What's that smell? Exploring the factors that influence environmental performance at Alberta's kraft pulp mills

Abstract

Kraft Pulp mills are the most significant anthropogenic sources of total reduced sulphur (TRS) emissions in the world. My research had two objectives. First, to determine how the regulatory framework influences TRS emissions management at Alberta's Kraft Pulp mills. And second, to gain insights into the influence of corporate environmental management and social license on environmental performance. Indicators representative of each factor were examined: (1) regulatory conditions, dispersion modeling, point source and ambient TRS data, (2) voluntary environmental policies and management systems, best management practices, corporate sustainability reporting, and (3) public complaints and ambient TRS exceedances. All factors were influencing performance to varying degrees, but corporate environmental management contributed the most to the variance between facilities. Shortcomings in the regulatory framework were identified, but with improvement it holds the most promise for facilitating collaborative discussions, incentivizing continuous improvement, managing cumulative effects, and enhancing the competitiveness of Alberta's Kraft Pulp industry.