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Chapter 11 The EU renewable energy policy and its impact on forests

  • Zoltán Kun
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De Gruyter Handbook of Sustainable Development and Finance
This chapter is in the book De Gruyter Handbook of Sustainable Development and Finance

Abstract

The European Union’s (EU) actions in increasing the use of renewable energy and decreasing greenhouse gas emission includes the Renewable Energy Directive, which defines the various Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The most important element of RES is wood-based biomass, which accounts for over 60% of all EU domestic biomass supplied for energy. The sustainability and carbon neutrality of primary woody biomass for energy have recently been widely questioned. According to a group of plaintiffs, who took the EU to court, burning firewood shall not be treated as renewable energy, because it is not a solution leading to meet the climate and biodiversity targets. While the territory of forests increases in Europe, the area cover only measures the quantity of forest land use category. Even the EU’s Joint Research Centre found significant problems with the conservation status and resilience of Europe’s forests. It is these and other concerns that led a consortium of NGOs and policy think tanks to mount a legal challenge to the use of EU sustainable finance for forestry and bioenergy, claiming such funding was unscientific, contrary to the provision to avoid significant harm in the EU’s own Taxonomy Regulation, and would increase rather than mitigate carbon emissions (Partnership for Policy Integrity 2022). Harvesting that considers the growth of increment as the main indicator of sustainability is not a solution for considering forest biomass as renewable. This chapter looks at how the increasing use of forest biomass contribute to the current status and trends of forests in Europe and outlines policy recommendations to improve the situation.

Abstract

The European Union’s (EU) actions in increasing the use of renewable energy and decreasing greenhouse gas emission includes the Renewable Energy Directive, which defines the various Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The most important element of RES is wood-based biomass, which accounts for over 60% of all EU domestic biomass supplied for energy. The sustainability and carbon neutrality of primary woody biomass for energy have recently been widely questioned. According to a group of plaintiffs, who took the EU to court, burning firewood shall not be treated as renewable energy, because it is not a solution leading to meet the climate and biodiversity targets. While the territory of forests increases in Europe, the area cover only measures the quantity of forest land use category. Even the EU’s Joint Research Centre found significant problems with the conservation status and resilience of Europe’s forests. It is these and other concerns that led a consortium of NGOs and policy think tanks to mount a legal challenge to the use of EU sustainable finance for forestry and bioenergy, claiming such funding was unscientific, contrary to the provision to avoid significant harm in the EU’s own Taxonomy Regulation, and would increase rather than mitigate carbon emissions (Partnership for Policy Integrity 2022). Harvesting that considers the growth of increment as the main indicator of sustainability is not a solution for considering forest biomass as renewable. This chapter looks at how the increasing use of forest biomass contribute to the current status and trends of forests in Europe and outlines policy recommendations to improve the situation.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. List of contributors IX
  4. Acknowledgements XIX
  5. Preface XXI
  6. Part 1: Origins and evolution
  7. Chapter 1 Origins and evolution of sustainable development and finance 1
  8. Chapter 2 Complexity and uncertainty in sustainable finance: An analysis of the EU taxonomy 15
  9. Chapter 3 Ecosystem services and natural capital: Application to sustainable finance 41
  10. Chapter 4 The World Bank (Group) and sustainable development 71
  11. Chapter 5 Landscape planning and economics for sustainable finance 89
  12. Chapter 6 Certification and sustainable development 119
  13. Part 2: Public finance
  14. Chapter 7 Public finance for sustainable development 141
  15. Chapter 8 Public finance and fiscal instruments for sustainable development 153
  16. Chapter 9 Financing sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the role of digital finance 177
  17. Chapter 10 Fiscal governance to support post-COVID low-carbon development in Indonesia 193
  18. Chapter 11 The EU renewable energy policy and its impact on forests 219
  19. Part 3: Private finance
  20. Chapter 12 Private finance for sustainable development 251
  21. Chapter 13 Green Bonds: Debt at the crossroad between finance, law and ecology 265
  22. Chapter 14 Investing in sustainable business models at the base of the pyramid 293
  23. Chapter 15 AI and blockchain for sustainable development in India 329
  24. Chapter 16 Valuing civil society environmental engagement 349
  25. Part 4: Climate finance
  26. Chapter 17 Climate finance for sustainable development 385
  27. Chapter 18 Financing emission reductions: Official development assistance (ODA)-driven climate finance and beyond 397
  28. Chapter 19 The adaptation fund (AF) 425
  29. Chapter 20 An analysis of the global carbon market post COP26: How fossil fuel emission reductions and offset integrity must guide carbon market operation 451
  30. Chapter 21 Financing climate resilience: New opportunities and challenges 475
  31. Part 5: The blue economy
  32. Chapter 22 Sustainable ocean development and the blue economy 497
  33. Chapter 23 Ethics in the blue economy 511
  34. Chapter 24 Financing sustainable coastal and maritime tourism in the blue economy of the Asia-Pacific 543
  35. Chapter 25 Evaluating the governance of sustainable development: The quality and legitimacy of the blue economy 567
  36. Chapter 26 How green is the blue economy? 599
  37. Chapter 27 Finance approaches supporting social enterprise, non-profits and for-purpose organisations: A marine permaculture case study 621
  38. Conclusion
  39. Chapter 28 Sustainable development and finance post-pandemic – future directions and challenges 653
  40. List of abbreviations and acronyms 667
  41. List of figures 673
  42. List of tables 675
  43. Index 677
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110733488-011

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. List of contributors IX
  4. Acknowledgements XIX
  5. Preface XXI
  6. Part 1: Origins and evolution
  7. Chapter 1 Origins and evolution of sustainable development and finance 1
  8. Chapter 2 Complexity and uncertainty in sustainable finance: An analysis of the EU taxonomy 15
  9. Chapter 3 Ecosystem services and natural capital: Application to sustainable finance 41
  10. Chapter 4 The World Bank (Group) and sustainable development 71
  11. Chapter 5 Landscape planning and economics for sustainable finance 89
  12. Chapter 6 Certification and sustainable development 119
  13. Part 2: Public finance
  14. Chapter 7 Public finance for sustainable development 141
  15. Chapter 8 Public finance and fiscal instruments for sustainable development 153
  16. Chapter 9 Financing sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the role of digital finance 177
  17. Chapter 10 Fiscal governance to support post-COVID low-carbon development in Indonesia 193
  18. Chapter 11 The EU renewable energy policy and its impact on forests 219
  19. Part 3: Private finance
  20. Chapter 12 Private finance for sustainable development 251
  21. Chapter 13 Green Bonds: Debt at the crossroad between finance, law and ecology 265
  22. Chapter 14 Investing in sustainable business models at the base of the pyramid 293
  23. Chapter 15 AI and blockchain for sustainable development in India 329
  24. Chapter 16 Valuing civil society environmental engagement 349
  25. Part 4: Climate finance
  26. Chapter 17 Climate finance for sustainable development 385
  27. Chapter 18 Financing emission reductions: Official development assistance (ODA)-driven climate finance and beyond 397
  28. Chapter 19 The adaptation fund (AF) 425
  29. Chapter 20 An analysis of the global carbon market post COP26: How fossil fuel emission reductions and offset integrity must guide carbon market operation 451
  30. Chapter 21 Financing climate resilience: New opportunities and challenges 475
  31. Part 5: The blue economy
  32. Chapter 22 Sustainable ocean development and the blue economy 497
  33. Chapter 23 Ethics in the blue economy 511
  34. Chapter 24 Financing sustainable coastal and maritime tourism in the blue economy of the Asia-Pacific 543
  35. Chapter 25 Evaluating the governance of sustainable development: The quality and legitimacy of the blue economy 567
  36. Chapter 26 How green is the blue economy? 599
  37. Chapter 27 Finance approaches supporting social enterprise, non-profits and for-purpose organisations: A marine permaculture case study 621
  38. Conclusion
  39. Chapter 28 Sustainable development and finance post-pandemic – future directions and challenges 653
  40. List of abbreviations and acronyms 667
  41. List of figures 673
  42. List of tables 675
  43. Index 677
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