Features Environment & Sustainability
IFRA Expo to be carbon-neutral, thanks to AbitibiBowater

An innovative partnership will make this year’s IFRA Expo a completely carbon-neutral event. AbitibiBowater is prov…

An innovative partnership will make this year’s IFRA Expo a completely carbon-neutral event. AbitibiBowater is providing carbon credits that it has accumulated through its own energy-saving initiatives to offset all of the exhibition’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

“This is a significant agreement, both for our own company and for WAN-IFRA,” says Denis Leclerc, AbitibiBowater’s vice-president, sustainability and environment. The carbon credits are held at the Chicago Climate Exchange.

“We have reduced our own GHG emissions per tonne of paper produced by 31% from 2000 levels on an intensity basis. In absolute terms emissions are down by 52%, or 2.8 million tonnes of CO2. That equates to removing 560,000 cars from the roads and reflects a company-wide focus on improved energy efficiency and on switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Having already achieved considerable reductions in GHG emissions, we are raising the bar by striving to become a carbon-neutral enterprise ourselves.”

Commenting for the newly merged World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), CEO Reiner Mittelbach says: “Environmental aspects are becoming increasingly important for the news publishing and media industries. Sustainability is what is called for today. Therefore we as WAN-IFRA especially welcome the fact that, due to our partnership with AbitibiBowater, we are able to counterbalance the CO2 emissions caused by the visitors and exhibitors at IFRA Expo 2009. We are working towards our ultimate goal of making all WAN-IFRA events CO2-neutral.”
AbitibiBowater produces a wide range of newsprint, commercial printing papers, market pulp, and wood products.

Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) operates North America’s only cap and trade system for all six greenhouse gases, with global affiliates and projects worldwide. CCX emitting members make a voluntary, but legally binding commitment to meet annual GHG emission reduction targets. Those who reduce below the targets have surplus allowances to sell or bank; those who emit above the targets comply by purchasing CFI contracts.