By Zeynep Karasin,\u00a0Media relations officer at\u00a0BirdLife Europe & Central Asia<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n BirdLife Europe and Central Asia’s statement on the Renewable Energy Directive vote in the European Parliament\u2019s environmental committee on the evening of the 23 October 2017:<\/strong><\/p>\n Today\u2019s vote in the Parliament confirms the EU\u2019s commitment to phasing out damaging biofuels in transport but completely fails to secure climate friendly use of biomass in heating and electricity.<\/p>\n \u201cParliament\u2019s vote today strengthens the EU\u2019s commitment to phase out EU\u2019s food and feed-based biofuels with negative climate impact but introduces no new renewable energy targets which would encourage such biofuels. The energy and industry committee of the Parliament now needs to follow this lead when finalizing the Parliament\u2019s position and see beyond the short term economic interests of subsidies dependent biofuel industries.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0said Sini Er\u00e4j\u00e4\u00e4, EU bioenergy policy officer, BirdLife Europe and Central Asia.<\/strong><\/p>\n BirdLife Europe and Central Asia also welcomes that Parliament calls for a more ambitious overall share of renewable energy and introduces new environmental safeguards for the planning of environmentally sound energy transition.<\/p>\n The Parliament however failed to put an end to growing exploitation of forests for energy, weakening even the Commission\u2019s weak proposal for sustainability requirements on forest biomass.<\/p>\n \u201cThe outcome of the vote today allows increased exploitation of forests and logging of sensitive habitats just to burn the wood for energy\u00a0<\/em>said\u00a0Sini\u00a0<\/strong>Er\u00e4j\u00e4\u00e4<\/strong>, \u201cwe\u2019ll see more EU mandated use of whole trees or stumps despite a wide scientific acknowledgement that is bad for the climate\u201d<\/em>. This outcome fails both forest conservation and climate mitigation, and it also fails to provide long term stability for truly sustainable bioenergy producers, such as the ones processing waste streas.<\/p>\n The ball is now with the rest of the Parliament and with member states who can still make changes to the proposed legislation.\u00a0\u201cWe need an urgent reckoning from all involved. Another 10 years of mindless support for burning forests would make the Paris objectives unachievable and drive massive loss of biodiversity and land conflicts\u201d\u00a0\u00a0s<\/strong><\/em>aid Sini Er\u00e4j\u00e4\u00e4.<\/strong><\/p>\n For further information, please contact:<\/strong> Banner photo: \u00a9\u00a0Shutterstock<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Forests and habitats in exchange for energy? By Zeynep Karasin,\u00a0Media relations officer at\u00a0BirdLife Europe & Central Asia. BirdLife Europe and Central Asia’s statement on the Renewable Energy Directive vote in the European Parliament\u2019s environmental committee on the evening of the 23 October 2017: Today\u2019s vote in the Parliament confirms the<\/p>\n
\nSini Er\u00e4j\u00e4\u00e4, EU bioenergy policy officer
\nBirdLife Europe & Central Asia
\nSini.Erajaa@birdlife.org\u00a0\u00a0<\/a>
\n+32 (0)476 975 960<\/p>\n