Policy Initiatives
CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY POLICY
Weyerhaeuser believes public policies that are based on sound science, set forth clear objectives and standards of performance, and leverage free market economics can achieve beneficial change with respect to energy security and greenhouse gas emissions.
We believe the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is through market-based mechanisms, including cap-and-trade. We prefer Congressional action on climate and energy legislation, as this approach is preferable to regulations of greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. We support policies that:
- Recognize the carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the combustion of biomass and biomass derived fuels as carbon neutral.
- Include a broad definition of “renewable biomass” that broadly recognizes renewable biomass forest resources, including energy crops grown on forestlands and the forest product industry’s existing investment in renewable energy.
- Establish a robust domestic and international offset program which recognizes and allows credits for the sequestration and storage of carbon through reforestation, afforestation, avoided deforestation, harvested wood products, and forest management projects.
- Incent and recognize combined heat and power cogeneration facilities for their inherent energy efficiency capacity.
- Incorporate price mechanisms to ensure energy intensive manufacturers are not at a competitive disadvantage in international markets, such as no-cost carbon emission allowances.
- Provide credit for early actions that reduce GHG emissions or increase sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide taken over the past decade.
In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule for stationary sources of greenhouse gases. The tailoring rule phases in EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions by modifying Congressionally established emission thresholds under the Clean Air Act. Unfortunately, in the rule, EPA included emissions from combustion of biomass and biomass-derived fuels in the threshold calculation. This is the first ruling by EPA that does not recognize biomass as carbon neutral, which is the accepted international protocol by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, European Union Emission Trading System, and even many other EPA and Department of Energy programs.
In 2011, EPA has begun moving away from this unprecedented treatment of biomass carbon emissions. They have drafted rules that would defer regulation of carbon emissions from the combustion of biomass for three years. In the interim, the agency will complete a two-year study of these emissions, followed by additional rule-making on biomass.
Weyerhaeuser supports this recent action by EPA. We will work with the agency and other stakeholders in support of a long-term solution that recognizes the carbon neutrality of biomass emissions.
INVOLVEMENT IN POLICY INITIATIVES
Weyerhaeuser supports and is actively involved in national and international climate policy initiatives, including:
- U.S. Climate Action Partnership
- The Forest Products Association of Canada's discussions with Canadian officials to develop equitable, balanced approaches to meet Canada's commitments under the Kyoto Protocol
- The Business Environmental Leadership Council for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change
- The World Business Council for Sustainable Development Energy & Climate focus area core team
- The World Resource Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development Energy greenhouse gas protocol standard development projects
- The U.S. Business Roundtable's Climate Resolve and S.E.E. Change programs
- The Washington State Climate Action Task Force
- The Forest Climate Working Group
- The Western Climate Initiative
- The Forest Carbon Standards committee, accredited by the American National Standards Institute
- Energy Intensive Manufacturers Working Group
GREENHOUSE GAS REPORTING RULES
Weyerhaeuser operations are subject to several federal, state and provincial greenhouse gas reporting rules. All Weyerhaeuser facilities subject to GHG reporting rules are currently in compliance with requirements. In October 2009, EPA published the "Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gas" rule and in March 2011 deferred the reporting deadline until September 2011. Weyerhaeuser facilities subject to the EPA rule have implemented measuring and monitoring systems to comply with the EPA's reporting requirements.
Last updated June 10, 2011.
