Biomass Energy, Forests and Climate Library

Zellstofffabriken und Biomasseanlagen in Deutschland

In Deutschland gibt es fünf Zellstofffabriken sowie eine große Anzahl von Papierfabriken. Letztere sind zu etwa 60 % auf Altpapier angewiesen. Sie verwenden außerdem Zellstoff aus Eukalyptusplantagen aus Brasilien und Uruguay sowie Zellstoff aus Frischholz aus Deutschland und anderen europäischen Ländern wie zum Beispiel Schweden und Finnland.

El Capitalismo Depredador

En el Abya-Yala, la colonización configuró territorios orientados a la mercantilización de sus recursos comunes, incorporándolos al sistema-mundo como proveedores de las materias primas. Esto ha significado una sobreexplotación intensiva que supera la capacidad que la naturaleza y los sistemas que ésta tiene para regenerarse, ocasionando una crisis ambiental sin precedentes. Debido a esto, actualmente vivimos un nuevo ciclo extractivista, asociado a la implementación de una agenda global de transición energética, que emerge desde las sociedades del norte global, como respuesta a la crisis climática. Se trata de un modelo de transición basado en la descarbonización de la matriz energética, que supone el reemplazo de los hidrocarburos por las energías renovables no convencionales, principalmente eólica, solar y biomasa.

BOIS ÉNERGIE: LA FIN DE LA FRÉNÉSIE

Le bois-énergie représente environ 35 % des énergies renouvelables en France1. Après une phase d’expansion rapide, cette filière doit aujourd’hui amorcer un atterrissage nécessaire, en mettant fin aux dérives qui se sont installées et en intégrant pleinement les exigences de la nouvelle donne climatique. Ces défis restent pourtant largement ignorés par les représentants de la filière.

Debunking Dangerous Distractions: Bioenergy

How burning wood, biofuels and BECCS are exacerbating climate change, hurting people and delaying real action.

Biomass Action Network input into consultation on EU Bioeconomy

Sustainable Biomass Program: Certifying the Unsustainable

The report warns that forests worldwide are being cut down and burned for energy falsely labeled as “sustainable.” The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP), the world’s most prominent certifier of biomass, is approving wood linked to forest destruction as climate-friendly fuel and greenwashing high-carbon biomass — all while helping energy companies claim they are going green. Over 85% of industrial wood pellets used in Europe are SBP-certified.

No smoke without fire: How the Danish energy transition harms the forests of Estonia and Latvia

According to the Danish Energy Agency, the share of renewable energy use in Denmark has been growing rapidly over the last decades. But much of this so-called renewable energy does not come from wind and solar farms but from ancient technology; burning wood. Denmark, through direct and indirect subsidies, switched from burning fossil fuels to burning woody biomass and hence Denmark has turned into a large importer of woody biomass from other countries and in particular from Estonia and Latvia.

This report explores the history of the GGL and the pivotal role that RWE and different biomass certification schemes which RWE and other energy companies developed played in developing a global market in wood pellets. It then gives an overview of the timeline for Dutch wood pellet burning and subsidies.

Green Gold Label (GGL) is a biomass certification scheme that was set up by the Dutch energy company Essent in 2002, before any other certification schemes for wood biomass energy existed. A supposedly independent Green Gold Foundation was then set up as owners of the scheme, and Essent was acquired by the German energy corporation RWE in 2009.

Briefing on Vattenfall’s wood bioenergy investments and plans

Vattenfall is a Swedish energy company which, for many years, was amongst the EU’s top three CO2 emitters from burning fossil fuels. In 2018, the company adopted the motto “fossil free living within one generation” and since then, has started to slowly phase out coal burning. In order to do this however, the company has begun to burn ever increasing amounts of forest wood. Vattenfall burns forest wood in Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands and has large expansion plans, especially in the Netherlands (Diemen) and Germany (Berlin). Vattenfall is also a trader in wood chips and wood pellets. Briefing originally from 2022, but updated in 2024