Up in smoke: debunking the myth of sustainable biomass

What conventional accounting can miss

• Biomass includes wood pellets, imported fuels and harvested wood—not only waste materials.
• Burning wood can release more carbon per unit of energy than fossil fuels at the point of combustion.
• The resulting carbon debt may take decades or centuries to repay.
• Forest harvesting can also affect biodiversity and wider ecosystem services.

What this means

Biomass should not automatically be considered a zero-carbon or inherently sustainable energy source. Its impact depends on what is burned, where it comes from and the timeframe used—making more complete emissions accounting essential when comparing future energy options.