Energy & Environment

AF&PA announced key advocacy priorities for 2024. Our policy priorities include safety, sustainability and energy and the environment. That’s in addition to several regulatory and policy challenges facing the paper and wood products industry this year.

Energy is required to make paper and wood products. As a leader in sustainability, the forest products industry has made significant strides to increase energy efficiency, reducing purchased energy by more than 13% since 2005.  

AF&PA and AWC testified today before the House Energy and Commerce Committee urging legislative action to modernize U.S. air quality programs. We stand ready to work with the Administration to strengthen and support sustainable air regulations.

The American Forest & Paper Association and American Wood Council responded to the EPA’s updated National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter. This unworkable PM NAAQS rule undermines President Biden's promise to grow and reshore manufacturing jobs.

The paper and wood products industry is part of a circular value chain that prides itself on sustainable practices. One of the ways we’re doing that is through the production of renewable biomass energy. Then we use that biomass energy to fuel our mills so we don’t have to use as much fossil fuels…

AF&PA joined leaders of over 70 trade groups representing businesses across the economy in urging the Biden administration to maintain the existing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The letter warned that moving forward with EPA’s proposed…

EPA is proposing an update to their National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter, PM2.5. However, their proposal threatens manufacturing industries, including the paper industry. Lowering the standard would threaten or prevent modernization projects and other major…

Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. That gets stored in forests and forest products. The forest products industry is also taking steps to improve greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy efficiency. In fact, the industry has reduced GHG emissions by more than 24% since 2005.

Sustainability is an important consideration across industries. The paper industry was one of the first manufacturing industries to voluntarily set quantifiable sustainability goals. We have made significant strides toward sustainable forest management, resource efficiency and paper recycling.

The American Forest & Paper Association opposes the EPA’s final rule for Federal Implementation Plans (FIP) Addressing Regional Ozone Transport for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NOx FIP). The "Good Neighbor" rule should exclude paper mill boilers.

The American Forest & Paper Association and American Wood Council are disappointed EPA is proposing to significantly tighten the current NAAQS Standard for particulate matter. Lowering the NAAQS could stifle mill modernization projects that otherwise reduce emissions while keeping the U.S…

The EPA issued the final rule for Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology. While AF&PA appreciates the final rule allowing mills to avoid costly retrofits to many existing boilers, we are disappointed by the agency’s treatment of boilers operating in the last decade as "new."