Europe’s renewable energy directive poised to harm global forests

This comment raises concerns regarding the way in which a new European directive, aimed at reaching higher renewable energy targets, treats wood harvested directly for bioenergy use as a carbon-free fuel. The result could consume quantities of wood equal to all Europe’s wood harvests, greatly increa...

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Main Authors: Timothy D. Searchinger, Tim Beringer, Bjart Holtsmark, Daniel M. Kammen, Eric F. Lambin, Wolfgang Lucht, Peter Raven, Jean-Pascal van Ypersele
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2018-09-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06175-4
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spelling doaj-a66d4a7f28ee4651a5baa641008afb0a2021-05-11T10:11:18ZengNature Publishing GroupNature Communications2041-17232018-09-01911410.1038/s41467-018-06175-4Europe’s renewable energy directive poised to harm global forestsTimothy D. Searchinger0Tim Beringer1Bjart Holtsmark2Daniel M. Kammen3Eric F. Lambin4Wolfgang Lucht5Peter Raven6Jean-Pascal van Ypersele7Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton UniversityIntegrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinStatistics NorwayEnergy and Resources Group, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, and Goldman School of Public Policy, UC BerkeleySchool of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences and Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford UniversityPotsdam Institute for Climate Impact ResearchMissouri Botanical GardenEarth and Life Institute, Université catholique de LouvainThis comment raises concerns regarding the way in which a new European directive, aimed at reaching higher renewable energy targets, treats wood harvested directly for bioenergy use as a carbon-free fuel. The result could consume quantities of wood equal to all Europe’s wood harvests, greatly increase carbon in the air for decades, and set a dangerous global example.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06175-4
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Timothy D. Searchinger
Tim Beringer
Bjart Holtsmark
Daniel M. Kammen
Eric F. Lambin
Wolfgang Lucht
Peter Raven
Jean-Pascal van Ypersele
spellingShingle Timothy D. Searchinger
Tim Beringer
Bjart Holtsmark
Daniel M. Kammen
Eric F. Lambin
Wolfgang Lucht
Peter Raven
Jean-Pascal van Ypersele
Europe’s renewable energy directive poised to harm global forests
Nature Communications
author_facet Timothy D. Searchinger
Tim Beringer
Bjart Holtsmark
Daniel M. Kammen
Eric F. Lambin
Wolfgang Lucht
Peter Raven
Jean-Pascal van Ypersele
author_sort Timothy D. Searchinger
title Europe’s renewable energy directive poised to harm global forests
title_short Europe’s renewable energy directive poised to harm global forests
title_full Europe’s renewable energy directive poised to harm global forests
title_fullStr Europe’s renewable energy directive poised to harm global forests
title_full_unstemmed Europe’s renewable energy directive poised to harm global forests
title_sort europe’s renewable energy directive poised to harm global forests
publisher Nature Publishing Group
series Nature Communications
issn 2041-1723
publishDate 2018-09-01
description This comment raises concerns regarding the way in which a new European directive, aimed at reaching higher renewable energy targets, treats wood harvested directly for bioenergy use as a carbon-free fuel. The result could consume quantities of wood equal to all Europe’s wood harvests, greatly increase carbon in the air for decades, and set a dangerous global example.
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06175-4
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