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.
