Enviva’s Track & Trace™: Celebrating Another Milestone
One Year of Public Reporting and Leadership in Transparency
By John Keppler, Chairman and CEO
Our latest release of Track & Trace data celebrates one year of public reporting and industry leadership in providing supply chain transparency. Track & Trace’s innovative program allows Enviva to quite literally track and trace every ton of wood we buy to its origin in the forest or the sawmill, measure forest health and stewardship and better understand the unique characteristics of the forests from which we source.
Track & Trace is our public commitment to transparency and forest preservation. The program, which is audited by NSF International (an independent third party), delivers actionable data that we use to refine and enhance our practices and ensure that our suppliers provide us with wood that meets strict sustainability requirements. Before selling wood to Enviva, suppliers must provide details about an individual tract’s location, acreage, forest type, species mix, age and the share of wood from each harvest that goes to Enviva versus other purchasers.
It is because of our rigorous data collection that we can confidently say our sourcing practices encourage sustainable forest management, and we know sustainably managed forests mean thriving and healthy, growing forests. Forest area in the regions where we operate has increased by nearly 320,000 acres since 2011. These numbers are a testament to sustainable forest management, and the importance of ensuring forests – like the forests in our supply regions – grow at faster rates than they are harvested.
The world has recognized the importance of biomass for a low carbon energy future and just how good sustainably harvested biomass can be for climate and the environment, most recently with the positive January 17th vote by the European Parliament on the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II policy. As an industry leader, we have the opportunity to demonstrate, on a factual, transparent basis, just how beneficial biomass is and can be. Track & Trace does just that.
The stakes are high for the next generation of energy production. Sustainably sourced biofuel plays a critical role in transitioning away from fossil fuels, and the procurement and publication of sourcing data is a fundamental step in helping to advance that goal. Track & Trace stands as an example of our commitment to transparency and is an important element of our Responsible Wood Supply Program.
At Enviva, we believe that an emphasis on transparency delivers on our commitment to sustainability. Please take the time to review our latest data. We take great pride in our ability to provide sustainable biomass energy and look forward to continued learning from the Track & Trace data in the years ahead.
