Up to 65% of Europe’s renewable energy currently comes from bioenergy, such as wood pellets and chips. Unlike wind and solar power, bioenergy has serious implications for our planet. As the carbon stored in the trees is released, the world is exposed to a greater risk of approaching climate tipping points.
Even when a replacement sapling is planted, it can take as long as 50 years to grow. The planet, and our delicate climate, can't wait 50 years. The climate is changing at an alarming rate, and the time to mitigate devastating consequences is NOW.
Under current legislation, European bioenergy plants do not have to produce evidence that their wood products have been sustainably sourced. This means that aggressive logging is taking place in conservation zones in order to meet renewable energy targets, according to a report by conservation group Birdlife.
Sini Eräjää, Birdlife’s bioenergy officer, said: “This report provides clear evidence that the EU’s renewable energy policies have led to increased harvesting of whole trees and to continued use of food crops for energy. We are subsidising large-scale environmental destruction, not just outside Europe, as in Indonesia or the US, but also right in our own backyard.”
Please sign this petition to demand the the EU phase out the use of all land-based biofuels by 2030, without diminishing the commitment to renewable energy. Together we can let our leaders know that we want an energy policy that protects us from the most devastating potential outcomes of climate change. If enough people sign, then it will send a strong message that we are ready for truly sustainable energy.
The European Commission:
I am writing to demand that the use of land-based biofuels be phased out of EU sustainable energy targets by 2030.
The use of land-based biofuels is incongruous with the urgent need to mitigate climate change by curbing emissions.
[Add your own comments]
Sincerely,
[Your name]
