A new EU sustainable bioenergy policy – position paper
This paper outlines the common views of 11 NGOs, including Transport & Environment, for a sustainable bioenergy policy for the EU's 2020-2030 renewable energy policy framework . To ensure bioenergy is genuinely sustainable, comprehensive safeguards need to be introduced which check that bioenergy is truly low carbon, resource efficient and avoids negative consequences on biodiversity, soil, water, land use and people.
Interested in this kind of news?
Receive them directly in your inbox. Delivered once a week.
The paper focuses on concerns related to the EU’s growing bioenergy use, which is being driven by EU climate and energy policies. The main asks in the paper are:
- A limit to the use of biomass for energy production to levels that can be sustainably supplied;
- An efficient and optimal use of biomass resources, in line with the principle of cascading use;
- Robust and verifiable emission savings on the basis of correct carbon accounting for bioenergy emissions;
- A comprehensive, binding set of environmental and social sustainability criteria.
The proposal is expected to be released before the end of 2016.
Related Articles
View All
Majority of Europeans back reducing fossil fuel imports to make Europe safer, polling shows
YouGov poll findings commissioned by E3G, T&E and the Electrification Alliance
150 new power plants: the cost of balancing the grid if the EU slashes EV targets
Scaling back the EU’s electric car targets makes the transition to renewables far more expensive to achieve.
Weakening CO₂ standards undermines the Vehicle-to-Grid potential of EVs
A new report by Fraunhofer ISI examines the diminished benefits of V2G for Europe's electricity system if the EU weakens its car CO2 targets.