PwC chief predicts energy pricing woe

Robert Barnden (pictured), PricewaterhouseCoopers’ global leader on forest, paper and packaging, said energy price rises were “eating up” price increases being implemented by the packaging industry.

“Cheap energy is never going to come back,” he said. “With cheap energy there was no incentive to be more efficient. Now the whole process will have to become more energy efficient, from the pulp mill to long-run corrugaters.”

Barnden also said sustainability in the packaging industry would “never be a big issue” until customers put pressure on producers. “The packaging industry is not going to do this all by itself,” he added.

He also said he expected more restructuring to take place in the UK and European corrugated packaging sectors.

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