This briefing note outlines why using wood to produce renewable electricity and heat can increase carbon dioxide emissions. It explains what is wrong with the assumption that all biomass use for energy is ‘carbon-neutral’ and why the increasing scale at which biomass is used can reduce forests’ ability to be a sink for carbon.
The problem is heightened because existing policy tools such as Sustainable Forest Management and LULUCF accounting don’t work to ensure bioenergy use truly reduces emissions.
The briefing concludes with recommendations for how the EU can achieve a successful sustainability policy for bioenergy.
It is also available in German, French and Spanish.
Categories: Briefing Notes, Bioenergy