Earth Day is April 22, 2019, and to celebrate, we are sharing some environmental highlights from our businesses. Air, land, and water are areas where the JDI team works every day to reduce our environmental footprint. Below are some of the efforts and results:
Since 1990, our Pulp and Paper operations have reduced their carbon footprint by 55%. This puts us amongst top performers in North America and exceeds the target set by the Government of Canada and the Paris Climate Change Accord.
Today renewable green energy sources account for 59% of the fuel used at our pulp, paper, and tissue mills as well as our sawmills.
A recent $30 million investment at Lake Utopia Paper near St. George, N.B. earned the team the 2019 Industry Excellence Award from Natural Resources magazine. Natural Resources magazine’s 2019 Industry Excellence Award in Environmental Stewardship. The new environmental treatment facility turns organic waste into clean-burning biogas. This green energy replaces the use of fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25%. Check out the video here:
This year we will plant over 16 million trees – Nature’s air filters. Over the next 50 years growing trees on the lands we manage will absorb over 92 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. That’s equal to 350,000 cars off the road each year for the next 50 years.
NBM Railways have achieved a 31.4% improvement in fuel efficiency (2015-2018) – reducing fossil fuel consumption by over 13 million liters.
On 11 November 2015 in Helsinki, Finland, the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Board of Directors approved the Requirements for Sourcing FSC Controlled Wood (FSC-STD-40-005 V3-0). The standard has now been published on the FSC International website, and it is planned that it will enter into force on 1 July 2016.
The approved standard – which can be downloaded here – outlines the requirements for organizations with an FSC chain of custody certificate to implement a due diligence system to avoid material from unacceptable sources which cannot be used in FSC Mix products. Unacceptable sources are the five categories of controlled wood, which are defined in the standard.
“American Eagle’s Project Phoenix proves that intentional focus on increased efficiency benefits company operations – environmentally, socially and economically,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. American Eagle Paper Mills commissioned Project Phoenix to increase efficiency and reduce water use at their Tyrone, Pennsylvania, mill – one of the oldest working paper mills in the United States. Infrastructure updates resulted in an 83 percent reduction in total daily river and watershed water withdrawal; a 91 percent reduction in daily water consumption; and an 18.1 percent reduction in process water effluent per ton of paper produced. Click Read More below for additional information.
From the high use of water and pesticides to produce cotton, to the climate impact of manufacturing synthetic fibres, the fashion industry is one of the most resource intensive industries in the world. In response, the fashion industry is increasingly looking to implement sustainability within its supply chains. This week, we are at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit to promote our solution directly to fashion brands and retailers. The solution? Forests, of course! Forests provide materials and fibres for many of the common consumer products we use today. Yarn from cypress, beech and eucalyptus trees can make fibres for clothing. Cork and wood can be used for not only clothing, but accessories too. Check out the shoes we are taking to the Summit, made from eucalyptus and natural rubber. Click Read More below for additional information.
