Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Manila, Philippines, March 7-9, 2023 energy by the paper and pulp industry has increased even further (Kong et al. 2016). Consumption of energy takes place at all stages of pulp and paper making be it during chipping, digesting, pulp washing, bleaching and paper production. As per IEA report (2016) and Man et.al (2019), the pulp and paper industry accounts for almost 6% of total industrial energy consumption in the world. Accordingly, this industry is responsible for gradual depletion of fossil fuels and electricity (Avs and Demirer 2008), leaving the environment and the society to the risk of an unsustainable future. The threat of increasing global warming, caused by the emission of GHGs, can be arrested through reduced industrial energy usage and energy conservation (IPCC 2014; Man et al. 2019). The intensity of energy consumption in the paper and pulp industry is also evident from the fact that the concept of carbon positive or decarbonisation does not feature anywhere in the top 10 most discussed term or topic or theme from the bibliometric analysis. So, it is imperative that innovative technologies and strategies are built into the pulp and paper industry to mitigate energy and environmental loss inflicted to the society (Corcelli et al. 2018). Organizations have now acknowledged the same and innovative measures are being taken towards energy consumption to create a sustainable future. Use of bio-mass (from wood waste), black liquor (a liquid waste ejected during digesting process) and bio-sludge (generated from waste water treatment) in generation of power (Corcelli et al. 2018; EC 2015; IEA 2017) is a reflection towards responsible thinking and sustainable business. Even with increase in paper and paper production by 23% in 2017 over past two decades, the energy usage has only grown by 1% (EC 2015; IEA 2017). Nevertheless, the road to being energy positive in an energy-intensive industry is a long one. Many innovative measures are still to be adopted to restrict energy usage and CO 2 emissions in order to meet the target of limiting global warming to 2 o C by 2025 (IEA 2017). 4.2.3 Extensive water consumption Another significant contribution by the paper and pulp industry to an unsustainable environment is the extensive use of water, causing severe stress on the water conservation (Setthasakko 2010; Avs and Demirer 2008). Water is primarily used during digesting process for steam generation and washing the cooked and chemically treated pulp (Setthasakko 2010; Corcelli et al. 2018). Even though adoption of circular economy measures in this domain is visible from the industry practices where the clean water generated through effluent treatment of waste water are being recycled back into the system thereby conserving water usage, still exploitation of water from natural resources is a reality in paper and pulp industry as reflected in the literature depicted under thematic evolution plot. And so, further discussions, propositions and actions are warranted to make the paper and pulp industry water positive, if we aim for a sustainable water resource for future generation. 4.2.4 Role of toxic chemicals Chemicals are the quintessential by-products as well as raw materials at multiple stage of paper making in the paper and pulp industry. The chemicals are consumed during the process of digesting and bleaching and released, as by- products, during the process of digesting (black liquor), pulp washing and bleaching (Corcelli et al. 2018; Man et al. 2019). Even the application of the chemicals as fertilizers used during the eucalyptus plantation (prominent source of wood for paper making industry) contributes adversely to the environment (Xu & Becker 2012). These chemicals are very harmful and cause human toxicity, ecological toxicity, acidification among others (Blazejczak and Edler 2000; Pineda-Henson et al. 2002). Laden with chemicals, the effluents are discharged into rivers or other water bodies by many organizations, thereby leaving a negative impact on both the society and the environment, including damage to human health and other living organisms (Setthasakko 2010). Increasing spread of water-borne diseases world over is an obvious testimony to such threats of industrial byproducts. This threat can be addressed through effective effluent treatment and recycling or proper treatment of other harmful by-products of a paper making process. However, even in this regard, from a moral standpoint and also in view of rising consumer and societal interest, wide awareness on environmental and social responsibility is gaining ground amongst the business community. Effluent treatment has become almost a conventional part of the paper making process, whereby the waste water are not only treated to distill the liquid of toxic chemicals, but both the treated water and the biosludge are being channeled through respective value chains for recycling into external and internal consumption respectively. In fact, the recycling technology of black liquor and the biosludge to meet the energy requirement (Corcelli et al. 2018) is contributing to energy conservation and hence serving as an added bonus to the society, environment and the business community. In fact this could also be the reason why ‘recycling’ featured as a most discussed word in bibliometric analysis. In spite of the above direction of development, with the threat of global warming and unsustainable resources, including that of contaminated and scarce water sources, looming over the future of a sustainable biosphere and with ever demanding consumers and the vigilant civil society, it remains a challenge not only to restrain the penetration of harmful effluents into the society but also to contribute to the society more than what is taken from it.
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