Reports, briefings and presentations
Latest Updates
Bioenergy general
Why opposing a no-deal or ‘hard Brexit’ is crucial for a clean energy future
Why opposing a no-deal or 'hard' Brexit is crucial for a clean energy future Biofuelwatch briefing about the implications of a no-deal or 'hard' Brexit for energy policy in the UK and Ireland Click here to read the full briefing [add-this] Summary...
“Jurassic World” and the Dinosaurs at the USDA
"Jurassic World" and the Dinosaurs at the USDA, Rachel Smolker, Truthout
Biomass (solid)
Schwarze Holzpellets für CEMEX in Rüdersdorf
Gemeinsames Infopapier von NABU, Biofuelwatch und ROBIN WOOD Hier klicken um das Papier herunterzuladen. Für das Zementwerk der Cemex in Rüdersdorf nahe Berlin plant das Unternehmen gemeinsam mit dem Entsorgungsunternehmen Alba eine Anlage zur Biomasse-Torrefizierung...
Gemeinsame Stellungnahme zum geplanten Reuter West Holz HKW
Gemeinsame Stellungnahme zum Genehmigungsantrag für ein neues Holzheizkraftwerk in Reuter West, Berlin, BUND Berlin, NABU Berlin, GRÜNE LIGA Berlin, Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald Berlin, Berliner Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Naturschutz, Naturschutzzentrum Ökowerk...
Burning Billions for Biomass
The case for cutting subsidies, not forests Joint report by Environmental Paper Network, Biofuelwatch, Solutions for Our Climate, Rachel Carson Council, Global Environment Facility, Dogwood Alliance, NRDC, Comité Schone Lucht, Pracownia na rzecz Wszystkich Istot,...
Biofuels (liquid)
NESTE’s Biofuels: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
Neste 2026Download
Peer Briefing for SAF Bill Third Reading: Opening the doors to fraud
We are deeply concerned by the government's ongoing support for aviation biofuels, often erroneously known as 'sustainable aviation fuel'. The SAF Bill is now progressing through the Lords, and we want to make it clear to them that this technology is not a climate...
Illusory Emissions Reductions from Biofuels Undermine California Progress on Climate
California relies on counting uptake of ‘renewable diesel’ as a primary mechanism for achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions, despite evidence showing that biofuels are anything but ‘carbon neutral’ and can result in even more emissions than fossil fuels. CARB...
Industrial tree plantations, incl. GE trees and short-rotation coppicing
Short-rotation coppicing: No credible option for fuelling new biomass plants in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Click here to download the briefing Summary: Elektroprivreda BiH (EPBiH) is proposing to at least partly convert two coal plant units in Bosnia and Herzegovina to biomass. The company has stated that it would rely largely on Short-Rotation Coppicing (SRC), namely...
Plantažni zasadi kratke ophodnje: nema isplative opcije za razvoj novih postrojenja na plantažnu biomasu u Bosni i Hercegovini
Kliknite ovdje za preuzimanje Sažetak: Elektroprivreda BiH (EPBiH) predlaže da se dvije elektrane na ugalj u Bosni i Hercegovini u jednom dijelu konvertuju u postrojenja na biomasu. EPBIH je navela da će se u velikoj mjeri oslanjati na zasade iz plantaža kratke...
Joint Report about Genetically Engineered American Chestnut trees
Biotechnology for Forest Health? The Test Case of the Genetically Engineered American Chestnut Report by the Campaign to STOP Genetically Engineered Trees, Global Justice Ecology Project (GJEP) and Biofuelwatch, written by Rachel Smolker and...
Regional
Webinar: Aviation biofuels in the UK, greenwashing and the potential for further harm
Join us at 4pm on Thursday 28th August for a webinar discussing the implications and risks of the drive by government and business to expand the aviation biofuels sector in the UK. We will discuss the ideological and economic drivers of this development, the severe...
Papua solidarity campaign -Supporting activists as they fight to protect their land and their rights
Biofuelwatch is working with allies around the globe to provide support and solidarity with activists in Papua - and Indonesia at large - as they fight to protect their land and their rights. The island of New Guinea is divided into Papua New Guinea (PNG)...
Report about Germany’s Bush Control and Biomass Utilisation Project in Namibia
German development and climate finance project used to create biomass supply chain for German energy providers Click here to download the report And click here to read an open letter by 40 civil society organisations opposed to this project. An related article on a...
Biochar
Rapport sur le projet de biochar proposé par MIRAIA à Garlin
Le biochar constitue une nouvelle menace pour les forêts françaises In English Cliquez ici pour télécharger le rapport complet un forêt près de Sauveterre-de-de-Béarn (photo: Forêts Vivantes Pyrénées) Résumé La start-up MIRAIA souhaite construire six ou sept usines de...
Biochar poses new threats to forests in France
MIRAIA's Garlin biochar project - joint report by Biofuelwatch and Forêts Vivantes Pyrénées Click here to download the report En français A wood near Sauveterre-de-Béarn (photo: Forêts Vivantes Pyrénées) Executive Summary The start-up company MIRAIA wants to...
Biochar: A critical perspective
New Biofuelwatch briefing, May 2024: What does the science tell us about whether biochar reliably stores carbon and boosts soil fertility? Click here to download the fully referenced briefing Klicken Sie hier, um die deutsche Version zu lesen Introduction: In 2011,...
Air Pollution from Bioenergy
Biomass Basics
What are the problems with big biomass? In a nutshell - there are three problems: 1) It takes huge areas of land and huge quantities of wood to supply a tiny fraction of the energy we use. 2) Burning biomass emits CO2 to the atmosphere, just as burning fossil fuels...
Plume Plotter: Who is Drax polluting right now?
Plume Plotter is showing minute-to-minute details of air pollution caused by Drax, taking account of local weather conditions. See here for full details. And see here for a 2016 animation of Drax's plume. The Plume Plotter is built using one of the...
Stop Enviva’s planned pellet plant to feed growing UK demand for biomass
Rural Richmond County in North Carolina, already an epicenter of environmental injustice, faces its newest threat from wood pellet plant, Enviva. This proposed plant will supply Enviva's 1m tonne pellet contract with MGT Power's Teesside biomass plant in the UK. ...
Carbon trading in agriculture, soils and forests
Econexus: Why we should continue to oppose the inclusion of agriculture in the climate negotiations
Why we should continue to oppose the inclusion of agriculture in the climate negotiations Article by Helena Paul, Econexus
Palm oil in the Aguan Valley, Honduras: CDM, biodiesel and murders
In July 2011, the CDM Board approved a palm oil biogas project by Grupo Dinant, a company involved in land conflicts linked to serious human rights abuses, including murders in the Aguan Valley (Bajo Aguan). The decision was made despite representations from many...
Carbon Trading in Forests, Soils and Farmlands: Industry’s Recipe for Land Grabs
Carbon Trading in Forests, Soils and Farmlands: Industry’s Recipe for Land Grabs, Yet More Profits and Maintaining “Business As Usual” Handout for UNFCCC COP 2010 in Cancun
Synthetic biology
New report argues algae biofuels are overhyped and unacceptably risky
Latest in Biotechnology for Biofuels series September 26, 2017 As the Bio-Based Live Americas conference meets today to discuss topics including industrial scale production of biofuels and chemicals via genetically engineered (GE) microorganisms such as GE algae, a...
Biotechnology for Biofuels
“Biotechnology for Biofuels” includes in-depth investigations of three biofuel companies – Algenol, Mascoma, and Solazyme/TerraVia, and will be updated with forthcoming reports on algae and cellulosic biofuels, followed by further materials. Click here to view.
Algenol: Case study of an unsuccessful algae biofuels venture
Executive Summary Algenol is a Florida-based biotechnology company that has received considerable attention as one of the most promising algae biofuel startups. Since its founding in 2006, the company has received $35 - $50 million in public support, alongside tens of...