Boise Cascade sets goal to reduce greenhouse gas

Boise Cascade announced March 26 that it will reduce from a 2004 baseline its total greenhouse gas emissions an additional 10 percent by 2014. The company will reach this goal through energy conservation programs, by converting from fossil fuels to renewable biomass fuels, and by exploring combined heat and power (cogeneration) opportunities. In the five years prior to the 2004 baseline, Boise reduced its total greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent. Currently, more than 60 percent of the energy Boise uses in its manufacturing operations comes from renewable biomass.

Boise set this new goal in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Climate Leaders Partnership. The partnership is a voluntary program sponsored by the EPA to help companies set aggressive, corporate-wide greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Under Climate Leaders, Boise developed a greenhouse gas inventory and management plan. Boise will report annually to the EPA on progress toward achieving its goal.

"While we have been reducing fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions in our operations for many years, we believe setting this next goal and being an active partner in Climate Leaders are important steps in continuing to improve our performance and live up to our commitment to manage our businesses to sustain environmental resources for future generations," said Rob McNutt, Boise's vice president of public policy.

"Our Climate Leaders partners are demonstrating corporate climate change leadership by embracing energy efficiency, green power, and technological innovation as sound business investments," said EPA deputy administrator Marcus Peacock. "Many of the nation's leading companies are working aggressively with EPA to lower their greenhouse gas emissions in ways that advance President Bush's climate change strategy."

Boise Cascade will share more of its perspective on climate change on March 27 when CEO Tom Stephens will give testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.

In addition to continuing to reduce greenhouse gases from its operations, Boise is a strong advocate of reducing climate change by actively and sustainably managing forestland.

"Healthy, growing forests sequester carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas," said McNutt. "On the other hand, forests that are not actively managed are prone to catastrophic wildfires that pollute water sources, destroy acres of trees and wildlife habitat, and add to climate change by producing huge amounts of carbon dioxide." McNutt added that forests are a renewable source of home building materials that also store carbon over the long term, especially wood installed in homes that may last hundreds of years.

Boise, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, manufactures engineered wood products, plywood, lumber, and particleboard and distributes a broad line of building materials, including wood products manufactured by the company. Boise also manufactures a wide range of specialty and premium products, including imaging papers for the office and home and papers for pressure- sensitive applications, as well as printing and converting papers, containerboard and corrugated boxes, newsprint, and market pulp.