing us to breathe and sustain life on the planet. By managing our forests sustainably for the long-term, we can ensure that they continue to provide economic, social and environmental benefits, including climate change mitigation. For example, forests in Canada removed 150-160 million tonnes of CO2e from the atmosphere annually (between 2005 and 2016).[7]
A recent scientific paper has shown that the regeneration of forests through sustainable practices in the paper industry may lead to more carbon sequestration. Globally, younger forests (those growing for less than 140 years) store 1.17-1.66 billion metric tons of carbon per year while old-growth forests sequester 950 million-1.11 billion metric tons.[8]
Forest products like paper continue storing carbon even as a finished product and beyond their life in the forest. It is only if paper is landfilled, burned or left to decay that it begins to release CO2 again. In 2016, forests and wood products in the U.S. captured and stored roughly 10% of all carbon dioxide equivalents emitted by the U.S.[17]
But then why do people assume that going digital is greener? The “hidden” life cycle of our massive electronic infra-structure may be one reason. The fact is that many of us don’t think much about what goes into the manufacture and operation of our computers, smartphones, the energy needed to operate server farms, store massive amounts of digital information, and send emails. It is significant, but largely out of sight and out of mind.
The digital revolution is having a growing impact globally. Let’s explore a few key facts.
The energy consumption required for digital technologies is increasing by 9% each year.[13] In fact, the share of digital technology in global GHG emissions could reach 8% by 2025, i.e. the current share of car emissions.[14] [15] [16]. This is roughly 8 times the current share of the pulp, paper and print industries.
The ICT industry and infrastructure still rely heavily on fossil fuels and although it seems harmless to send an email, the world’s emails generate close to 300 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the CO2 emissions of over 63 million cars.[17]
This growing environmental impact of “going digital” is not going unnoticed by consumers who were specifically asked to rank several materials and products based on how environmentally-friendly they are (Figure 2). Wood and paper ranked at the top and electronics and plastics at the bottom (i.e. having the most environmental impact).
FSC reached 30,000 certificates in the supply chain – an impressive milestone that couldn’t have been achieved without the support of all our members and stakeholders.
“We are incredibly proud of this landmark achievement, and all the hard work that has gone into transforming FSC into a globally recognized, and used, market tool over the past 22 years,” commented Director General, Kim Carstensen.
FSC has the highest number of chain of custody certificates of any forest certification scheme. The number of certificates is a clear way to measure FSC’s market growth, and impact on the market. However, behind that number there are roughly 50,000 independent companies and organizations that buy, manufacture, trade or sell FSC-certified material and products.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced its first major commitment to renewable energy with agreements to annually purchase approximately 1,000,000 megawatt hours (245 megawatts - MW) of electricity from two new wind power projects in Texas and Oklahoma. The renewable energy supplied by the wind farms is equivalent to about one-third of the electricity needs of Kimberly-Clark's North American manufacturing operations and will enable the company to surpass its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goal four years earlier than anticipated. Kimberly-Clark has entered long-term power purchase agreements to take 120 MW or 78 percent of electricity to be generated by the Rock Falls Wind project being developed by EDF Renewables in northern Oklahoma and 125 MW or 42 percent of the electricity to be generated by the Santa Rita Wind Energy Center being built by Invenergy in West Texas. The renewable energy supplied by the two wind farms will enable Kimberly-Clark to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 550,000 metric tons annually. This is equivalent to removing 116,178 passenger vehicles from the road or not burning nearly 600 million pounds of coal annually.1 Click Read More below for additional detail.
Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, is now offering a comprehensive portfolio of CO2 neutral papers from its Uncoated Fine Paper business to serve the professional print, office and premium packaging sectors. Mondi Neusiedler has been offering CO2 neutral products for over a decade, including Color Copy original and selected products from the NAUTILUS® range. From April 2021, the mill has extended its offering of CO2 neutral paper to almost all premium paper brands. This includes Pergraphica®, Mondi´s premium paper brand for creative design, publishing and luxury packaging applications, combining premium printing and finishing quality with sustainability in one portfolio. By offering the full PERGRAPHICA® range as CO2 neutral, Mondi is meeting the growing demand of customers such as agencies, designers and brand owners for sustainable and CO2 neutral printing, publishing and packaging products.
