The pulp and paper sector includes chemical pulp and paper mills and paper products manufacturing. The emissions reported by this sector decreased significantly from 44.2 million metric tons (MMT) CO₂e in 2011 to 31.7 MMT CO₂e in 2023, a decrease of 28.2%. Reported emissions for the sector declined steadily across the time series but the decrease was most notable from 2012 to 2013, when emissions decreased by 3.3 MMT CO₂e (7.7%). The number of reporters has decreased from 233 facilities in 2011 to 208 in 2023.

The pronounced decline in emissions from 2012 to 2013 for this sector can be primarily attributed to methane and nitrous oxide emission factors changes for the chemical pulp and paper mills subsector. For reporting year 2013, EPA revised the emission factors that facilities in the chemical pulp and paper mills subsector use to calculate emissions from the combustion of spent pulping liquor and wood residuals. These new emission factors contributed significantly to the decline in reported emissions for reporting year 2013. The rest of the observed decline in reported emissions was due to changes in production levels and to changes in the fuel mix. The use of coal, coke, and petroleum products as fuel has decreased, while the use of natural gas has increased. Emissions since 2017 through 2021 have remained relatively steady, with changes in emissions of less than 1% each year. However, beginning in 2022 emissions began to decrease more significantly, with a drop of 4.4% between 2021 and 2022, and another 4.9% between 2022 and 2023. These reductions can be attributed to many facilities idling in 2022 and continuing not to report in 2023. Additionally, several facilities have permanently closed.

Breaking down the emissions trends for the two subsectors within the pulp and paper sector, the majority of the emissions for the total sector come from the chemical pulp and paper mills subsector, which accounted for 69.5% of the total sector emissions in 2023. The emissions reported by the chemical pulp and paper mills subsector decreased from 30.6 MMT CO₂e in 2011 to 22.1 MMT CO₂e in 2023, a decrease of 27.8%. Reported emissions in this subsector have mostly followed the gradual decline observed for the sector as a whole. The decreasing trend in emissions reported by this subsector is in part due to a decrease in the number of reporters. The number of reporters in this subsector has decreased from a high of 111 reporters in 2012 to a low of 98 reporters in 2023. The shift away from coal combustion and increased reliance on natural gas has also contributed to the decrease in reported emissions for this subsector. Emissions from coal-fired facilities accounted for only 10.4% of emissions in 2023, compared with 42.2% of emissions in 2011. Emissions from natural gas-fired facilities increased over the same period from 33.6% in 2011 to 81.4% in 2023.

Facilities in the paper products manufacturing subsector operate under NAICS codes beginning with 322 (paper manufacturing) and 323 (printing and related support activities). This subsector consists of mills that use non-chemical pulping processes (e.g., mechanical or secondary (recycled) fiber pulping) and non-integrated facilities that produce paper products from purchased pulp; produce secondary fiber from recycled paper; convert paper into paperboard products; operate coating and laminating processes; and print products such as newspapers, books, labels, business cards, stationery, and business forms. Facilities in this subsector report emissions only from stationary fuel combustion. The emissions reported by the paper products manufacturing subsector made up the remaining 30.5% of emissions reported by the pulp and paper sector in 2023. The emissions in this subsector decreased from 13.6 MMT CO₂e in 2011 to 9.6 MMT CO₂e in 2023, a decrease of 29.0%. Although emissions in this subsector make up a smaller percentage of total sector emissions, it is comprised of a greater number of facilities than the chemical pulp and paper mills subsector. The number of reporters in this subsector has decreased from a high of 123 facilities in 2011 to a low of 110 facilities in 2023. Reported emissions in this subsector have mostly followed the same declining trend reported by the chemical pulp and paper subsector. In 2020 reported emissions for this subsector diverged from that of the chemical pulp and paper subsector, with reported emissions increasing by 7.0% from 9.8 MMT CO₂e in 2019 to 10.5 MMT CO₂e in 2020, due to changes in paper product demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of reporters increased from 115 in 2019 to 119 in 2020. The shift away from coal combustion and increased reliance on natural gas has also contributed to the decrease in reported emissions for this subsector.