NGOs call on the EU Commission to end support for burning trees and crops for energy in the Green New Deal.

For many years, EU policies have encouraged the burning of types of bioenergy that increase emissions compared to fossil fuels. Member States are subsidising this harmful industry to the tune of billions of euros every year. The hugely negative unintended consequences of EU transport biofuel policies have already been under discussion for a while now, but the impacts of the EU’s incentives for burning forest biomass are no less alarming or counterproductive.

This cannot be allowed to continue. The EU should reform its bioenergy policies, the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) should aim to be compatible with the European Green Deal.