Canadian Biomass • Fall 2022 • WPAC

Today, our planet faces challenges that are both overwhelming and confusing. From the energy crisis in Europe, to war in the Ukraine to the catastrophic impacts of climate change. The news is overpoweringly negative.

Despite these challenges, global efforts to tackle climate change, alleviate energy poverty and strengthen community resiliency persist. There’s no denying the truth, the advancement of new renewable energy alternatives to replace fossil fuel generated power is key in our fight against climate change.

WPAC’s sustainability commitment to a better world recognizes that the fight against climate change requires immediate and urgent action. Typically, WPAC members are small players in the forest sector turning wood “waste” into bioenergy, providing an outlet for the sawmill sector, reducing slash burning, displacing fossil fuels and helping customers around the world meet their climate targets. What’s not to love?

But there are challengers out there and the media are quick to pick up on conflict – maybe it’s more interesting than collaboration. As many communications experts say, ‘If it bleeds, it leads.’

It’s against this backdrop, that more than 200 participants joined thought leaders from all corners of the world to converge in Vancouver, B.C. at WPAC’s annual conference to discuss sustainable solutions that harness the indisputable and galvanizing power of partnerships. On September 20 to 21, these champions of the bioeconomy came together from Indigenous communities, European nations, government and industry, and leading think tanks to share their experiences and insights for a better world.

The fact is together we can make real change. From reducing energy poverty in Atlantic Canada and remote and Indigenous communities to supporting global efforts in Europe and Asia to displace fossil fuels with fibre from Canada that would otherwise be burned.

We are prepared to tackle challenges head on. We are also prepared to address concerns and answer questions about our commitment to sustainability.

This was one reason WPAC launched a new study that confirms wood pellets in British Columbia are sourced entirely from sawmill and harvest residuals or from low-quality logs and bush grind rejected by other industries.

Respected forest experts and Registered Professional Foresters, Professor Gary Bull, Dr. Jeremy Williams, Dr. Jim Thrower and Mr. Brad Bennett analyzed government and industry databases, confidential commercial data, and audit reports and conducted personal interviews with individual pellet plant operators and local communities.

“We reviewed the data for virtually every truckload of fibre for each pellet mill in the province and were able to source forest-based residuals down to the forest harvesting block for each mill,” said Bull. “The findings were clear: 85 per cent of the fibre for pellets comes from the by-products of the sawmills and allied industries, and the remaining 15 per cent comes from bush grind and low-quality logs where the only other option is to burn the low-grade logs and brush piles on site in order to reduce fire risk.”

In addition, almost all pellets produced in B.C. are certified under the international recognized Sustainable Biomass Program and the fibre is from sustainably managed forests in B.C. certified under the Canadian Standards Association, the Forest Stewardship Council or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

The conference brought us together to address challenges like these and to explore opportunities, triumphantly evidenced in the power of the partnerships between Indigenous nations, industry and all levels of government in communities from coast to coast that benefit not just the region, but Canada and the world.

Today, the internet has opened a whole new world of opportunities to reach an audience, but as the saying goes, ‘A lie is halfway round the world before the truth has got its boots on.’

Senior industry communications consultant Karen Brandt urged us at the conference “To spend 90 per cent of our time doing the good work; living up to our commitment to a better world and 10 per cent responding to the critics.”

We’ve done a lot of good work; let’s keep the focus up. An entire planet and future generations are depending on us. •

Gordon Murray is the executive director of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada, www.pellet.org.