International groups warn that new German subsidies for coal-to biomass conversions could cause damage to forests around the world

[Scroll down for the German version of the Press Release]

21st October 2020 – 26 environmental NGOs from the USA and Estonia have sent a letter to membersof the Bundesrat ahead of tomorrow’s debate about a reform to the Renewable Energy Law (EEG) which, the groups fear, could result in subsidies for converting coal plants with wood pellets, instead of replacing them with non-emissive, clean renewable energy.

The groups warn that subsidies for converting coal plants to biomass would pose a serious new threat to forests in the Southeastern USA and the Baltic States, where wood pellet producers routinely source wood from the clearcutting of wildlife- and carbon-rich mature forests.

They point out that Denmark, the Netherlands, and the UK, where coal power stations have been converted to biomass, import many million of tonnes of pellets from both regions between them.

Scientists, including the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC),have warned that efforts to substitute fossil fuels with reliance on forest biomass set back efforts to address climate change by increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

Enviva, the largest US pellet producer, has repeatedly stated in public that they expect a large new market in Germany, provided subsidies are made available.

The NGOs call on the Bundesrat to reject all proposals for additional subsidies forforest biomass energy and to reserve such subsidies to clean, non-emissive renewables such as wind and solar power, as well as associated renewable heat infrastructure (e.g. heat pumps) in the Renewable Energy Law, the proposed new 1 billion Euro renewable heat subsidy and the coal phaseout law.

Rita Frost, Campaigns Director at Dogwood Alliance states: “In the Southeastern USA, Enviva consistently sources biodiverse natural forests for biomass production. Those forests play a vital role not just as wildlife habitat but also to help regulate the climate. Mature forest ecosystems remove and store large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, and they protect communities from theworst effects of droughts and floods. German policymakers must not repeat the mistakes made by the UK, Netherlands, and Denmark in subsidising coal-to-biomass conversions.”

Sebastian Scholz, NABU (Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union) supports the call made by US and Estonian groups: “To reach climate targets we need to focus on energy savings and environmental friendly power generation from wind and solar energy. Substituting fossil fuels with forest biomass would cause significant harm to biodiversity whilst scientific evidence clearly shows that cutting down trees for energy is no better for the climate than burning coal. Renewable energy subsidies must be reserved for genuinely low-carbon, clean forms of energy.”

Uku Lilleväli from Estonian Fund for Nature adds: “In Estonia, logging – nearly all done by clearcuts – has been intensifying at record levels. This has a detrimental impact on the country’s biodiversity, for instance, the number of forest birds has been in steep decline, and its forest carbon sink, making it more difficult for our country to meet its own climate goals. Germany must not fuel the demand for biomass and intensify the logging further.”

Jane Ballenthien from Robin Wood adds: “US and Estonian groups are right to warn of threats to their forests, however the growing use of wood for biomass in Germany – and the possibility of converting coal plants to wood in future – threaten our own forests, too. Coal-to-biomass conversions would create a long-term greater demand for wood, ultimately requiring even more intensive logging.This is the last thing our forests need in the context of worsening impacts of climate change on forests.”

——————————- END ——————————-

Contacts:

Rita Frost, Dogwood Alliance, rita@dogwoodalliance.org, +1 512-4

Uku Lilleväli, Estonian Fund for Nature, uku.lillevali@gmail.com, +372 5661999

Link to the open letter: biofuelwatch.org.uk/2020/open-letter-against-german-coal-to-biomass-conversions

Notes:

The European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC) has warned that it is“it is inevitable that the initial impact of replacing coal with forest biomass in power stations is to increase atmospheric carbon dioxide levels: https://easac.eu/fileadmin/PDF_s/reports_statements/Carbon_Neutrality/EASAC_commentary_on_Carbon_Neutrality_15_June_2018.pdf

International Gruppen warnen dass neue Deutsche Subventionen für Kohle-zu-Biomasse Konversionen zu Raubbau an Wäldern rund um die Welt führen könnten

21.Oktober 2020 – 26 Umweltschutzorganisationen aus den USA und dem Baltikum haben heute einen Brief an die Mitglieder des Bundesrates geschickt bzgl. der morgigenDebatte zur Novelle des Erneuerbaren Energien Gesetz (EEG). Die Gruppen fürchten, diese könnte in Subventionen für Kohlkraftwerken resultieren, die auf Biomasse-Verbrennung umsteigen, anstatt die Kohle durch nicht-emittierende, saubere erneuerbare Energien zu ersetzen.

Die Gruppen warnen, dass Subventionen für die Umrüstung von Kohle- auf Holzverbrennung eine ernste, neue Bedrohung für die Wälder im Südosten der USA und im Baltikum darstellen, wo Pelletproduzenten routinemäßig ihr Holz aus dem Kahlschlag von hoch-biodiversen und kohlenstoff-reichen natürlichen Wäldern beziehen.

Sie weisen darauf hin, dass Dänemark, die Niederlande und Großbritannien -Länder in denen Kohlekraftwerke auf Biomasse umgestellt wurden – jedes Jahr viele Millionen Tonnen Pellets aus diesen Regionen importieren.

Führende Wissenschaftler, wie der Wissenschaftsbeirats der Europäischen Akademien (EASAC), haben gewarnt dass das Ersetzen von Fossilen Brennstoffendurch Holzverbrennung atmosphärische Kohlendioxid Konzentrationen erhöht und damit Anstrengungen, den Klimawandel einzudämmen, zurücksetzt.

ENVIVA, der größte Pelletproduzent der Welt, hat wiederholt öffentlich verkündet, dass sie Deutschland als ihren nächsten großen Markt ansehen, falls staatliche Subventionen zu Verfügung gestellt werden.

Die NGOs appellieren an den Bundesrat, alle Gesetzesvorschläge für zusätzliche Subventionen für Energie aus Waldbiomasse abzulehnen und solche Unterstützungen für sauber, nicht-emittierende erneuerbarer Energien, wie Windkraft und Solarstrom, sowie für entsprechende Infrastruktur für erneuerbareWärme (z.B. Wärmepumpen) zu reservieren; sowohl in der Erneuerbaren Energien Novelle, dem Gesetzesvorschlag für einen neuen 1 Milliarde Euro Unterstützung für erneuerbare Wärme und im Kohleausstiegsgesetz.

Für Rückfragen:

Rita Frost, Dogwood Alliance, rita@dogwoodalliance.org, +1 512-4

Uku Lilleväli, Estonian Fund for Nature, uku.lillevali@gmail.com, +372 5661999

Link zum offenen Brief:

https://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/2020/open-letter-against-german-coal-to-biomass-conversions

Weitere Informationen:

EASAC – der Zusammenschluss der Nationalen Akademien der Wissenschaften der EU-Mitgliedsstaaten, Norwegens und der Schweiz – hat gewarnt, dass es “unvermeidlich ist, dass der Ersatz von Kohle durch Holz aus Wäldern zumindest kurzfristig den CO2 Gehalt der Atmosphäre erhöht.”: https://easac.eu/fileadmin/PDF_s/reports_statements/Carbon_Neutrality/EASAC_commentary_on_Carbon_Neutrality_15_June_2018.pdf