1. Outline
This report by the Committee on Climate Change assesses the role of biomass – wood, plants and organic waste – in the global strategy to tackle climate change.
Biomass can play an important role in meeting the UK’s long-term (2050) emissions targets, and moving towards net-zero emissions, but only with stricter governance to ensure sustainable supplies.
2. Key findings and recommendations
The report’s key findings are:
- Managing biomass stocks is an important component of global climate mitigation strategies
- Sustainably harvested biomass can play a significant role in meeting long-term climate targets, provided it is prioritised for the most valuable end-uses
The key recommendations of the report are:
- The UK should aim to increase the volume of carbon stored in our forests and land
- Food and biodegradable waste must be collected separately from other refuse in all areas across the UK
- Rules governing the supply of sustainable sources of biomass for energy need to be improved
- Biomass must be used in the most effective way. Uses that enable long-term carbon storage should be prioritised
3. Supporting charts and data
4. Supporting research
Annex 1 – Sustainable Forest Management
Annex 2 – Best practice in international biomass governance
Bioenergy Call for Evidence report and associated responses
Steps to scaling up UK sustainable bioenergy supply (CEH)
What next for bioenergy? (EBRI)
Biopolymers (bio-based plastics) – An overview (JCH Industrial Ecology Ltd)
Wood in Construction in the UK: An Analysis of Carbon Abatement Potential (BioComposites Centre)
5. Infographic
The following infographic shows the key messages from this report. Click the image below for a higher resolution version.
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