Biomass creates more and better forests – and is a prerequisite for green goals Across Europe, sustainable forestry and biomass use are closely linked to climate strategies and afforestation targets. As part of the Green Tripartite Agreement, for example, Denmark has decided to plant 250,000 hectares of new forest by 2045. Similar ambitions for afforestation and carbon storage exist at the EU level and in many member states. For this to succeed, forestry must be economically attractive. It is difficult to see what would motivate landowners to convert agricultural land with annual income into new forest areas if their only potential early income, such as thinning wood used for biomass during the first decades, were removed. Public debate often oversimplifies biomass energy as if entire forests were cut and burned. That is factually wrong and, as mentioned, makes no economic sense for forest owners. Harvesting biomass for products and energy does not destroy forests. On the contrary, it is a significant driver of healthy forestry investment and new planting. Experience from Denmark shows that, during the past 15–20 years of increased biomass use in the energy sector, several positive trends have emerged:
Biomass has played a decisive role in phasing out coal and other fossil fuels in the energy sector. At the same time, biomass has supported the development of more productive and well-managed forests. Additionally, the use of sustainable biomass is essential for achieving national and EU climate objectives, including large-scale afforestation targets such as Denmark’s 250,000-hectare forest plan set out in the Green Tripartite Agreement. Therefore, biomass continues to hold a central place in Europe’s future energy mix. Forests are always good Regardless of management form, forests and forestry contribute positively. This applies to CO2 uptake and climate, renewable resources, groundwater protection, nitrogen reduction, outdoor recreation, and nature and biodiversity. From a societal perspective, forests are always good. You can compare the forest to a Swiss army knife. It can be used for many purposes, but it cannot solve everything at once by unfolding all the tools simultaneously. Biomass for energy comes from sustainable forestry, where new trees are always planted when others are cut down. The purpose is to produce timber for construction, furniture, and products that would otherwise be made of plastic, steel, concrete, and other non-renewable resources. In practice, wood is always sold according to a market-based cascading principle. The best logs become furniture and building materials, while lower qualities become veneer, packaging wood, and chipboard. Residual products, such as thinning wood, damaged or decayed wood, etc., that cannot be sold otherwise are used as biomass in the energy sector. Here, it serves as a renewable energy source that has replaced coal, oil and natural gas and can deliver negative emissions. The market-based cascading principle applies naturally, since wood for energy simply pays the least. Therefore, forest owners always have an interest in selling wood for anything other than energy. This applies across Europe, since all biomass traded within the EU must meet uniform sustainability requirements – regardless of its origin. When something becomes economically viable, more of it tends to appear. And income from biomass thus contributes to long-term, sustainable forestry worldwide.
Forest area has increased
Standing wood mass in forests has increased
Dead wood, benefiting biodiversity, has increased
Valuable timber used for the green transition has increased
If biomass use were truly harmful to forests, it would be remarkable that all key indicators point upward.
Critics often claim imported biomass causes deforestation or environmental damage. However, the majority of biomass used in Europe originates from sustainably managed forests within the EU, where similar positive developments are documented. According to the European Forest Institute, Europe’s total forest stock increases year by year. Forests cover approximately 39% of the EU's land area. This represents an increase of about 8.3 million hectares or 5.5% since 2000 and 2.6 million hectares
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