Leading climate scientists, from the EU to the United Nations, recognize the role wood biomass can play in reducing carbon emissions.
Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions spread by activist groups that label wood biomass as dangerous for the environment.
But as The Economist explains, that’s a view of wood biomass that no longer holds merit.
“Modern bio-energy, however, is different,” the Economist notes. “It refers to the production of sustainable biofuels like wood pellets, ethanol, biogas (produced from the breakdown of organic matter) and biodiesel (produced from plants such as rapeseed). In 2017 modern bio-energy provided half of all renewable energy consumed—and four times as much as solar and wind combined.”
In fact, The Economist notes that if the world’s energy mix from bioenergy were to grow from 4.5% to 17% by 2060, we would see a corresponding 17% reduction in CO2 emissions from bioenergy alone.
“Scaling up the use of renewable energy is essential to any efforts to contain global warming,” The Economist concludes.
Today we are living through a revolution in renewable energy. Fossil fuels are on the decline as the price of renewable technologies falls and as the public continues to grow concerned about the climate crisis. As much as solar and wind are necessary components to stopping climate change, today they’re not enough.
As The Economist makes clear, we need low-carbon energy sources now to address the crisis, and biomass is helping fulfill that needed role.