The European Commission has taken a decisive step towards a reliable European market for carbon removal. New implementing rules are now operationalizing the voluntary certification framework for carbon removal and carbon farming. Implementing Regulation 2025/2358, along with initiatives from the Bioeconomy Strategy, should ensure reliability and reduce administrative burdens. The Commission's goal…
Scientists have made a remarkable discovery in the genetics of the poplar tree. These findings, resulting from research conducted by the University of Missouri in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Georgia, could fundamentally change the way we use biomass for fuels and sustainable materials. The study, published in the prestigious…
Seventeen organizations, including Bioenergy Europe, are urging the European Commission to simplify the EU Deforestation Prevention Regulation (EUDR). They warn that the current rules undermine sustainable supply chains through unnecessary administrative burdens and legal uncertainties. The EUDR came into force in June 2023 and focuses on seven commodities, such as timber, soy, and oil palms, to…
Woody biomass from sustainably managed forests now complies with the latest EU directive Biomass from sustainably managed forests can now demonstrably comply with the latest European sustainability requirements. Certification organisation PEFC has adapted its standards to the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). This makes it possible for wood suppliers and buyers of biomass to obtain a PEFC certificate for…
Let the children come to me, all, all the children… Almost everyone who has ever been to church in their youth will have sung this classic. It has certainly stuck with me, probably because the text is so welcoming (or in a modern term: inclusive). And without the…
The European Commission has announced that the implementation of the EU’s new anti-deforestation law, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), will be postponed by one year. On Wednesday 2 October, the Commission published additional guidance and a strengthened international cooperation framework to support stakeholders in their preparations for the regulation’s implementation. The EUDR, which…
The agricultural sector is facing major challenges due to increasing sustainability requirements and restrictions on the use of water, fertilizers and crop protection products. At the same time, the demand for natural building materials with a low carbon footprint is growing from the construction sector. In this context, the cultivation of biobased building materials, such as the fast-growing Paulownia tree, is emerging as a promising new revenue model for…
How wonderful it is to feel like a student again at the age of fifty. I had that experience this spring at a 'Forest lesson' by Simon Klingen in the Amerongse Bos. Klingen, retired forest manager for the Utrecht Landscape, and a kind of Big Friendly Giant, regularly takes a small group of people into the forest to better…
Climate change has more than doubled the risk of extreme wildfire conditions in Canada. In recent years, the area burned annually by wildfires in Canada has grown steadily, with an average increase of 330.000 hectares per decade. These more intense fire seasons require urgent measures to increase resilience to forest fires and at the same time create a sustainable and...
There is a strong link between bioenergy and sustainable forest management. But how does this work? In the week of the International Day of Forests, Bioenergy Europe presented a new article about the symbiotic relationship between bioenergy and forest management in Europe. The article aims to clarify common misconceptions on this subject, by…
The down-to-earth English already figured it out: 'You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs'. It is no different with wood and trees: a healthy, thick tree is cut down to make a wooden table. And that change is sometimes, and for some people, a painful experience. Not surprising of course, especially when it comes to thick trees...
To be able to build more with wood and other bio raw materials, a reliable chain is needed. “There is still room for improvement in the Netherlands,” says Henk Wanningen, raw materials expert at Staatsbosbeheer. “We have taken the initiative to ensure that all parties in that chain, from forest owners to wood processors, work together better.” He also believes it is important…
Following Henk Wanningen's recent blog post on www.biomassafeiten.nl, in which he discusses the subject of forest management and woody biomass in detail, the podcast of Studio Energie by Remco de Boer was created. Henk gives a clear and informative explanation, and it is definitely worth listening to. We see that the Biomass Facts campaign…
Staatsbosbeheer and Heijmans are joining forces to process OSB sheet material made from wood from Dutch forests in Dutch timber-frame homes. Staatsbosbeheer annually supplies logs to the West Fraser factory in Genk (Belgium), with which West Fraser produces 40.000 m3 of OSB sheet material under the Dutch wood label. The raw material comes from the forests…
Many people are concerned about our forests. Is there enough wood to build houses? And where does that wood come from? Probos and Centrum Hout have presented figures on the origin of construction wood in handy Infograhics for PIANOo and RVO. This shows that the Netherlands imports 4,5 million cubic meters of wood for construction every year.…
The term 'biomass' raises many questions. In this video the answer to “Are forests being cut down for bioenergy?” On biomassafeiten.nl we have listed the most common questions and answers: https://www.biomassafeiten.nl/faq/
Facts versus opinions – questionable claims from the ICIJ (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists) In the bioenergy reporting published by ICIJ in early March, several articles pitted facts against opinions, giving the impression that opinions and subjective interpretations skewed the public dominate debate. Such emotional reports of the use of bioenergy are…
The Probos Foundation has announced the key figures for 2021 via an infographic with data on production, import, export and consumption of wood products in 2021. Consumption of woody biomass in the Netherlands has increased significantly. In the period 2016-2021, sales of woody biomass in the Netherlands have increased. country has gradually grown at the expense of the amount of biomass exported, as a result…
Preliminary results from a recent study show that using forest residues for bioenergy will have a positive climate impact until 2050. The report takes into account that these residues would otherwise remain in the forests and decay. Taking decay into account, it appears that bioenergy from forest residues is not only carbon neutral, but also...
European forests are increasingly affected by natural disturbances, a new observational study shows. An international team of forestry scientists from Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the European Forest Institute (EFI) and 19 other research organizations from across Europe examined forest disturbances in Europe over the past 70 years and reported a statistically significant increasing trend…
Wood has been used as a raw material for centuries. Wood is durable, reliable and environmentally friendly. Wood is used for various purposes: Paper productionPaper is originally made from fibers from the wood of trees. WoodworkingWood is very suitable for making all kinds of furniture and in the construction of houses (e.g. window frames and roof structures). FuelBark and sawdust (which is released…
The European Parliament and the EU member states reached an agreement on Thursday, November 10, on a new law regulating the contribution of the forestry and land use sector to the EU's 2030 climate goals. The land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) includes the use of soils,…
More than 550 scientists have signed a letter to the European Commission warning of the deteriorating state of Europe's forests and calling for climate-smart forestry – including timber harvesting for bioenergy – to strengthen their resilience to global warming . Forests play an essential role in our…
What about cutting down trees for woody biomass? There is regular discussion about this, especially on social media. Using facts, we explain that no trees are cut down specifically for woody biomass, but that woody biomass is a by-product of forest management and not a goal in itself. Woody biomass…
In response to the European Parliament's vote, Bioenergy Europe says it welcomes the European Parliament's approval of the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII). However, the new definition of “primary woody biomass” still raises some concerns. On September 14, 2002, the European Parliament took its position…
Bioenergy explained Bioenergy is part of sustainable forest management and relies on established synergies with the timber industry. Together they help maintain the resilience of forests. The woodworking industry uses high-quality wood for the production of furniture and other wood-based products. Sustainable bioenergy in turn uses residuals and…
In the Grote Beek valley, Natuurpunt will start a new form of agriculture: paludiculture or wet agriculture. An investment of 2 million euros with which they want to restore 130 hectares of peat, good for approximately 1.000 tons less CO2 in the air and soil every year. The intention is to collaborate with a local…
Staatsbosbeheer, construction company BAM Wonen, IBI2, Pontmeyer and Jongeneel have signed an agreement for the joint production, processing and processing of 75.000 square meters of 100% biobased and recycled sheet material for residential construction. The raw material for this is residual wood from Dutch forests and from the construction site. Staatsbosbeheer wants to recycle residual flows from Dutch nature reserves, such as clippings and branches and…
Wood pellets are used to generate energy. But how are wood pellets made? This video explains it (English)
The Irish Bioenergy Association (IRBEA) has created a 3-minute animation about the sustainable role of wood fuels in forest management. Wood Fuel Quality Assurance allows consumers to identify sources of quality fuelwood, wood chips, pellets and briquettes.
The management of Staatsbosbeheer sites produces many useful raw materials that they can reuse as efficiently and sustainably as possible. Tons of bio-raw materials are released from Staatsbosbeheer sites every year in the form of residual wood (prunings, branches, tree tops) and grass clippings (from natural grasslands, heathland and reeds). This amount is approximately the same every year because it…
Bending scientific insights or selectively shopping in scientific findings is harmful to society. That is the response of five scientists in response to recent statements and an opinion piece in the Volkskrant, Fenna Swart, Johan Vollenbroek and Maarten Visschers recently called on Minister Stef Blok to issue a directive for the combustion of biomass in Brussels...
On Wednesday, the European Commission presented Frans Timmermans' ambitious plans to significantly reduce the EU's CO2 emissions. Expectations were high. Would the Commission abolish biomass burning? No, we now know. In the meantime, the question is also: how does the Commission deal with natural forests and forestry in the North of the EU?…
In Sweden, a lot of natural forest is disappearing for planting. Industrial forestry is our business, says Sweden. But it is still on the agenda at the Green Deal consultation in Brussels tomorrow. Primeval forests as far as the eye can see, that is the image of Sweden. Symbol for a country that lives in harmony with nature. In reality…
The area of European forest where wood is felled has increased by almost fifty percent in just a few years. Is it even faster here than in the Amazon?
