According to Workman, paper manufacturers are being hit by a bevy of legislative changes, which, when combined, could prove critical for the industry.

He said: "There are a number of issues that are of major concern to us. But the biggest concern is the accumulative cost of everything the government is trying to do.

"When you look at them individually, there isn't a huge affect. But when you put them all together, combined with the low profitability of the industry, you have to ask how the hell the UK paper sector is going to remain competitive against the rest of the world in years to come."

In his briefing, Workman discusses the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) annual conference in November 2011, at which it launched a 2050 Roadmap to a low carbon bio-economy.

He claims the report, Unfold the Future, should be of particular interest to MPs and officials, given the UK’s propensity of making targets mandatory and legally enforceable.

The report’s main conclusion, based on 1990 levels, is that the Paper Industry is capable of reducing its carbon emissions 50% to 60% by 2050, compared to a government target of 80%.