SFI and TNC launch sustainable feedstocks pilot

June 22, 2011, Washington, D.C. – The
Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) have
launched a pilot project in the United States to help bioenergy companies
support responsible forest management through their procurement of woody
biomass. The project will assist facilities that produce renewable energy or
transportation fuels from woody biomass to establish a responsible procurement
system. SFI's fibre sourcing requirements will be applied for the procurement
system, and analysis will be conducted to identify gaps between existing
procurement and SFI’s requirements.

Under SFI’s fiber sourcing requirements,
all SFI program participants, whether they own or manage lands or buy fibre,
must take measures to ensure the raw material in their supply chain is from
responsible sources. Next steps for the project entail the identification of
bioenergy facilities that can be project participants and will form the basis
of this shared learning.