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Extending the EU R enewable E nergy D irective sustainability criteria to solid bioenergy from forests
Author(s) -
Fritsche Uwe R.,
Iriarte Leire,
Jong Johnny,
Agostini Alessandro,
Scarlat Nicolae
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
natural resources forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1477-8947
pISSN - 0165-0203
DOI - 10.1111/1477-8947.12042
Subject(s) - sustainability , bioenergy , biofuel , biomass (ecology) , business , renewable energy , greenhouse gas , biodiversity , sustainable forest management , environmental economics , environmental science , natural resource economics , waste management , engineering , economics , ecology , biology
Solid bioenergy from forests plays — and is expected to continue to play — a key role to fulfil the renewable energy targets at the E uropean U nion level. When the R enewable E nergy D irective was enacted, sustainability criteria were incorporated solely for biofuels and bioliquids. Sustainability criteria for solid bioenergy are also needed in order to prevent wood and primary forest residues from posing additional environmental risks to ecosystems. Acknowledging this, the E uropean C ommission has been working on extending the biofuels and bioliquids provisions to solid biomass. An internal draft was circulated in A ugust 2013 which addressed the ways to both balance and mitigate the risks in three main topics: biodiversity; sustainable forest management; and greenhouse gases. This paper presents a set of criteria and indicators, developed during workshops with experts from G overnments, scientific institutions, businesses and NGO s, that may be considered by the EU to assure that solid biomass from forests is obtained in an environmentally sustainable way.