Commission Proposes Strategy For Sustainable Bioeconomy in Europe

The European Commission has adopted a strategy to shift the European economy towards greater and more sustainable use of renewable resources. With the world population approaching 9 billion by 2050 and natural resources finite, Europe needs renewable biological resources for secure and healthy food and feed, as well as for materials, energy, and other products. … Read more

Half the EU27 Consumption of Renewable Energy Comes From Wood

Almost half of the EU27’s consumption of renewables comes from wood and wood waste. In 2009, renewable sources of energy provided 9% of total gross inland energy consumption in the EU27. In 2010, forest and other wooded land covered 178 million hectares in the EU27, or around 40% of its land area. The EU27 accounted … Read more

EU Should Help Economic Assessment of Forestry’s Role in Combating Climate Change

Forests have a key role to play in combating climate change, both as a carbon sink and as a source of renewable energy, but initiatives to boost forestry for this purpose need to be subject to proper economic assessment, according to the findings of an inquiry by the British House of Lords Sub-Committee on Agriculture, … Read more

EU Urged to Allow Forest Carbon Sinks to Offset Ireland’s Emissions

The European Union should agree that forest carbon sinks can be used to offset Ireland’s non-Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) emissions, a new report from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Food has recommended. In a report on the European Commission’s Green Paper … Read more

Report Launched on EC’s Green Paper on Protecting Europe’s Forests Against Climate Change

A report by the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security and the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Food, on the European Commission’s Green Paper on ‘Forest Protection and Information in the EU: Preparing Forests for Climate Change’ is being launched today, July 21st, at 10am in the AV Room of Leinster House. … Read more