biofuels – EU Bioenergy

Biomass in the Renewable Energy Directive: all smoke and no fire?

In March 2023, European leaders reached an agreement on new limits for the use of forest biomass under the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The agreed version of the law was made official following the adoption by the European Parliament and the Council. This policy aims to eliminate subsidies for energy generated by burning certain categories of forest wood, and disqualify burning wood from primary and old-growth forests from counting toward renewable energy targets. However, the agreement contains numerous loopholes and derogations that will allow business as usual on the ground.

Important step towards protecting forests & food security taken by the EU Environment Committee

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.

Keeping bioenergy out of REPower EU: open letter to EU Commission

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.

New report: Industries dodge 12 billion euro bill annually due to emissions loophole for biomass

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

RePowerEU: 40 NGOs demand EU to end support for bioenergy made from agricultural crops and forest biomass

In May 2022, the EU Commission will release its RePowerEU Strategy, aiming to reduce the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

Why do our governments continue to burn down our forests?

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.

To protect nature and the climate, we must reform how the EU treats bioenergy

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.

Ecologistas en Acción Si es palma no es bio

Fighting deforestation: Efforts to enforce the EU Delegated Act on Biofuels begin to take traction

Fighting deforestation: Efforts to enforce the EU Delegated Act on Biofuels begin to take traction By Luke Edwards, Climate Change and Land Use Policy Officer at BirdLife Europe & Central Asia A landmark decision in February 2019 saw the European Commission produce a delegated act regarding the use of biofuel feedstocks

Is the EU about to re-run the biofuels disaster with biogas?

Is the EU about to re-run the biofuels disaster with biogas? By Kenneth Richter, Bioenergy consultant at BirdLife Europe & Central Asia The Gas and Climate consortium (consortium of gas distribution companies and biogas associations arguing for more pipelines) has called on the EU to introduce a mandatory target of 10%

Another lost opportunity – An analysis of bioenergy sustainability in the new Renewable Energy Directive

Another lost opportunity – An analysis of bioenergy sustainability in the new Renewable Energy Directive By Kenneth Richter, Bioenergy consultant at BirdLife Europe & Central Asia At 4:00am on June 14 exhausted negotiators of the EU Parliament and European Council agreed on a new framework for renewable energy – the Renewable

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