Canadian forest certification system submitted for endorsement

The year 2021 has become an important year for the U.K. when it comes to taking action on climate change. In addition to hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) later this year, the U.K. government will set the world’s most ambitious climate change target – to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels.[1] U.K. consumers are also becoming more environmentally savvy. In 2020, recycling rates for aluminum beverage can recycling reached 82%, its highest rate ever, and a 6% year-on-year increase from 2019. According to Alupro, there is an increasing awareness among U.K. consumers about the benefits of recycling and a significant shift in their behaviors. The rise in the volume of aluminum recovered from incinerator bottom ash can also be attributed to several new companies being approved to issue Packaging Recovery Notes and the commissioning of several new U.K. energy recovery facilities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $1.5 million Diesel Emission Reduction Act grant to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that ultimately will remove tons of air pollution from diesel-fueled activities at and near the Port of Portland. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy visited Portland to announce the grant at an event at Northwest Container Services with Oregon DEQ Administrator Dick Pedersen. Amongst other projects, the EPA-funded grant will assist local companies in replacing 23 heavy-duty short-haul diesel trucks, traveling more than 1.3 million miles in the Portland metro area each year. West Linn Paper Company will play a significant role in the project as the future owner of at least twelve of the new trucks. The company will take older, less efficient equipment out of use and replace it with new vehicles with improved energy efficiency and more effective filters to remove emissions. The positive impact to the environment will be significant – West Linn Paper anticipates that the project will result in a 20% improvement in fuel economy, and filters capable of removing as much as 90% of the tailpipe emissions.

On Thursday 15 August, an environmental incident was discovered at a Stora Enso harvesting site in Kainuu, Finland, and the incident is being investigated as an aggravated nature conservation offence. Forestry machinery has crossed a river where there is a population of the highly endangered freshwater pearl mussel. Stora Enso takes the matter extremely seriously. The authorities and the company have strict responsibility requirements and comprehensive guidelines for the consideration of freshwater pearl mussel in harvesting operations. Stora Enso is cooperating with the police and other authorities to find out what happened at Hukkajoki. As a result of this and our own investigation, our guidelines and procedures will be refined to ensure that everyone involved in harvesting in valuable natural areas is aware of them in the future. This applies both to Stora Enso employees and to our partners, such as contractors and forest owners.