{"id":1776,"date":"2022-09-13T08:31:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T22:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/primaryforestsandclimate.org\/?post_type=publications&p=1776"},"modified":"2023-01-17T17:55:04","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T07:55:04","slug":"burning-forests-for-energy-is-not-a-source-clean-energy","status":"publish","type":"publications","link":"https:\/\/primaryforestsandclimate.org\/publications\/burning-forests-for-energy-is-not-a-source-clean-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Policy brief: Burning forests for energy is not a source clean energy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Forest biomass is not clean energy as burning it releases CO2<\/sub> emissions and so does not contribute\u00a0to a decarbonisation pathway.\u00a0The emissions from burning biomass are\u00a0instantaneous, but their removals from\u00a0the atmosphere from forest regrowth are not and take a long\u00a0time. This means there is a significant\u00a0time lag between when carbon is emitted\u00a0and when it is removed and stored. This lag is important when considering current greenhouse gas warming potential.<\/p>\n

Download policy brief<\/a><\/p>\n

In Australia, the accounting and reporting of\u00a0net emissions from the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector and forest lands\u00a0provides a false view that the\u00a0forest industry is somehow 'carbon negative'\u00a0and does not make transparent the\u00a0gross emissions from logging.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, given the inexorable growth of overall energy use, there is no reason to assume a power facility using biomass as a feedstock will displace a coal generation system elsewhere. It is more likely that total energy generation will simply continue to rise and\/or displace clean energy sources.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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We need a rapid rethink of the role of forest biomass\u00a0burning for energy in national\u00a0decarbonization policy is required.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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From an ecological perspective, there is no such thing as 'residue' biomass in a forest ecosystem - all biomass provides the biological and chemical inputs into the continuing growth of forests. Many studies show the negative impacts of intensification of logging on biodiversity including loss of habitat resources for threatened species such as the southern greater glider and koala.<\/p>\n

We need a rapid rethink of the role of forest biomass burning for energy a comprehensive national decarbonisation policy is required. We argue that a global ban on using forest biomass for industrial scale bioenergy is urgently needed given its negative effects on climate mitigation and forest ecosystem integrity. Land provides a false\u00a0view that the forest industry is carbon\u00a0negative and do not make transparent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Article authors<\/h2>
\"Dr<\/a><\/div>

Brendan Mackey<\/a><\/h3>
Project Director and Director of the Griffith Climate Action Beacon at Griffith University, contributing to community planning and engagement in forest projects.<\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div>
\"Heather<\/a><\/div>

Heather Keith<\/a><\/h3>
Heather is a Senior Research Fellow at Griffith University. Her research is aimed at understanding the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, particularly forests, to improve their management for conservation and climate change mitigation.<\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Additional authors<\/h2>\n
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\u00a0<\/span>Lindenmayer, D.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Reference<\/h3>\n

Mackey, B., Lindenmayer, D., Keith, H.\u00a0(2022). Burning forest biomass for\u00a0energy, not a source of clean energy<\/em>\u00a0and harmful to forest ecosystem\u00a0integrity<\/em>. Griffith Climate Action\u00a0Beacon Policy Discussion Paper 2\/22,\u00a0pp.1-8. Brisbane, Australia: Griffith\u00a0University.\u00a0https:\/\/doi.org\/10.25904\/1912\/4547<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The recent shift towards using forest biomass burning for energy comes with grave risks of highly perverse outcomes, including increased CO2 emissions and negative impacts on forest ecosystem integrity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":[6,30],"featured_media":1777,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","researchfield":[14,25],"publicationtype":[72],"case_study":[48],"class_list":["post-1776","publications","type-publications","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","researchfield-forest-carbon-accounting","researchfield-policy","publicationtype-policy-papers","author-brendan-mackey","author-heather-keith","case_study-global"],"yoast_head":"\nPolicy brief: Burning forests for energy is not a source clean energy - Primary Forests & Climate Program<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The recent shift towards using forest biomass burning for energy comes with grave risks of highly perverse outcomes, including increased CO2 emissions and negative impacts on forest ecosystem integrity.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/primaryforestsandclimate.org\/publications\/burning-forests-for-energy-is-not-a-source-clean-energy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Policy brief: Burning forests for energy is not a source clean energy - Primary Forests & Climate Program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The recent shift towards using forest biomass burning for energy comes with grave risks of highly perverse outcomes, including increased CO2 emissions and negative impacts on forest ecosystem integrity.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/primaryforestsandclimate.org\/publications\/burning-forests-for-energy-is-not-a-source-clean-energy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Primary Forests & Climate Program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-01-17T07:55:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/primaryforestsandclimate.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Holz_Pellets.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"499\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Integrated landscape management of forest landscapes requires ecosystem integrity, effective planning and strong governance. 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