On September 14, MEPs will vote in plenary the new Renewable Energy Directive.
Here are our vote recommendations for forest biomass & biofuels.
Today, the EU Parliament’s industry committee (ITRE) voted on recommendations for the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) that will have far reaching consequences for Europe’s forests as they will open the way for even more burning of wood for energy.
On July 13, the European Parliament’s Industry committee (ITRE) is voting on their amendments to the new version of the Renewable Energy Directive, which is the directive that regulates how, and which renewable energy is subsidized. This vote will have far reaching consequences for European forests.
Late on Monday 16th of May the European Parliament’s environment committee voted on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), including an important positive step limiting subsidies to burning forests biomass and crop-based biofuels.
Birdlife Europe, together with more than 13 other NGOs have called on the EU Commission to remove bioenergy, produced by burning wood and food crops, from a list of energy sources that should be ramped up to replace Russian fossil fuels imports in the so-called REPowerEU plan.
CO2 emissions from burning biomass for energy are not included in the EU Emissions Trading System – despite demonstrably being as least as high as emissions from fossil fuel at the smokestack
In May 2022, the EU Commission will release its RePowerEU Strategy, aiming to reduce the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels.
March 21st is the International Day of Forests, and while this day is meant to celebrate our wonderful terrestrial ecosystems, we might not have any forests left worth celebrating in the near future.
The EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) is encouraging increased burning of wood for energy and labels this as a sustainable form of energy. But the scientific consensus is that burning biomass accelerates the climate crisis, instead of reducing it.