The European Commission workshop on the proposed Bioeconomy Strategy (May 5) was well-attended by industries that want to use biomass, including forest biomass, to manufacture chemicals and materials.
The Renewable Carbon Initiative, representing a large consortium of manufacturers, promoted their reports and policy recommendations at the workshop.
PFPI’s evaluation of two RCI reports finds some points of agreement. The RCI argues that EU policies promoting bioenergy create unfair competition with other industries that want to use wood as feedstock, and the EU should burn less wood for energy.
But they’re arguing for an increase in harvesting overall, which will only degrade forests further. They also promote using food crops as feedstocks for material and chemical manufacture, a really radical position.
Overall, the Renewable Carbon Initiative is promoting more harvesting and more exploitation of ecosystems and agricultural systems. As the Commission crafts the Bioeconomy Strategy, they’ll be intensively lobbied by these powerful interests. Unless the Commission prioritises robust implementation of the EU’s nature legislation and focuses like a laser on protecting and restoring forests, this isn’t going to end well. Logging forests for the “Bioeconomy” will degrade them just like logging them for energy does.
We’ve sent our comments on the RCI reports to DG GROW, the Directorate in charge of promoting the Bioeconomy Strategy.
There’s still time to weigh in on the Bioeconomy Strategy, with comments due June 23, 2025. Please consider lending your voice to speak up for forests.
