It's no secret manufacturing facilities use a lot of energy to make the cars, phones or, in Georgia-Pacific's case, paper towels that we use every day. But what if there was a way to encourage these facilities to reduce their energy consumption? It's a question Betsy Dutrow, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR® industrial team leader, and her team asked. Their answer? The ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry. The ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry is a voluntary pledge manufacturing facilities make to reduce energy consumption by 10 percent in five years or less. It's open to manufacturing facilities across the world, and there are no penalties for mills that don't reach that number. Dutrow says, "It's an aspirational goal that, while it may sound difficult, is one we believe most facilities who take the challenge will end up achieving. We have seen energy intensive sites achieve a 10 percent reduction when they initially thought they would not. Additionally, we have seen plants in other industries reduce their energy consumption by as much as 30 and 40 percent." click Read More below for additional detail

Editor’s note: Arbor Day, which falls on April 28 this year, was established in the United States in 1872 as a day to plant and care for trees. To mark the event, Gary M. Scott, chair of the Paper and Bioprocess Engineering Department at SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry, answers five questions about the pulp and paper industry – a major consumer of trees. 1. Does paper manufacturing contribute to deforestation? Pulp and paper companies often are accused of cutting down trees to make paper. However, 39 percent of the fiber used for papermaking comes from recycled paper. Most of the remaining wood is obtained either through forest thinning (removing slow-growing or defective trees) or from lumber milling residues – materials that otherwise would go unused. Only 36 percent of timber harvested in the United States is used directly to make paper and paperboard. Each year the amount of wood harvested from U.S. forests is much less than annual forest growth. Land covered by forests in the United States increased by 4.5 percent between 1997 and 2012, even as suburban development expanded. click Read More below for more of the story

Outdoor brands wasted no time blasting President Donald Trump’s new executive order about America’s national monuments. Patagonia called the move hypocritical and challenged his authority regarding public lands. And the Outdoor Industry Association, in a letter signed by more than 100 outdoor companies -- including Columbia Sportswear, REI, New Balance, Woolrich and the North Face -- says it is “deeply concerned” about the order, which could potentially lead to rescinding and resizing national monuments, as well as opening them up for mining and drilling. Patagonia has been girding its loins for Trump for some time. Last fall, it spent a reported $1 million running full-page ads urging people to “Vote for the Planet.” And it has been deeply involved in the controversy around the Bears Ears Monument in Utah -- 1.35 million acres designated by former President Obama late last year. When Utah passed a resolution asking Trump to remove that designation in February, Patagonia pulled out of Outdoor Retailer, the OIA’s major trade show, protesting Utah’s “hostile” approach to the environment. And last week, the company unveiled an ad about Bears Ears to run on PBS, as well as an extensive video and virtual reality film about the area, detailing its cultural significance, sport opportunities, with easy links to contact Ryan Zinke, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, to protest. click Read More below for more of the story

Recent studies show that a majority of shoppers care not only about what goes into their foods and beverages, but also about the packaging materials that protect those products. For these shoppers, words like “renewable,” “recyclable,” and “responsible” are linked to personal health and sustainable lifestyles. But do these words influence consumers’ brand loyalty and decisions about the products they purchase? click Read More below for additional detail

How do forests make a difference to your life? How do you experience the many benefits that forests provide? Whatever forests mean to you, we want to know. Express yourself through your photos and compete for the 2017 PEFC Photographer of the Year Award! For the first time ever, our members have come together to run a photo contest that spans the world. Taking place in 24 countries, these national contests all run at the same time: from Earth Day (22 April) to World Environment Day (5 June). See if the contest runs in your country! As well as getting the chance to win a fantastic national prize (like a weekend for two in a certified forest!), the best photos from all the national contests will enter the international contest. click Read More below for additional detail

As more and more countries join the PEFC family, we need to ensure our endorsement process can handle this growing number of assessments – all while ensuring it loses none of its rigour. Future-proofing our endorsement process is therefore our aim as we revise the document governing this process. The members of Working Group 6, the body responsible for the revision of this guidance document, have reached consensus on the enquiry draft. This means it is now time for our members to have their say through our thirty-day member consultation. Our members have until 21 May 2017 to give their feedback on this critical document! click Read More below for additional detail

UPM's Zero Solid Waste to Landfill initiative received the Gold Award in the Midwest Region Sustainability competition challenged by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Chicago. According to the panel of judges, UPM's initiative stands out as an excellent example highlighting Supply Managers' responsibility to lead, drive and influence sustainability initiatives within an organization. UPM's Zero Solid Waste to Landfill initiative, launched in 2016, is one of the ways in which UPM contributes to the United Nations sustainable development goals for the year 2030. The initiative focuses on five of the most challenging production side streams to recycle, starting in UPM's home country, Finland. The waste fractions are ash, sludge, sandy bark, dregs and mixed waste. The project's main goal is creating a permanent and scalable operational model around the existing forms of recycling and reuse of these challenging side streams, but it also looks into finding completely new, innovative ways to recycle and reuse the solid waste that has previously ended up in landfills. At UPM approximately 90 per cent of production waste is already today recycled or reused. Before initiating this project, UPM already had zero solid waste to landfill operations at its mills in Austria and Germany. click Read More below for additional detail

UPM Raflatac and Kuehne + Nagel Integrated Logistics have partnered in a study to evaluate and develop the sustainability and performance of UPM Raflatac's supply chain. During the study, UPM Raflatac got a numeric estimation of its current supply chain sustainability, and is now able to follow how the supply chain evolves, study changes and steer development in the right direction. The degree of supply chain sustainability was evaluated using a new model that considers 15 key performance indicators under ecological, economic and societal categories. "The study provided a deeper insight into the broader sustainability impacts of our supply chain. This can help us make informed decisions regarding our logistics optimization," says Oona Koski, Senior Specialist, Sustainability, UPM Raflatac. click Read More below for additional detail

The new infographic is designed to expose corporate greenwashing due to misleading environmental claims like “go green – go paperless” and bust key myths about the switch from paper to digital. The infographic spotlights key facts, including: •U.S. forests grew by 5,800 NFL football fields per day between 2007 and 2012 due to sustainable forestry practices. •91% of U.S. consumers surveyed agree that print and paper can be a sustainable way to communicate when responsibly produced, used and recycled. •Paper is one of the most recycled products in North America with recovery rates of 66% and higher. •Electronic communications have a significant and growing environmental footprint that cannot be ignored by corporations. •85% of U.S. consumers surveyed agree that “go green – go paperless” claims are designed to save costs. click Read More below for additional detail

Klabin, Brazil's largest paper producer and exporter, has registered for the first time at its State Natural Heritage Private Reserve (RPPN) called the Serra da Farofa Complex, the environmental conservation and preservation unit maintained by the company in the state of Santa Catarina, the beautiful and delicate glass frog, a rare and endangered amphibian. The Vitreorana uranoscopa species, which measures between 19 and 25 mm, is typically found in the Southern Atlantic Forest of Brazil and belongs to the Centrolenidae family.Its population is small and inhabits preserved fragments of riparian forests, laying eggs on the leaves that hang over the creeks during the breeding season. The unique features of this species are its translucent body and the sound it emits, which is similar to a spoon knocking on a crystal glass and which enabled its discovery. click Read More below for additional detail

Among the myriad ways climate change is impacting the planet, one of the most visible is the rise in forest fires across the globe. Without a doubt, fire seasons in the U.S. and many other countries across the world are becoming longer and more severe – with human activity bearing responsibility in both the short and long term. According to a study from researchers at the University of Idaho and Columbia University, since 1979 climate change has been responsible for more than half of the dryness of forests in the western U.S. and the increased length of the region’s fire season. Additionally, research from scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that humans are responsible for starting 84 percent of wildfires in the U.S., which has in turn tripled the length of wildfire season. This creates a perfect storm - sometimes the most innocent of fires, such as camp fires, due to dryness of the land, can quickly spread with devastating consequences. This case is not isolated to the U.S. On the other side of the world, Indonesia is currently preparing for the start of the 2017 fire season, with the devastation drought and the infamous 2015 fires at the forefront of everyone’s minds. According to the World Bank, more than 2.6 million hectares of forest, peat and other Indonesian land burned in 2015 and the fires cost the country’s economy $16 billion. It was reported that much of these fires were a result of illegal land clearing, which combined with El Niño created the elements for these devastating results. click Read More below for more of the story

“Making daily green choices is not a trend, it is a regular ritual and a priority for our customers,” said Mark Buckley, vice president, environmental affairs, Staples, Inc. “Our survey found that both businesses and individuals engage in some form of regular eco-friendly activity both in the workplace and at home, and are actively seeking environmentally conscious choices. Staples is excited to be a trusted partner through our large sustainable product assortment and extensive recycling services.” The Staples sustainability study revealed: • 89% of businesses and consumers believe that eco-friendly products are the same or higher quality than non-eco products • While 74% of consumers recycle containers made of glass, metal or plastic, only 51% recycle electronics at the end of their life • 59% of businesses implement one or more energy efficient practices. click Read More below for more of the story

“We are delighted to welcome two new members to the PEFC International Board of Directors, representing the retail sector and labour unions,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. Peter Crook, from Kingfisher PLC, is our new brand owner and retailer representative, and Michael Rose, from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), our new labour representative. Peter and Michael have joined a diverse and vibrant board representing a wide range of interests, including forest owners, indigenous people and traders and buyers. “With two massive projects underway at PEFC at the moment: the revision of our international standards and the development of our new strategy, it is important that we have a strong board, ready to lead the organization forward,” Ben continued. click Read More below for additional detail

Staples, Inc. has been named a 2017 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award winner for continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency achievements, the eighth year in a row the company has been honored. Staples' accomplishments will be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. on April 26, 2017 at a ceremony at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. Staples, an ENERGY STAR partner since 1990, will be honored for the contributions made to energy reduction at their facilities, its continued commitment to climate change and going above and beyond for educating associates and future generations of students. click Read More below for additional detail

Official 2016 emissions data has just been released and the downward trend in emissions from the sector has continued. 2016 emissions are 3.4% lower than those in 2015, and an impressive 48.5% lower than in 2008. While some of this reduction can be attributed to lower production, the great majority has been delivered by investment in new power generation, switching to lower carbon fuels, and a continued focus on energy efficiency. After allowing for changes in production levels, the figures show that the amount of EU ETS-reported carbon dioxide emitted by UK paper mills (per tonne of production) has fallen by almost a third in just nine years. click Read More below for additional detail

Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) welcomes the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) announcement on the conditional approval of the Roadmap to end disassociation with APP. The FSC Board of Directors had given their conditional approval for the Roadmap at their 74th meeting in Jogjakarta, Indonesia, last February 2017. “We are pleased to receive the conditional approval for the Roadmap to end our disassociation with FSC. APP looks forward to working with FSC and other stakeholders to develop the performance indicators and verification plans for the implementation of the Roadmap. Once these have been finalized, we intend to implement the Roadmap as set out in all of its five tracks. click Read More below for additional detail

Official 2016 emissions data has just been released and the downward trend in emissions from the sector has continued. 2016 emissions are 3.4% lower than those in 2015, and an impressive 48.5% lower than in 2008. While some of this reduction can be attributed to lower production, the great majority has been delivered by investment in new power generation, switching to lower carbon fuels, and a continued focus on energy efficiency. After allowing for changes in production levels, the figures show that the amount of EU ETS-reported carbon dioxide emitted by UK paper mills (per tonne of production) has fallen by almost a third in just nine years. click Read More below for additional detail