Verso Paper is the leading producer of lightweight and ultra-lightweight coated papers. We spend significant R&D dollars annually to develop lighter-weight papers that offer the same high-quality printing characteristics as traditional papers, but require less fiber, energy, chemicals and water to produce. In addition to using resources more efficiently, manufacture of these papers results in lower greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change. While we know this is true because lightweight and ultra-lightweight papers require less energy per ton produced and less fuel per unit shipped, we don’t yet have a complete picture of exactly how much emissions are reduced. As the market leader in lightweight and ultra-lightweight papers, we believe that’s something our customers want to know, so in 2007 we initiated a multi-year study to help us determine the carbon footprint of several of our paper grades.

Our lightweight papers also offer economic benefits to our magazine and catalog customers by helping to reduce mailing costs and increase advertising space.

In early 2007, Verso established our internal Carbon Footprint Working Group, comprising members from our Product Development, Manufacturing and Sustainability teams, to evaluate the methodologies and data that would be needed to begin the complex task of defining Verso’s carbon footprint by paper grade. Because determining the carbon footprint of a product requires a complete lifecycle analysis, the Working Group decided to start by building knowledge and experience by focusing on a single, post-consumer waste-content product. Their first effort would include a forest-to-gate estimate of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents for a 30-pound coated paper with post-consumer waste content versus a similar product with no post-consumer waste content.

Verso hired an internationally recognized lifecycle inventory consultant to help us establish a methodology, guide the carbon footprint study and develop needed data. Our study will follow the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) protocol developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, as well as proprietary lifecycle inventory methodology for product systems developed and widely used by our consultant. The lifecycle analysis of the 30-pound, post-consumer waste-content paper chosen as our test case will include the harvesting and regeneration of trees; sawmill operations from which wood chips are obtained; paper mill operations for producing the different types of pulp used in the product; collection of waste paper used to produce the recycled pulp in the product; paper recycling operations; and all steps in the manufacture of different coating components, including raw materials acquisition.

In 2008, we expect to complete data collection, validate our methodology and test it based on various product group scenarios. When we are confident that we’ve successfully determined the carbon footprint of our test case, we will publish the results and use the improved methodology to determine the carbon footprint of additional paper grades.