Biomass role in decarbonisation should be restricted, ETC says

The use of biomass should be limited only to applications where no cheaper or available alternatives exist in order to reduce the risk of demand for bioresources exceeding sustainable supply, global think-tank Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) has warned.

In short, while bioresources are in principle renewable, “not all biomass is good biomass”, the ETC, a coalition of leaders in the energy space, highlights.

In its latest report, Bioresources Within a Net-Zero Emissions Economy: Making a Sustainable Approach Possible, the organisation says that biomass production should not compete with use of land for food production, trigger deforestation or negatively impact biodiversity and ecosystem health.

Biomass for energy purposes should be sourced from waste and residues, energy crops on degraded and marginal lands and limited to where current crop or pastureland can be released, the ETC said.

"Biomass can make a really valuable contribution to the world's decarbonisation. But truly sustainable biomass is limited in volume; so its use must be restricted to priority sectors where alternative decarbonisation options don't exist,” said ETC chair Adair Turner.

“The good news is that clean electrification and hydrogen often provide a cheaper solution. The challenge for policymakers is to develop those alternatives fast, while supporting targeted use of biomass where it is most needed – in materials, aviation and for carbon removals -- with a constant attention to ensuring supply of biomass is truly sustainable," Turner adds.

Current plans by the mobility, industry and buildings sectors to use biomass as a pathway to decarbonisation, if left unchecked, could lead to serious harm to the environment in the form of deforestation, biodiversity loss and soil depletion.

In its “prudent scenario”, the ETC estimates that the quantity of sustainable biomass available by 2050 stands at about 40-60 exajoules per year, and this without major changes in land use, technology and consumer behaviour. There could up to 60 exajoules per year available, but only as a result of a widespread shift to plant-based diets or synthetic meat, improved agricultural practices and waste collection and management and a significant scale up of seaweed-for-energy production, the ETC said.

“The world has a fixed quantity of land, while demand for food, fiber, carbon storage and biodiversity continues to grow. We can't have an 'all of the above' strategy; there are real trade-offs in play, requiring informed decisions. This analysis helps open that dialogue," adds Manish Bapna, the interim president and CEO of the World Resources Institute.

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