Forest products giant Weyerhaeuser Co. is pledging to set an example to the rest of the industry by cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2020, a move it said should be good for both its bottom line and the environment.
Weyerhaeuser, which has major operations in Canada, says it hopes to achieve that goal by investing in new technology that will allow its North American pulp mills to run on alternative energy sources such as biomass, instead of fossil fuels.
"By making this move, we know we will not only save money, but we will also make a significant contribution to our environmental performance," said Ernesta Ballard, senior vice-president at Weyerhaeuser, which is based in Federal Way, Wash.
In an environmental sustainability report to be released today, Weyerhaeuser says the 40-per-cent reduction from emission levels in 2000 would be the equivalent of taking 700,000 cars off the road.
Setting such a target makes good business sense, industry officials say, because under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, carbon dioxide released when wood (or any biomass) is burned does not count as greenhouse gas. "Sooner or later, there will be rewards for those that are generating green power of any sort," said John Swaan, executive director of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada, whose members supply a key ingredient used to produce biomass. "If you emit fossil fuels into the atmosphere, you are going to pay," he said.
Mr. Swaan was referring to the fact that Quebec is proposing to introduce a tax on hydrocarbons, a move that is being backed by Michael Ignatieff, a high-profile contender in the race to lead the federal Liberal Party.
Pierre Sadik, a senior policy adviser with the David Suzuki Foundation, said the forest sector is not known to be a greenhouse-gas-intensive industry.
However, he said "good corporate citizens" in the sector may be happy to see the introduction of a common set of pollution standards in Canada. "It takes away any advantage that companies who are doing things on the cheap may have," he said.
Weyerhaeuser believes it is already 13 per cent towards the emission targets it has set for itself, Ms. Ballard said. It plans to take another step toward its goal by investing $344-million (U.S.) in technology upgrades at pulp mills at Red River, La., and Grand Prairie, Alta.
In Grand Prairie, for example, the company is spending $160-million to harness the benefits of biomass as a fuel in the boilers that generate steam and electrical energy in the pulp mill. Biomass is a fuel that consists of bark, lignin (a substance that binds wood fibres) and other organics in spent pulping chemicals.
When the upgrade is complete next February, the Grand Prairie operation, which also includes a sawmill and related timberlands, is expected to be not only energy self-sufficient but capable of supplying excess power to the grid.
"This will be a new revenue stream for us," said Sarah Goodman, a spokesman for Weyerhaeuser's Canadian division.
Weyerhaeuser is not the only player in the sector trying to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Canfor Corp., Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. and Tolko Industries Ltd. are taking similar steps.
"There is no reason why environmental and financial considerations can't go hand in hand," said Seth Kursman, spokesman for Montreal-based Abitibi.
Since 1990, Abitibi has cut its emissions by nearly 50 per cent on a per tonne of paper produced basis, he said. It has achieved that target through projects that include replacing 20 per cent of the natural gas that is consumed at its Thorold, Ont., mill with gas produced from a nearby landfill.
"We can't continue to use the atmosphere as a dumping ground for carbon dioxide," Mr. Kursman said.Toronto Globe and Mail
