News
Many trees, but few forests in the southern US
Many trees, but few forests in the southern US By Sini Eräjää, Policy Officer EU Bioenergy, Birdlife Europe and the European Environmental Bureau “There are still some trees down here but there’s all the time less forests” said a shopkeeper in the town of Ahoskie in North Carolina. He was sitting
A story unfolding, EU energy policy and American forests
A story unfolding, EU energy policy and American forests By Sini Eräjää, Policy Officer EU Bioenergy, Birdlife Europe and the European Environmental Bureau I never would have thought that in the early days of the EU’s efforts to increase renewable energy use that working in this field would take me to forests along
GRAS – a tool to guarantee sustainable bioenergy
GRAS – a tool to guarantee sustainable bioenergy By guest authors Mohammad Abdel-Razek, Jan Henke, Pascal Ripplinger, GRAS Global Risk Assessment Services GmbH The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) acknowledges that “bioenergy has a significant greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential, provided that the resources are developed sustainably”. True, the
Co-firing with biomass compared to other renewables
Co-firing with biomass compared to other renewables By guest author Geert Warringa, CE Delft Co-firing is the combustion of two different types of material at the same time for energy production. In the Netherlands, co-firing coal with biomass is one of the options for meeting their 14% renewables target. However,
Dutch struggle over biomass is heating up
Dutch struggle over biomass is heating up By guest author Linde Zuidema, Bioenergy Campaigner, Fern Since the middle of last year, the Dutch government has come under increasing fire over its climate and energy policy. The main issue on the table: the need for a total phase out of coal
Can biogas be green? Organic Denmark shows the way
Can biogas be green? Organic Denmark shows the way By Lisa Benedetti, BirdLife Europe Despite costing taxpayers more than 50 billion euro annually, and despite attempts to make it greener, the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) still supports farming practices that dirty Europe’s waters, are hard on soils and threaten
Massachusetts has some lessons for Europe about bioenergy
Massachusetts has some lessons for Europe about bioenergy By guest author Bram Claeys, currently Climate & Energy Adviser at an international environmental NGO, previously Deputy Director Renewable Energy at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources Now that the European Commission has an open consultation about the need for sustainability criteria
What does bioenergy have to do with saving the Aquatic Warbler?
What does bioenergy have to do with saving the Aquatic Warbler? By Lisa Benedetti, BirdLife Europe Bioenergy has been in the spotlight a lot lately because of its questionable ‘sustainability’. But in Poland, the production of biomass energy has become part of the Polish Society for the Protection of Bird’s
Wood pellet travel from North American forests to Belgian furnaces
Wood pellet travel from North American forests to Belgian furnaces Check out Greenpeace Belgium’s nifty tool which demonstrates the potential dangers and questionable sustainability of wood pellets that are being used to fuel power plants in Belgium by companies like Electrabel, RWE and E.ON. The tool traces all the different steps, from wood
STAY TUNED
Subscribe to BirdLife Europe & Central Asia Newsletter and keep informed about our work on bioenergy and nature conservation.