Biomass Energy, Forests and Climate Library

Stemming the tide – The potential of forests to supply the European bioeconomy

An increasing number of industries are committing to transition to a bioeconomy, to replace everything from cotton to plastic to concrete with biomass alternatives. They are supported by a European policy environment that is encouraging this shift. But what does this mean for forests?

Fern and denkhausbremen commissioned a report to give an overview of current and projected levels of EU wood production; uses and impacts on forests, the climate and biodiversity.

Greenwashing – A Report on the Corporate Selling of Polluting Wood Pellet Production

Greenwashing: A Report on the Corporate Selling of Polluting Wood Pellet Production is the Rachel Carson Council’s (RCC) third comprehensive report exposing the wood pellet industry, following Clear Cut and Bad Business which respectively explore the “forces driving the wood pellet industry’s hold in the United States” and the “money behind the wood pellet industry.” Each report in the series discusses the severe environmental and climate damage caused by wood pellet production in the United States (U.S.).

Greenwashing offers a new perspective, shedding light on the deceptive claims made by and misinformation surrounding the industry that has increased wood pellet production and retarded remedies. It makes a compelling case for the U.S. to abandon entirely the practice of burning wood pellets for fuel.

Clear Cut – Wood Pellet Production, the Destruction of Forests, and the Case for Environmental Justice

Clear Cut, takes a comprehensive look at the forces driving the wood pellet industry’s hold in the United States. Industrial-scale wood pellets have been globally touted as a ‘green’ technology to lessen dependence on fossil fuels. However, burning wood pellets is worse for climate change than coal, one of the dirtiest fossil fuels, drives the massive clear cutting of US forests in the southeast and harms the health of surrounding communities. With an in-depth case study of Enviva in North Carolina, Clear Cut analyzes the unjust economics and politics behind why the industry has been allowed to continue and what the adverse effects have been.

Clear Cut – A Guide to Enviva, Environmental Justice and Civic Action against the Wood Pellet Industry

Wood Pellets are a carbon-intense fuel source created from clear cutting and other destructive forestry
techniques in order to produce electricity. Southeastern forests are cut down, ground up and dehydrated
before being shipped around the world in what is often touted as a clean, environmentally safe alternative
to fossil fuels.

Clear Cut unearths the truth behind this willful disinformation by exploring complex political and economic
forces at play supporting this destructive industry - using North Carolina as a case study.

A Factsheet of the report

Bad Business – The Economic Case Against Woody Biomass as Renewable Energy

Bad Business takes a detailed look at the money behind the wood pellet industry that is clear-cutting America’s forests and producing pollution and climate change. In this powerful sequel to Clear Cut, the RCC’s widely praised exposé of the damage and injustices caused by wood pellet production, Bad Business shows that the growing, but little understood, woody biomass energy industry is propped up by mistaken counting rules and a host of subsidies, credits, and tax incentives. Woody biomass energy also burdens rate and taxpayers with additional costs through its destruction of natural forests that filter the air and water, prevent run-off and flooding, and absorb greenhouse gases.

Bad Business decisively describes how wood pellet production is neither renewable, carbon neutral, nor cost competitive through a close comparison with truly renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

2023 Forest Declaration Assessment: Off track and falling behind

Nothing less than a radical transformation of development pathways, finance flows, and governance effectiveness and enforcement is required to shift the world’s trajectory to achieve the 2030 forest goals.

Through a comprehensive analysis across four main chapters-- Overarching forest goals (Theme 1), Sustainable production and development (Theme 2), Finance for forests (Theme 3), and Forest governance (Theme 4), along with 7 country case studies and a set of Recommendations—the 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment sheds light on the state of global forest action.

Translations of the Executive Summary into Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian Bahasa, and Japanese are available: https://forestdeclaration.org/resources/forest-declaration-assessment-2023/

Carbon Markets, Forests and Rights: An Introductory Series

For decades, indigenous peoples and their representatives have demanded that all policies, funding and initiatives aimed at addressing the climate crisis must respect and protect their rights, cultures, livelihoods and knowledge. They have insisted on being treated as central actors – and as rights holders – in the design and implementation of climate solutions.

One proposed climate solution, which has rapidly been gaining attention in climate discussions at all levels is ‘carbon markets’.

Many indigenous peoples and communities are already confronted by carbon market developments in their territories and are expressing that they need more information on this topic to understand what these markets might mean for them. The technical and complex language that is often used in discussions around these markets is not helping. This short series of ‘explainers’ is a first step in responding to the demand from communities for clearer information. The explainers focus specifically on the link between carbon markets, forests and indigenous peoples’ rights and includes explainers that will help communities identify the questions they need to ask and consider to make their own self-determined decisions about carbon markets.

Marchés du carbone, Forêts et Droits : une série introductive

Pendant des décennies, les peuples autochtones et leurs représentants ont exigé que tous les financements, les politiques et les initiatives visant à lutter contre la crise climatique, soient soumis à une obligation de respect et de protection de leurs droits, leurs cultures, leurs moyens de subsistance et leurs savoirs. Ils ont insisté pour être traités comme des acteurs clés – et des ayants droit – de la conception et de la mise en oeuvre de solutions pour le climat.

Les "marchés du carbone" sont l'une des solutions proposées pour lutter contre le changement climatique, qui a rapidement attiré l'attention dans les discussions sur le climat à tous les niveaux.

De nombreux peuples et communautés autochtones sont déjà confrontés à l'évolution du marché du carbone sur leur territoire et font savoir qu'ils ont besoin de plus d'informations sur ce sujet pour comprendre ce que ces marchés pourraient signifier pour eux. Le langage technique et complexe qui est souvent utilisé dans les discussions sur ces marchés n'aide pas. Ces explications condensées constituent une première réponse aux communautés qui demandent plus de clarté dans les informations fournies sur le sujet. Elles se concentrent plus précisément sur le lien existant entre les marchés du carbone, les forêts et les droits des peuples autochtones.

Mercados de carbono, bosques y derechos: una serie introductoria

Por décadas, los pueblos indígenas y sus representantes han exigido que todas las políticas, financiación e iniciativas destinadas a abordar la crisis climática respeten y protejan sus derechos, culturas, medios de vida y conocimientos. Han insistido en ser tratados como actores centrales, y como titulares de derechos, en el diseño y la implementación de soluciones climáticas.

Una solución climática propuesta, que ha ido ganando rápidamente atención en los debates sobre el clima a todos los niveles, son los "mercados de carbono".

Muchos pueblos y comunidades indígenas ya se están viendo enfrentados a la evolución de los mercados de carbono en sus territorios y están expresando que necesitan más información sobre este tema para comprender lo que estos mercados pueden significar para ellos. El lenguaje técnico y complejo que se utiliza a menudo en los debates en torno a estos mercados no ayuda. Esta breve serie de documentos "explicativos " es un primer paso para responder a la demanda de información más clara por parte de las comunidades. Los explicativos se centran específicamente en el vínculo entre los mercados de carbono, los bosques y los derechos de los pueblos indígenas.