Four Things NRDC is Doing to Stop Big Bad Biomass on International Day

Pinnacle/Drax pellet cutblock for biomass near Burns Lake BC (C) Conservation North/Kai Nagata

Individuals and organizations around the world are taking part today in an annual international day of action against "Big Biomass." In demonstrations, briefings, and other actions spanning six continents, participants will stress that, far from a clean energy solution, industrial-scale biomass energy actually worsens climate change, destroys global biodiversity, and harms vulnerable communities.

With this year's day of action coinciding with the first day of the 16^th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16), we are also calling on Parties to this convention to recognize the risks bioenergy presents to people and planet. In particular, to follow the Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for the elimination of environmentally-harmful subsidies, CBD Parties must stop propping up bioenergy with billions in subsidies per year.

Here are four ways in which NRDC is trying to stop big biomass:

1. Pressuring bioenergy-reliant countries to stop using and subsidizing biomass - The UK and the EU have invested heavily in biomass electricity generation. To feed its rapidly growing demand for biomass, the UK has become the largest importer of wood pellets in the world with the lion's share of those pellets destined for a single destination: Drax power station, the largest in the country. The UK also subsidizes bioenergy - mainly Drax - with billions of pounds per year, much of which comes from billpayers.

   In the UK, we are working to prevent the UK government from extending bioenergy subsidies past 2027, when they currently expire. The UK government issued a consultation on this subject in February, but has yet to decide. In the EU, we are working with partners to ensure restrictions on bioenergy included in both the Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII) and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) are implemented in an ambitious and expeditious manner.

2. Preventing wood pellet production from expanding to the U.S. West Coast - We know from years of working to stop wood pellet production in the U.S. Southeast that wood pellet production is extremely harmful to communities, polluting the air and causing other negative impacts in the areas where pellets are produced and exported. That's why we're leading the way to stop Drax and other bioenergy companies from bringing these harms to the West Coast. We are fighting two proposed wood pellet facilities in California's Lassen and Tuolumne counties that would export up to one million tons of pellets annually from the Port of Stockton to Europe and Asia, making it one of the largest wood pellet projects in the U.S. And, represented by Earthjustice, we are opposing a proposed wood pellet facility in Hoquiam, Washington that would export one million tons of pellets annually to Asia.
3. Stopping the U.S. from providing incentives to bioenergy companies - The U.S. does not currently offer tax incentives to bioenergy companies and we need to keep it that way. We are advocating on the federal level to ensure the government does not provide the bioenergy industry with incentives intended for genuine renewables like wind and solar.
4. Supporting communities impacted by wood pellet production - Wood pellet production facilities - which are concentrated in the U.S. Southeast-harm communities. These facilities are 50% more likely to be located in environmental justice communities, where they harm residents by emitting scores of dangerous and hazardous air pollutants. NRDC works hard to support these communities and help amplify their voices in the fight against bioenergy.

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