Enviva publishes 2021 Implementation Plans
Enviva has published its 2021 Implementation Plans – a detailed proposal of the company’s goals and initiatives designed to deliver on its commitment to responsible, sustainable wood sourcing.
The company operates according to its global Responsible Sourcing Policy (RSP) – its standing environmental pledge that ensures its wood is sourced according to its strict environmental standards.
Consistent with previous years, Enviva’s 2021 plans define a set of measurable goals for this year in three sections: sustainable forestry standards, verification and transparency, and conservation leadership across the US Southeast, where the company owns and operates wood pellet production plants.
Enviva exports its sustainably sourced bioenergy to power and heat generators in the UK, Europe and Japan, enabling them to replace coal with renewable fuel and to reduce their lifecycle carbon footprint by more than 85%.
“Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we generated positive outcomes last year in our sustainability efforts to help improve forest ecosystems,” said Dr Jennifer Jenkins, vice-president and chief sustainability officer at Enviva.
“As pandemic-related restrictions now begin to ease, we are so excited about the opportunity to get back to full capacity and to continue to work hand-in-hand with our partners on the ground to deliver on our ambitious sustainability promises.”
2021 Implementation Plans – in detail
In 2020, Enviva partnered with GoChain to conduct a pilot programme designed to enhance the traceability of its pellets using blockchain technology. Given the pilot’s success, this year, Enviva will continue to work with GoChain and other partners to develop a technology solution that integrates with Enviva’s existing systems and processes.
Last year, Envvia also made commitments to forest protection and the restoration of sensitive ecosystems via partnerships with conservation organisations such as The Longleaf Alliance and the Forests Stewards Guild.
As part of its work with the Forests Stewards Guild to promote wildlife-oriented forestry in bottomland hardwood forests, Enviva plans to help landowners in coastal North and South Carolina to undertake bottomland hardwood restoration in their forests, to certify their forestland and write sustainable forest management plans for them in the process.
Enviva will continue to strengthen its partnership with The Longleaf Alliance to actively seek longleaf restoration through its wood sourcing on private and public lands across the US Southeast. In 2021, one of the goals of the partnership is to restore 3,500 acres of longleaf pine through restoration-oriented sourcing.
When Enviva launched its enhanced RSP more than two years ago, it pledged to expand high conservation value (HCV) protections through the HCV Resource Network approach – a unique three-step methodology that helps protect HCVs, often referenced as a tool for achieving several UN Sustainable Development Goals. To its knowledge, Enviva is the only wood product consumer firm in the US Southeast that implements the approach for all of its primary feedstock.
In 2020, Enviva laid the groundwork to support the HCV process expansion and is now ready to implement it. The expanded programme includes inspecting tracts for imperilled species and ecological communities. If an imperilled species or ecological community is identified, Enviva will work with the landowner and supplier to implement management and harvest practices that are consistent with the conservation of the element occurrence. Following its HCV policy, Enviva will only source from such tracts if an agreement is reached to help conserve the element occurrence.
The company operates according to its global Responsible Sourcing Policy (RSP) – its standing environmental pledge that ensures its wood is sourced according to its strict environmental standards.
Consistent with previous years, Enviva’s 2021 plans define a set of measurable goals for this year in three sections: sustainable forestry standards, verification and transparency, and conservation leadership across the US Southeast, where the company owns and operates wood pellet production plants.
Enviva exports its sustainably sourced bioenergy to power and heat generators in the UK, Europe and Japan, enabling them to replace coal with renewable fuel and to reduce their lifecycle carbon footprint by more than 85%.
“Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we generated positive outcomes last year in our sustainability efforts to help improve forest ecosystems,” said Dr Jennifer Jenkins, vice-president and chief sustainability officer at Enviva.
“As pandemic-related restrictions now begin to ease, we are so excited about the opportunity to get back to full capacity and to continue to work hand-in-hand with our partners on the ground to deliver on our ambitious sustainability promises.”
2021 Implementation Plans – in detail
In 2020, Enviva partnered with GoChain to conduct a pilot programme designed to enhance the traceability of its pellets using blockchain technology. Given the pilot’s success, this year, Enviva will continue to work with GoChain and other partners to develop a technology solution that integrates with Enviva’s existing systems and processes.
Last year, Envvia also made commitments to forest protection and the restoration of sensitive ecosystems via partnerships with conservation organisations such as The Longleaf Alliance and the Forests Stewards Guild.
As part of its work with the Forests Stewards Guild to promote wildlife-oriented forestry in bottomland hardwood forests, Enviva plans to help landowners in coastal North and South Carolina to undertake bottomland hardwood restoration in their forests, to certify their forestland and write sustainable forest management plans for them in the process.
Enviva will continue to strengthen its partnership with The Longleaf Alliance to actively seek longleaf restoration through its wood sourcing on private and public lands across the US Southeast. In 2021, one of the goals of the partnership is to restore 3,500 acres of longleaf pine through restoration-oriented sourcing.
When Enviva launched its enhanced RSP more than two years ago, it pledged to expand high conservation value (HCV) protections through the HCV Resource Network approach – a unique three-step methodology that helps protect HCVs, often referenced as a tool for achieving several UN Sustainable Development Goals. To its knowledge, Enviva is the only wood product consumer firm in the US Southeast that implements the approach for all of its primary feedstock.
In 2020, Enviva laid the groundwork to support the HCV process expansion and is now ready to implement it. The expanded programme includes inspecting tracts for imperilled species and ecological communities. If an imperilled species or ecological community is identified, Enviva will work with the landowner and supplier to implement management and harvest practices that are consistent with the conservation of the element occurrence. Following its HCV policy, Enviva will only source from such tracts if an agreement is reached to help conserve the element occurrence.
