The energy needed to produce one tonne of paper has dropped by more than 10% over the past decade, according to new figures.

The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) first Energy Profile of the European pulp and paper industry also said that carbon dioxide emissions fell by 17%.

This was due to the increased use of less polluting fuels, such as natural gas, which amounted to almost 90% of the fossil fuels used in 1999.

CEPI environment director Annick Carpentier said: "The pulp and paper industry is using a substantial and increasing share of bioenergy and natural gas, with biomass and natural gas representing half and one-third respectively of the total energy used."

The energy profile was released during CEPIs annual meeting in Brussels, where it also presented an update of its comparative matrix of forest certification schemes.

The revision includes the latest information on the various certification schemes, including an update on the technical content required, which allows users to compare information on the labels accredited under each certification scheme.

More than 370 people attended the meeting, where CEPI presented its 2001 annual report and an updated and renewed version of its Database of Environmental Legislation for the Paper Industry (DELPI), to include the latest pieces of environmental legislation relevant to the industry.

DELPI is a database containing the main pieces of legislation that has an impact on the pulp and paper industry.

It has been a service to CEPI members, member companies and industry sectors since November 2000.

Story by Andy Scott