Pöyry, Finland, this past week released its Green Mill Index for analyzing the environmental sustainability of pulp and paper mills. The index represents the relations of different indicators and overall environmental performance of a mill. The analysis can be used, for example, to measure environmental sustainability, as a benchmarking or due diligence tool, or as a means of pinpointing weak areas that need performance improvements.
"In many companies, sustainability is connected to the company principles and needs to be communicated to various stakeholders. Currently there are no standards available that put all of the relevant factors together in a way that gives a comprehensive overview. The Green Mill Index was developed to fill this need," Päivi Käki, a technology specialist at Pöyry, explains.
"Thinking green is not only good for the environment," Käki continues, "it can also provide improvements in efficiency that have a direct impact on the bottom line. By seeing the full picture, you can understand what areas to target."
Many of the indicators used in Pöyry's Green Mill Index are based on European Commission standards for best available technology, known as BAT levels. For example, the Green Mill indicators for emissions and efficiency refer to the BAT levels. Other indicators are based on actual statistical data collected from several mills.
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