About: wood fuel
Estonia’s wood pellet industry stokes controversy
Estonia's thriving wood pellet industry is pitting environmentalists who warn it increases logging and harms biodiversity against supporters who say it makes good use of wood that would otherwise go to waste.
EU eyes tighter rules for ‘renewable’ biomass energy
The European Union is considering tightening rules on whether wood-burning energy can be classed as renewable and count towards green goals, according to a draft document seen by Reuters on Wednesday (16 June).
IEA criticised over growing share of bioenergy in net-zero scenario
The International Energy Agency (IEA) published a new energy scenario on Tuesday (18 May), modelling for the first time how the world can achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and limit global warming to 1.5ºC.
NGOs walk out on EU green finance group over forestry, bioenergy rules
The WWF and several other NGOs have decided to suspend their participation in the European Commission’s Sustainable Finance Platform in protest against what they see as weak and “unscientific” criteria for bioenergy and forestry in the EU’s green finance taxonomy.
Biomass policy under the spotlight as EU talks kick off
The European Union’s proposed new biomass policy has enough built-in safeguards to ensure it doesn’t lead to additional carbon emissions, an EU official told a EURACTIV event last week, amid warnings that the policy risks making global warming worse by increasing deforestation.
Bioenergy at the centre of EU renewable energy policy
Bioenergy has to be an essential part of the EU energy mix for at least the next 30 years. Without it, the commitment to a 1.5°C global warming target will be very hard, if not impossible to achieve, argue a group of scientists.
Why ‘sustainable forest management’ does not make wood a good climate alternative to fossil fuels
Net forest growth is now holding down the rate of climate change, making forests an invaluable “carbon sink”. Reducing this sink by cutting down more trees adds carbon to the air and makes climate change worse just like burning any other carbon-based fuel, write Tim Searchinger and Wolfgang Lucht.
The EU’s bioenergy policy isn’t just damaging the climate and forests, it’s killing people
The debate about the impact of burning solid biomass on air quality was steadfastly ignored by European Commission in revising the EU’s renewable energy policy. It is not too late for the European Parliament to rectify this, writes Linde Zuidema.
EU must not burn the world’s forests for ‘renewable’ energy
A flaw in Europe’s clean energy plan allows fuel from felled trees to qualify as renewable energy when in fact this would accelerate climate change and devastate forests, warn a group of scientists from the world’s leading universities.
US forests, sustainably managed, really can help Europe decarbonise
Campaigners have warned about the environmental dangers of bioenergy, saying burning wood is not low-carbon. However, forests can – and must – be managed in a sustainable way that maintains or even increases the carbon stock, writes Tony Juniper.
Europe’s climate strategy of burning wood for energy isn’t working
Opposition to the use of forest biomass for energy generation is going mainstream, writes Linde Zuidema, as evidence builds that wood is being burnt in large scale inefficient coal-fired power stations.
MEPs back Commission’s opinion-dividing land use proposal
The European Parliament’s environment committee on Tuesday (11 July) adopted a proposal on Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF). But the draft report has provoked criticism across sectors, as it now moves towards a full plenary vote and trialogue.
The EU needs bioenergy – and it must be sustainable
Over the past few months, tense debates on the sustainability of biomass used for energy production have arisen. Most stakeholders seem to agree on one point: we need an EU policy to ensure the sustainability of biomass, writes Harri Laurikka.
The UK’s National Trust to invest £30m in renewable energy sources
Europe’s largest conservation organisation to use solar, biomass and hydro power to supply half its energy needs for its estates, historic houses and palaces.
Biomass’ ‘zero’ ETS rating burns us all
We have no idea if the biomass burned actually reduces CO2 emissions, which raises questions about the energy source's zero rating in the EU's Emissions Trading System, writes Carlos Calvo Ambel.
Commission investigates UK state aid for biomass plant
A European Commission investigation into whether British plans to use public money to convert a coal power plant into a wood-burning facility broke EU competition law, was opened Thursday (19 February).
Bioenergy review confirms carbon savings doubts
A new review of European bioenergy by independent researchers has found “significant risk” that EU renewables policies will increase carbon emissions by 2020 because of a dearth of carbon accounting safeguards.