The Environmental Defence Fund (EDF) is a group of dedicated scientists, economists, attorneys and other professionals. This group tackles the most urgent environmental threats to the climate, oceans, ecosystems and people’s health. To get results, EDF combines science, economics and law in its work. EDF also provides consultation for energy efficiency and smart grids to achieve a low-carbon energy future. EDF has its main offices in New York City and Washington DC (EDF, 2011a).

In its annual report of 2010, EDF described its efforts to tackle anthropogenic climate change. These included lobbying at international conferences, helping to design regional climate initiatives to cut CO2 pollution from power plants in the northeast and west of the United States and pushing the members of the House of Representatives to pass legislation aiming to reduce global warming pollution (EDF, 2011b).

EDF reports that the pulp and paper industry is one of the largest energy consumers in the US, consuming 11.5% of total energy in the industrial sector. The industry also accounts for 25% of the waste sent to landfills and incinerators. To reduce the paper industry’s impact on the environment, EDF recommends using less paper, maximizing recycled content, optimal selection of virgin fibres and evaluation of suppliers’ performance (EDF, 2011c).

EDF reports that the US pulp and paper industry has set the target to reduce the GHG emissions intensity by 12% by 2012 based on the levels of 2000. It has also been reported that the US pulp and paper industry could still enhance its electrical energy efficiency by 16% by deploying best available techniques (EDF, 2011d).

EDF has reported that the US pulp and paper industry could reduce up to 26% of its energy consumption by 2020 by implementing best available practices. This would lead to the cost savings of $2.6 billion/year (EDF, 2011e).

EDF predicts that bioenergy will be the fastest growing source of renewable energy in the US, increasing its share from 1% to 5.5% of electricity produced in the US by 2035 (EDF, 2011f).