(Source: PRNewswire)BOSTON, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its commitment to operating sustainably, today Sappi Fine Paper North America announced that it has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) SmartWay(SM) Transport Partnership and re-qualified its Cloquet Mill with the Center for Resource Solutions as a certified Green-e(R) Energy organization for 2009-2010. In addition, Sappi also has announced its emissions data, which has been calculated in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. These best practices are just some of the many initiatives that Sappi Fine Paper North America has adopted as part of its commitment to sustainability and to reducing its impact on the environment.

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The SmartWay(SM) Transport Partnership is an innovative collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and companies that provide and hire freight delivery services, and is designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution. Sappi Fine Paper North America qualified as a certified shipper within the Partnership, after submitting an environmental assessment of its freight operations to the EPA and committing to improving its performance within three years while tracking progress on an annual basis.

As a SmartWay(SM) partner, Sappi Fine Paper North America will contribute to the SmartWay(SM) Transport Partnership's goal to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 33 to 66 million metric tons, and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 200,000 tons per year, by 2012. This is comparable to removing up to 12 million cars from the road each year. Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas, and nitrogen oxide is an air pollutant that contributes to smog.

Sappi Fine Paper North America also re-qualified its Cloquet Mill in Minnesota this year with the Center for Resource Solutions as a Green-e(R) Energy organization. Green-e(R) is the nation's leading, independent, third party certification and verification program by Green-e Marketplace for renewable energy in the U.S., ensuring that strict environmental and consumer protection standards are met. Under the Green-e(R) certification, 100% percent of the electricity used to manufacture the following products at the Cloquet Mill is certified renewable energy generated onsite by Sappi: McCoy sheets and digital; LOE; Opus sheets and digital; Flo sheets and digital; and Opus web with 30% post-consumer waste .