EPN Turning the Page

8/14/2019 EPN Turning the Page

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protecting climate, forests and communities through collaboration

turning the page

environmental paper netw rk


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transformati nthrough collaboration

In November of 2002 ,75 members of 56 environmental groupsfrom the U.S., Canada, Indonesia andthe U.K. gathered together to join inan unprecedented commitment tocooperation. For the first time, theyagreed to work together towards anenvironmentally and socially sustainable

paper production system. Today, theEnvironmental Paper Network is one ofthe most creative, enduring and effectiveNGO collaborations in the world.

These are some of the mostinnovative, effective andefficient groups working onenvironmental issues today.

Pamela Allen

Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund


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environmental paper netw rkis led by a Steering Committeeof North Americas leadingenvironmental paper advocates

w h o w e a r e

Throughcollaboration,

the Steering Committee provides

leadership to a global network

of over 100 organizations with a

Common Vision to transform

the paper industry.

www.conservatree.orgwww.dogwoodalliance.org

www.forestethics.org

www.climateforideas.org

www.canopyplanet.org

www.nwf.org

www.ran.org

www.nrcm.org

www.greenpressinitiative.org

www.betterpaper.org


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the factsPaper is one of the worlds top contributors toclimate change and the loss of Endangered Forests.

We need a deforestation preventionplan. Deforestation accounts for 20percent of global carbon emissionsthe equivalent to the total emissionsof the U.S. or China. Al Gore

Former U.S. Vice President


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paper is changing the climate

Forests store approximately 50% of allterrestrial carbon. Some of the best remain-ing carbon stores the forests of BritishColumbia and the Boreal, Indonesian tropi-cal rainforests, the Southern U.S.s naturalforests and Tasmanian eucalyptus forests are all under serious threat from the paperindustry.

papers lifecycle is a triplethreat to global warming

sourcing impacts production impacts disposal impacts

t h e f a c t s

The U.S. paper industry is the fourth largestindustrial direct source of greenhousegas emissions and the third largest user offossil fuels. When accounting for forestcarbon loss and production emissions, it isestimated that that U.S. paper productioncontributes 10% of our annual greenhousegas emissions.

Paper makes up one-third of landfills and it isthe largest single component of our landfillwaste. As it decomposes, paper producesmethane, a greenhouse gas that is 25 timesmore potent than carbon dioxide. A recentstudy reports that diverting large quantitiesof waste, like paper, from landfills couldreduce emissions equal to closing 21% ofU.S. coal-fired power plants.


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t h e f a c t s

gl bal paper consumption

The conversion of natural forests to indus-trial tree plantations is threatening the lastremaining reserves of biodiversity acrossthe planet, from the forests of the southernU.S. and Chile to Canada, Brazil, Australia,Russia and Indonesia. In the southern U.S.alone, one in every five acres of forest,more than 42 million acres total, has beenconverted into a tree plantation.

destroyingendangered forests

polluting ourwater, land and air

harming peopleand communities

The paper industry is the single largestconsumer and polluter of water in devel-oped nations. In the U.S., the industry ranksfourth among industrial sectors in emissionsof toxic chemicals to water and third in suchreleases to air. There has been an 800%increase in the use of chemical fertilizers ontree plantations in the southern U.S. since1990. This is projected to double by 2040.

Land rights and livelihoods are beingimpacted by some unscrupulous papercompanies, both by clearing natural forestsand by the establishment of plantations onland without the consent of local people. InCanada, Indonesia, and around the world,indigenous communities have seen theirtraditional livelihoods jeopardized by theindustrial logging of their lands.

is fast approaching an unsustainable onemillion tons per day. our environment andour people are paying the price.

Photo: David Gilbert/RAN


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the good newstogether, we can protect our climate, forests,water, air and communities by supporting thenew marketplace for environmental paper.

Paper provides a great opportunity forimpact reduction because the alterna-tives and solutions already exist. Reducingconsumption, utilizing recycled and agri-

cultural residue fibers, acquiring ForestStewardship Council (FSC) certification,and implementing clean production tech-nologies are all proven solutions that theNetwork supports with the consensus ofover 100 diverse organizations.

the solutions exist

From demonstrations to boardrooms, ourNetwork is responsible for igniting the greenspark in corporate America. Transforma-tions across many different sectors arecatalyzing global efforts. As a whole, ourNetwork creates the strength necessary totransform a powerful industry and achievetangible environmental and social benefits.

we are a powerful networkcreating change in every sector

Demand drives the marketplace. Becauseof our Network, individuals and institutionsare making the connection between paper,its environmental and social impacts, andbrand image. Green companies are beingrewarded with higher profit margins andmore companies are developing meaningfulenvironmental policies and goals as part oftheir business plan.

consumers are with us


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soluti nsThe Common Vision for Transforming the Paper Industry is the EnvironmentalPaper Networks collective blueprint to achieving an environmentally and socially

sustainable paper industry. The Common Vision charts the four key solutions tosustainability.

The paper network has proven results in transforming indus-try and consumer practice. This coordinated effort ensures thatdifferent strategies can be employed from a variety of organi-zations big and small, left and right, near and far, all workingtowards a common end.

Jenny Russell, Executive Director Merck Family Fund
http://www.environmentalpaper.org/commonvision.htmlhttp://www.environmentalpaper.org/commonvision.htmlhttp://www.environmentalpaper.org/commonvision.htmlhttp://www.environmentalpaper.org/commonvision.htmlhttp://www.environmentalpaper.org/commonvision.html


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keys to protecting climate,forests & communities

s o l u t i o n s

the four C mmon Vision pillars

Regardless of the company,public agency, or individual,using less paper yields thegreatest environmental bene-fits. Our Network leverageseconomic and environmentalconcerns to advance reductionsin paper usage.

reduce paperconsumption

maximizerecycled content

ensure responsiblefiber sourcing

A ton of recycled fiber requires44% less energy to produce thanvirgin fiber, emits 38% fewergreenhouse gas emissions andconserves up to 24 trees. OurNetwork encourages manufac-turers, purchasers, suppliers andgovernments to maximize the useof recycled fiber.

Old growth and other ecologi-cally important forests are stillbeing logged for paper. OurNetwork promotes the principlesfor responsible fiber sourcingoutlined in the Common Visionand supports the Forest Steward-ship Council (FSC) certificationsystem.

Our Network encourages pulpand paper manufacturers tominimize harmful air and waterpollution by using cleanertechnology such as oxygendelignification and non-chlorinebleaching.

promote cleanproduction


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vict riesIn fewer than ten years, the groups that comprise the Environmental Paper Networkhave achieved hundreds of victories for our climate, forests and communities.

Those who care about the health of our forest ecosystems andforest dependent communities around the world owe a debt ofgratitude to the members of the Environmental Paper Network.This movement has worked tirelessly to educate corporations,governments, and the general consumer that their paperpurchasing decisions can either have devastating ecological

consequences or be a force for positive change. Corey BrinkemaPresident, FSC-US


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v i c t o r i e s

safeguarding ur climateThanks to the Environmental Paper Network, there is a new marketplace for low-carbon paper.Companies and consumers across the planet are realizing that from harvest to landfill, paper is aserious climate matter, and they are undertaking crucial efforts to reduce their carbon emissions.

Safeguarding our climate starts with reducing consumption.Unwanted mail consumes more than 100,000 trees and emitsgreenhouse gases equivalent to 9 million cars annually. Networkmembers National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources DefenseCouncil and The Ecology Center collaborated to create CatalogChoice in 2007. This popular service has provided 1,300 retailerswith paperless marketing opportunities, recorded 16 million cata-log opt-outs for 1.1 million consumers and is incorporating newforms of advertising mail into the service this year.

catalog choice serves over 1 million people new climate goals for book publishersMore than forty book industry companies make up the Book IndustryEnvironmental Council. Chaired by Hachette Book Group and coor-dinated by the Green Press Initiative, the council recently announcednew goals to reduce the book industrys greenhouse gas emissions20% by 2020 with the intent of achieving an 80% reduction by2050. This 20% reduction will represent a savings equivalent toremoving 450,000 cars from the road annually. A global first inpublishing, this industry-wide commitment is also providing leader-ship and replicable techniques for other industries.


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v i c t o r i e s

pr tecting endangered forestsCollective pressure from Network members has influenced companies in every sector to protectendangered forests and these commitments are having an effect on the ground.

Forest certification plays an indispensable role in protect-ing endangered forests. Due in large part to the Environ-mental Paper Networks support for the Forest StewardshipCouncil (FSC) certification, customers are asking questionsabout where their paper comes from and FSCs market shareis experiencing enormous growth.

The number of paper-related FSC certificate holders in theU.S. is dramatically increasing from just 3 in 2003 to 1,880in 2010 and certifications grew more than 200% overthe past two years alone. Total FSC-certified forestland inNorth America increased from 12 million acres in 2003 toover 100 million acres today. Mills that were once opposed

to FSC are now pursuing certification for their products andforestlands because of consumer demand.

Globally, more than 280 millionacres of forests are now FSC certi-fied. This growth is resulting innumerous environmental and socialbenefits, including less conversionof natural forests to plantations, areduction in the amount of herbi-cides and fertilizers used on treeplantations, and the protection ofthe rights of Aboriginal Peoples andforest-dependent communities.

the growth ofForest Stewardship Council

As a result of the demand for FSC certification that theNetwork has helped generate, more than 7.5 million acresof the Boreal have gained High Conservation Value Forest

status, meaning they are now voluntarily set aside asprotected areas. Corey Brinkema - President, FSC-US


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v i c t o r i e s

protecting c mmunitiesThe Environmental Paper Network is ensuring that commitments to protect quality of life becomethe norm for the paper industry by informing and educating customers and investors about industrypractices that harm people and communities.

For more than a decade, Grassy Narrows First Nation fought for theirancestral land rights by protesting the clear-cutting of their forests forpaper products. This 800-person community has lived on the same2.4 million acres of Boreal forest in northwest Ontario for thousandsof years.

The Grassy Narrows First Nation is one of many examples of peoplecoming together to successfully protect indigenous communities, localeconomies and the long-term health of the environment. Through thework of many, including Rainforest Action Network, local communitiesand other NGOs, this community was successful in pressuring oneof the largest paper companies in the world to stop logging in their

traditional territories. Unfortunately, people still struggle to protect their rights in manypaper-producing regions and documented cases are occurring inIndonesia, Australia, Canada, Russia and around the world.

The Grassy Narrows First Nation victory sets an important globalprecedent for the rights of indigenous communities. The EnvironmentalPaper Network supports the United Nations recognition of theprinciple of free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peopleregarding activities carried out on ancestral lands. Continued supportfrom environmental and human rights advocates and consumers willhelp ensure that the rights of indigenous communities are respected.

Grassy Narrows protecting indigenous rights


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The NGOs that are working on this issue are creating remarkabletransformations by engaging consumers and the worlds largestcorporations, financial institutions and governments to leverageenvironmental responsibility in the marketplace. Were proud toinvest in their work and encourage others to join us.

Don WeedenExecutive Director, Weeden Foundation

Be a part of The Environmental PaperNetwork and our successes. Our funding

partners work with us to protect humanhealth, climate, and critical forestsand biodiversity for current and futuregenerations.

we invite you to help usturn the page by joining our growingcircle of partners

Environmental Paper Network16 Eagle Street, Suite 200Asheville, NC 28801Web: www.environmentalpaper.orgEmail: [email protected]: 828-251-8558

to learn more contact:

join the m vement

This report is printed selectively. When printed, we use 100%post consumer recycled paper that is processed chlorine free(PCF). We respectfully encourage you to do the same whenprinting documents.
http://www.environmentalpaper.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.environmentalpaper.org/

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