Briefing

A new EU sustainable bioenergy policy – position paper

September 5, 2016

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.

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:

  1. A limit to the use of biomass for energy production to levels that can be sustainably supplied;
  2. An efficient and optimal use of biomass resources, in line with the principle of cascading use;
  3. Robust and verifiable emission savings on the basis of correct carbon accounting for bioenergy emissions;
  4. A comprehensive, binding set of environmental and social sustainability criteria.

The proposal is expected to be released before the end of 2016.

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