Brussels – The EU should incentivise member states to use wood for products rather than energy in the upcoming legislation on land use change and forestry, the German government has argued.
While wood-based products act as a carbon store, wood burned for bioenergy contributes significantly to CO2 emissions if not sustainably managed. As a result, Germany says the two activities should be counted differently when considering emissions from land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF).
The current Commission proposal includes a ‘no debit rule’ where member states will be required to compensate for CO2 emissions resulting from deforestation. Germany would like to see the system discourage burning for energy by increasing the debits accrued on wood felled for this activity. It is hoped this would instead encourage the market for long-lived wood products.
It was agreed in 2014 that the LULUCF sectors should contribute to the overall emissions reduction target as part the EU’s 2030 climate framework. The current proposal will look to regulate the sector for the period 2021-2030.