Our investigation exposed biomass giant Enviva’s greenwashing in 2022—here’s the latest in 2025

In early December 2022, Mongabay published an exclusive whistleblower’s account exposing false claims by Enviva, the world’s largest maker of wood pellets burned for energy. The company has touted its green credentials since its inception, but Mongabay’s reporting showed Enviva’s practices didn’t match its rhetoric. The following is a recap of our original investigation and its initial impacts, setting the stage for a detailed look at the significant developments that have unfolded since.

The written report and accompanying video sparked government action when the Netherlands decided to stop paying subsidies to any biomass company found to be untruthful when characterizing the sustainability of its wood pellets. This investigation also shed light on broader concerns about the biomass energy industry, questioning its effectiveness as a climate solution and emphasizing its hidden environmental costs, such as deforestation and carbon emissions.

This impactful reporting raised awareness of these issues and spurred significant real-world action across policy, corporate, and legal spheres. In the short term, the motion approved by the Dutch parliament to halt subsidies cited Mongabay’s article. We also learned that representatives pursuing a class action shareholder lawsuit against Enviva contacted the whistleblower after reading Mongabay’s reporting.

Felled hardwood and pine cut from a dense forest and piled high on a 52-acre lot in Edenton, North Carolina. Image courtesy of the Dogwood Alliance.
Felled hardwood and pine cut from a dense forest and piled high on a 52-acre lot in Edenton, North Carolina. Image courtesy of the Dogwood Alliance.

Impact

Following the 2022 investigation, Mongabay continues to track the significant fallout and far-reaching impacts of exposing Enviva’s false claims. Since the initial publication, our reporting has continued to ripple across industries, driving significant results. 

So, what happened next?

Enviva experienced negative financial repercussions. By November 2023, the company reported catastrophic third-quarter losses, its stock value plummeted, the CEO was replaced, and the company seemed on the verge of collapsing.

Mongabay’s coverage also informed decisions in the financial sector. An analyst from financial services company Jefferies told Mongabay that our reporting informed their decision to recommend avoiding investment in Enviva. This reflected growing concerns within the financial community about the risks associated with companies engaged in unsustainable environmental practices.

From there, the company’s situation worsened, and by March 2024, Enviva had filed for bankruptcy. That cataclysmic collapse triggered a rush of political and economic maneuvering in the U.S. (a key wood pellet-producing nation) and Europe (a primary buyer of biomass pellets, which are often burned in converted coal plants).

This case demonstrates how independent journalism can expose greenwashing, inspire tangible action, inform public policy, and create ripple effects across sectors. Mongabay’s reporting uncovered the troubling realities of the biomass energy industry, and it empowered governments, financial institutions, and legal advocates to take decisive action in the pursuit of accountability and environmental justice.

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About Mongabay

Mongabay is a nonprofit environmental science and conservation news platform focused on providing cutting-edge independent journalism from nature’s frontline. We pride ourselves on producing reporting that has substantial and tangible impacts around the world.

Banner image: Wood chips piled in mounds more than 6 meters (20 feet) high cover the lot of the Enviva wood pellet plant in Ahoskie, North Carolina. Image by Justin Catanoso for Mongabay.