Quantifying the loophole and sustainability impacts of bioenergy being rated zero emissions in the EU Emissions Trading System and Effort Sharing Regulation

For the first time ever the ignored emissions of burning biomass – burning trees – in the EU have been quantified. 234 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2019, more than 15% of all emissions currently reported in the Emissions Trading System (ETS). Yet the emissions from the combustion of biomass are not included in what industries must account for in the ETS. The fact the emissions from biomass are ignored represents a huge subsidy for installations burning biomass, as the ETS otherwise requires polluters to pay a carbon price for their CO2 emissions.