EASAC reaches out to the new European Commission on energy from forest biomass

EASAC reached out to the new Commission’s new Executive Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, to emphasise the importance of taking account of recent science to meet the EU 2030 climate targets in a responsible way. Drawing on its recent publication on the use of forest biomass for energy productions, EASAC voiced science-based concerns about accounting loopholes in the current Renewable Energy Directive that risk accelerating climate change, and urged a review of the role of biomass in meeting renewable energy targets. In addition, the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) reporting should be reformed to make the revised procedures more transparent and to remove the incentive to promote climate negative actions by exploiting accounting loopholes. In its letter, EASAC also expressed its continued commitment to assisting the Commission in achieving its vitally important objectives on Climate Change.