Domtar has proclaimed its support to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision that carbon dioxide emissions from sustainably-managed sources of biomass have to be measured neutral for greenhouse gas emissions.
The memorandum from EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Janet McCabe, highlights that not all biomass is created equal when it comes to regulating greenhouse gas emissions.
Just because a resource is renewable does not automatically make it sustainable. Today’s memorandum helps make that important point, said, David Struhs, VP, Corporate Communications and Sustainability.
The announcement is a revolutionary one as EPA identifies the environmental and economic value of using biomass feedstock produced from waste materials.
EPA’s direction on this issue promotes the idea of extracting as much value as possible from sustainably harvested biomass, which brings together economic and environmental interests, says, Struhs.
Biomass takes carbon from atmosphere on growing, and gives back when burned. By managing on a sustainable basis, biomass is harvested as part of a replenished crop. It is generally achieved through woodland or arboricultural, as part of a continuous program of replanting.
The new growth consumes carbon from the atmosphere which at the same is released by combustion of the previous harvest, maintaining a closed carbon cycle with no net increase in atmospheric CO2 levels.
Domtar is the largest producer of uncoated paper in North America.
Sabeena Wahid
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