Leaked EU renewable energy proposals allow for unsustainable bioenergy practices, lacking criteria for sustainable production and greenhouse gas savings. The proposals could result in continued subsidies for damaging biomass practices, threatening forests and carbon emissions. Urgent calls for policy changes focus on preventing unsustainable biomass burning and protecting ecological integrity.

1. Leaked EU renewable energy
proposals allow for
greenwashing #EUbioenergy
The proposal:
• Includes targets to increase advanced biofuels and
renewable heat which go beyond what can be sustainably
supplied.
• Lacks meaningful criteria to ensure bioenergy is produced
sustainably.
• Includes no system that guarantees bioenergy delivers
robust and verifiable greenhouse gas savings.

2. Four simple asks to avoid a
#biomess:
1. Avoid targets that encourage unsustainable burning of
biomass.
2. No incentives to burn whole trees or roundwood.
3. Phase out all use of land-based crops for bioenergy.
4. Keep the ban on subsidies for burning biomass in
electricity-only installations.

3. Who has the power to fix this?
Depending on EU policies being written now,
biomass will either help or harm the climate...
Jean-Claude Juncker
President of the
European
Commission
Frans Timmermans
First Vice President
of the European
Commission
Maroš Šefčovič
Vice-President of
the European
Commission,
Energy Union

4. A draft of the future EU renewables policy has been
leaked to the press
If left unchanged it could mean 10 more years of EU
subsidies for damaging practices
A decision being made now
could devastate forests
Tell the EU to step up on sustainability of #EUbioenergy
to avoid harming forests and climate.
Click here to tweet.

5. It’s a matter of
scale…
So what are the problems with
biomass?
…around 45% of
renewable energy is
generated by
burning wood

6. Forests have multiple
uses, for
• The climate
• Biodiversity
• People
• Materials
• Livelihoods
• Food
But there is not enough wood…
When we remove forests, emissions
go up, and biodiversity goes down.
Full
briefing
here:

7. …in Europe…
“850,000 tonnes of biomass are needed annually
from within 400 kilometers of the plant… With 80%
of the biomass expected to come from trees cut for
this purpose.” (see Gardanne case study)
“This project will turn our local wood
sector upside down.” (see Gardanne case study)
Full case
study
here:

8. …or anywhere.
“The wood pellet industry is a
growing threat to North
Carolina’s valuable wetlands,
forests and the life those
ecosystems support.”
(See Drax case study)
“…the Drax company opened two new mills in
Louisiana and Mississippi to convert pine logs into
pellets for shipping to the UK.” (see Drax case study)
Full case
study
here:

9. Burning biomass can be worse
than burning coal…
Carbon released from biomass
heats the planet as effectively as
carbon released from coal.
Full
briefing
here:

10. …accounting for emissions at the
point of harvest doesn’t work…
Carbon accounting rules are flawed
and provide no guarantee of
emissions savings from bioenergy.Full
briefing
here:

11. …and it’s rarely sustainable
Sustainable Forest Management is a
dangerous delusion. The claim that
SFM can be relied on to protect
Europe’s forests and help achieve a
sustainable bioenergy policy is a
fallacy.

12. http://www.fern.org/campaign/bioenergy