Improving Energy Efficiency is Key

AF&PA’s Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 purchased energy efficiency goal is a great example of a sustainability goal that furthers all three pillars of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental. Using energy more efficiently reduces companies’ overall energy costs, thereby improving profitability; frees up resources for other more productive investments in mills and communities; and, reduces environmental impacts.  It also complements our goal to reduce water use in AF&PA member mills by 12 percent, as reducing water use has the added benefit of reducing mills’ energy consumption.

On average, AF&PA members meet about two thirds of their energy demand from self-generated renewable biomass. Striving for the most efficient energy consumption is important to companies small and large because our industry remains energy intensive.

Our members have improved their purchased energy efficiency by 8.1 percent, making solid progress on their way to achieving the 10 percent Better Practices improvement goal by 2020.

An important way our members improve their energy efficiency is through the combined heat and power (CHP) generation process, which efficiently produces electricity and steam used in manufacturing.  In 2014, 97.64 percent of the electricity the industry generated was through CHP.  The forest products industry produced 33 percent of the CHP electricity generated by manufacturing sectors; only the chemical industry produced more.

Improving energy efficiency will remain key as mills continue to consider their energy choices and strategies in light of upcoming environmental requirements and changing cost scenarios and fuel availability. As energy efficiency is a core element of mill sustainability, we are confident we will reach our energy efficiency goal.
http://afandpa.org/media/blog/bloga/2016/08/05/improving-energy-efficiency-is-key

Related Posts

The Air We Breathe

June 5, is World Environment Day. The 2019 theme is Beat Air Pollution —something we at AF&PA and the greater U.S. paper and wood products industry have been dedicated to for decades. Our latest greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goal, which is part of AF&PA’s Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 sustainability initiative, aims to reduce emissions from member company facilities by at least 20 percent between 2005 and 2020. Our last sustainability report shows that members achieved a 19.9 percent reduction in 2016, nearly reaching the goal. And this is after they surpassed the previous goal of a 15 percent reduction in GHG emissions in 2014. Members achieved these great reductions by using efficient manufacturing processes, generating carbon-neutral biomass fuel on-site and replacing traditional fossil fuels like oil and coal with less carbon-intensive natural gas. In 2016, carbon-neutral biomass and renewable fuels provided, on average, about two-thirds of member facility energy needs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Solenis Releases Sustainability Report for 2022

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals used in water-intensive industries, has released its 2022 Sustainability Report, summarizing the company’s environmental stewardship, social responsibility and governance (ESG) initiatives for the previous fiscal year. The report — Solenis’ third annual report and first as a Platinum Equity-owned company — is available for download at www.solenis.com/en/sustainabilityreport. “2022 was an outstanding year for Solenis,” said CEO John Panichella. “By maintaining our focus on people, performance and results, we are continuing to reach significant achievements. Last year, we posted Solenis’ third consecutive year of double-digit earnings growth; our best safety performance ever; our second Platinum rating from EcoVadis; improvements in diversity, equity and inclusion; and our highest-ever employee satisfaction rate.”

UPM joins WWF’s global Earth Hour 2015 climate event on 28 March 2015

“WWF’s Earth Hour reminds us all of the importance of actions to reduce energy consumption and to increase the share of renewable energy,” says Päivi Salpakivi-Salomaa, Vice President, Environment and Responsibility, UPM. “UPM is constantly decreasing its carbon footprint and improving its energy efficiency. Globally, 67% of the fuels we use are biomass based, and in Finland the figure is as high as 83%. We are the second biggest generator of biomass based electricity in Europe and 79% of the electricity we produce is free from fossil CO2 emissions.
Back To Top
×Close search
Search