BMI Environment Committee

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BMI Environment Committee

• Bill Upton
• May 6, 2008

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Presentation Topics

• Mission, Tasks, Members of the Committee
• BISG/GPI Environmental Report
• Forest Carbon Loss Real or Unreal
• PCW CO2 Emissions The Data Behind the Data
• Where To Go For Information

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Mission, Tasks, Committee Members
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Mission

• To act as an information resource for BMI members
  on environmental issues concerning the book
  industry

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Tasks Underway

• At this conference poll membership regarding
  topics of current interest
• Provide links to information sources
• In this presentation
• On BMI website
• Help Conference Committee find speakers on
  environmental topics
• Create e-mail facility to answer member questions
• Identify and communicate proven best practices

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Environment Committee Members

• Co-chair Jim Cannatella, International Paper
• Co-chair Julie Skibniewski, Appleton Coated
• Other members
• Gary Armstrong, Quebecor World
• Tracey Shanton, Glatfelter
• Bill Upton, Malloy
• Bruce Smith, BMI

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BISG/GPI Environmental Report

• Published March 2008
• Topic 1 Forest Carbon Loss, Real or Unreal

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7.6 million tons
p. 24
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p. 24
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Calculating Forest Carbon Loss(BISG/GPI Report,
p. 26)

• U.S. book industry uses 1.6 million tons of paper
• Recipe for 1.6 million tons of book paper
  requires 4.2 million tons of wood
• Dry wood is ½ carbon
• Wood used represents 2.1 million tons carbon
• Mass of CO2 molecule is 3.67 times C atom
• Wood used for book paper contains 7.6 million
  tons of CO2 equivalents (2.1 million x 3.67)

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Is BISG/GPI Report Correct?

• When wood is harvested, the carbon it contains
  stays in the wood
• It isnt immediately released to the air as CO2
• The purpose of a carbon footprint is to figure
  out what happens to the atmosphere
• Though the data in the BISG/GPI report are
  corrected for this fact, the inclusion of Forest
  Carbon Loss as an emission is conceptually
  incorrect.
• Harvesting wood doesnt cause a permanent loss of
  carbon in the forest, because
• Trees are a renewable resource, they grow back
• This fact has not been accounted for in the
  BISG/GPI report

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Why Re-growth Is RelevantThe Example of Biofuels
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Re-growth Must Be Counted

• Harvesting trees for making paper is a process
  similar to the biofuel example, because trees are
  a renewable resource
• However, the BISG/GPI report depicts paper making
  as a process similar to the fossil fuel example,
  as though trees were not renewable
• This is incorrect

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Recent Concerns About Biofuels

• Criticism greater demand for biofuel crops
  leads to clearing forests to grow those crops
• Clearing forests for annual crops deforestation
• Deforestation should be counted in biofuels
  analysis
• Forestry is not deforestation
• Forestry treated differently from deforestation
  under IPCC carbon accounting rules
• No one is challenging the cyclical carbon
  neutral nature of biofuels

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Key Question

• To what extent do we replace the wood we harvest?

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U.S. Picture

• Were clearly growing back more wood than we
  harvest in the U.S.
• Growing stock has increased 50 in the last 50
  years
• While we have harvested vast amounts of wood
• Growing stock is live wood
• The more live wood in our forests, the more
  carbon our forests contain
• U.S. papers 60 of U.S. book market
• (John Maine, RISI)

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Canadian Forest Service Data

• Canadian picture closer to neutral than U.S.
• 5 of last 16 years Canadian forests lost carbon
• 11 of last 16 years Canadian forests gained
  carbon
• On average, Canadian forests gained 50 million
  tonnes of carbon per year
• Canada is growing back enough to replace both
  harvests and other tree mortality, plus a little
  bit more
• Canadian papers 23 of U.S. book market
• (John Maine, RISI)

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The Rest of the World

• Chinese papers 6 of U.S. book market
• 1949 to late 70s, forest carbon in China
  declined
• Since late 70s, forest carbon in China
  increasing 21 million tonnes per year (Science,
  June 2001)
• China is now growing back more than it harvests
• However, China may also draw wood from other
  countries that are losing forest carbon
• All other countries 11 of U.S. book market
• Ratio of growth to harvest for all other
  unknown
• Given heavy forest growth in U.S., and
  preponderance of fiber sourced from U.S. and
  Canada, clearly we are growing back more wood and
  carbon than we harvest in the fiber basket for
  the U.S. book market.
• (Market share data by country, John Maine, RISI)

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Ontario Forest Research Institute Division of
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

• Fact and Fantasy About Forest Carbon
• (The Forestry Chronicle, March/April 2008)
• Forest management in Ontario, as governed by the
  Crown Forest Sustainability Act, increases total
  boreal forest carbon stock over the long term
• Translation harvesting trees under an FSC, SFI,
  or CSA program results in greater forest carbon
  storage than occurs in a forest left entirely
  alone.
• Forests left entirely alone also experience major
  mortality events due to fires, blow-downs, and
  insects

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Metafore Environmental Non-governmental
Organization Coordinating Organization of the
Paper Working GroupCreators of the Environmental
Paper Assessment Tool

• The Paper Consumers Guide to Climate Change
• Far from reducing forest coverthe forest
  products industry, which manufactures paper, has
  provided an irresistible economic incentive to
  keep land forested. (p.3)

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So What?

• Readers of the BISG/GPI report will conclude its
  environmentally friendly to move to electronic
  books
• Not true
• E-books, made of plastics and metals, have larger
  carbon footprint than print books
• Would you like paper or plastic? Paper still
  wins.
• Transition to e-books should be based on
  operational advantages to the consumer
• U.S. book industry isnt causing Forest Carbon
  Loss
• For more information see http//www.malloy.com/ca
  rbonanalysis/

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BISG/GPI Environmental Report

• Published March 2008
• Topic 2 Post Consumer Waste (PCW) and CO2
  Emissions,
• The Data Behind the Data

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One Claim of the BISG/GPI Report

• If U.S. book industry use of PCW goes from 5 to
  30,
• We will save 1 billion lbs. of greenhouse gases
  per yr.
• (BISG/GPI Report, p.45)
• Claim is based on output displayed by Paper
  Calculator
• On website of Environmental Defense
• GHG emissions 1 ton uncoated freesheet
• 0 recycled 5,690 pounds
• 100 recycled 3,582 pounds
• Calculation explained in White Paper No. 3
• Also, on website of Environmental Defense
• Written by Paper Task Force in 1995, data updated
  2002

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Closer Look at White Paper No. 3

• White Paper No. 3 written to compare disposal
  methods
• Recycling vs. Landfill or Incineration
• Compares 3 Life Cycles (WP No. 3, p.3)
• Virgin fiber to paper to landfill
• Virgin fiber to paper to incinerator
• Recycled fiber to paper to recycled fiber
• At end of life, White Paper No. 3 assumes
• All paper made from virgin fiber gets landfilled
  or incinerated
• All paper made from recycled fiber gets recycled
• GHG just one of 15 emissions evaluated by WP No. 3

Waste Mgmt.
80 20
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Closer Look at White Paper No. 3Greenhouse Gas
Emissions by Stage for Office Paper
Table C-3, p. 132 of White Paper No. 3 Numbers
represent pounds of GHG per ton of paper
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Closer Look at White Paper No. 3Greenhouse Gas
Emissions by Stage for Office Paper

• In making uncoated freesheet, virgin fiber has
  lower GHG emissions because biomass is used as
  fuel for mill
• For most of other 15 emissions, PCW is lower
• For some other products (e.g. newsprint), PCW is
  lower
• Newsprint offers other benefits higher yield
• New disclaimer on Paper Calculator
• Results based on general data
• Actual emissions vary from mill to mill
• Mill results dependent on power supply fossil
  fuel or other

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Closer Look at White Paper No. 3Greenhouse Gas
Emissions by Stage for Office Paper

• White Paper No. 3 explains calculations of Paper
  Calculator
• Claim on p. 45 of BISG/GPI report based on Paper
  Calculators calculations for uncoated freesheet
• For uncoated freesheet, White Paper No. 3 says
• Publishers decision to use PCW doesnt reduce
  GHG emissions
• Consumers decision to recycle paper at end of
  life reduces GHG emissions
• If our concern as an industry is to minimize GHG
  emissions, we should focus on
• Recycling paper at end of life
• Channeling recycled paper to uses where GHG
  savings are greatest in next life cycle

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Thomas Pollock of MetaforeProject Manager, Paper
Working GroupInterview Appearing in Summer 2007
Issue of Axis Advisory

• When people buy paper products theyre focused
  on recycled content as a measure of good
  environmental performance Why is this not
  adequate if a company wants to do the right
  thing?
• Tom To get a true measure of environmental
  performance you have to look at the life-cycle of
  a product. Considering just a few criteria
  doesnt make it possible to do that. With paper
  products, this means understanding environmental
  performance at the forest level, mill level, how
  it gets to the consumer, etc.  
• Recycled content is important - but it is not the
  whole picture. For example, climate change is a
  big issue and choosing a recycled product does
  not fully address climate change. CO2 and other
  greenhouse gas emissions have to be taken into
  account. What is happening at the paper mill and
  what type of energy is used to make a paper
  product can be as important as what the product
  consists of in terms of environmental performance.

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Bottom Line

• PCW content as one dimensional assessment of a
  papers environmental quality isnt enough
• The picture is more complex
• Paper Working Groups EPAT helps sort out some of
  the complexity
• We need to help educate publishers and the public

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Paper Working Groups Desired Outcomes and
Indicators for Environmentally Preferable Paper
(EPAT)

• 1. Efficient Use Conservation of Raw Materials
• Recovered Content
• Fiber Efficiency
• Water Use
• Energy Use
• 2. Minimization of Waste
• Recyclability Compostability
• 3. Conservation of Natural Systems
• Source of Fiber
• Certified Forest Management
• Sensitive Forest Fiber

• 4. Clean Production
• Air Quality
• Mercury
• Water Quality
• Climate Stability
• Minimum Impact Mill Efforts
• Solid Waste
• Environmental Management System
• 5. Community Human Well Being
• Labor Human Rights
• Human Health Safety
• Stakeholder Impacts
• 6. Credible Verification Reporting
• Public Reporting
• Independent Verification
• 7. Economic Viability

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Where To Go For Information
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Industry Reports

• BISG/GPI Environmental Trends and Climate
  Impacts, Findings from the U.S. Book Industry,
  March 2008
• Copies can be purchased from
• Book Industry Study Group
• http//www.bisg.org/publications/environmental_ben
  chmarking.html
• Green Press Initiative
• https//www.greenpressinitiative.org/orderform.htm
  
• AAP Handbook on Book Paper and the Environment,
  February 2008
• Available for free download on website of the
  Association of American Publishers
• http//www.publishers.org/main/Conferences/documen
  ts/PAPERPAPERFINAL_000.pdf
• MPA 2007 Environment Handbook, June 2007
• Available for free download on website of the
  Magazine Publishers of America
• http//www.magazine.org/content/Files/EnvironmentH
  andbook072007.pdfpage1viewfit
• This report covers many of the same topics
  covered in the AAP Handbook, and some others as
  well. For instance, it contains a thorough
  explanation of TCF, PCF, and ECF bleaching
  processes.

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ENGO Reports Resources

• Environmental Defense Fund
• The Paper Calculator
• http//www.edf.org/papercalculator/
• White Paper No. 3, Lifecycle Environmental
  Comparison Virgin Paper and Recycled
  Paper-Based Systems, Originally published
  December 1995, data updated February 2002,
  Prepared by Paper Task Force
• Available for free download at
• http//www.edf.org/documents/1618_WP3.pdf
• Environmental Paper Network
• The State of the Paper Industry, Monitoring the
  Indicators of Environmental Performance,
  September 2007
• Available for free download at
• http//www.environmentalpaper.org/stateofthepaperi
  ndustry/index.htm

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ENGO Reports Resources

• Metafore
• The Paper Consumers Guide to Climate Change
• To register and receive a free download, go to
• http//www.metafore.org/index.php?pNew_Paper_Cons
  umer's_Guides560
• Environmental Paper Assessment Tool (EPAT)
• To register and use, go to
• https//www.epat.org/EPATHome.aspx?request119
• For a matrix comparing the various forestry
  certification systems, go to
• http//www.certifiedwoodsearch.org/matrix/matrix.a
  spx

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Government Reports

• National Forest Service, division of United
  States Department of Agriculture
• 2007 Forest Inventory Analysis (RPA)
• http//www.fia.fs.fed.us/program-features/rpa/docs
  /2007_RPA_FINAL_59-TABLES20021208a.xls
• Table 3 Forest Area in the United States
• Table 10 Timberland Area in the United States
• Table 20 Net Volume of Growing Stock in the
  United States
• 2002 Forest Inventory Analysis (RPA)
• http//ncrs2.fs.fed.us/4801/fiadb/rpa_tabler/gtr_n
  c241.pdf
• This is not a complete update of FIA data. For
  the most recent complete data set, see the 2007
  FIA. However, the first 10 pages of this file
  contain a good verbal summary of conditions in
  U.S. forests, and pages 12 17 contain a
  glossary of terms. The glossary is helpful in
  understanding things such as what portion of
  overall forests are considered timberland and
  how net volume of growing stock is measured.
• National Report on Sustainable Forests 2003
• http//www.fs.fed.us/research/sustain/documents/Su
  stainableForests.pdf
• This report provides an in-depth assessment of
  U.S. forests using the criteria and indicators of
  sustainable forest management of the Montreal
  Process.

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Government Reports

• Canadian Forest Service
• Is Canadas Forest a Carbon Sink or Source?
• http//cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/news/544
• Ontario Forest Research Institute, part of
  Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
• http//www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/OFRI/2ColumnS
  ubPage/STEL02_165415.htmlHow_forest_management_ca
  n_help_slow_climate_change