FSC has shared three recommendations with the EU Commission on the REDII revision process, and in particular on how to make sure that woody biomass are sourced in line with sustainability limits.
The energy sector is responsible for more than 75 per cent of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Renewable energy has a key role in tackling climate change by reducing the EU’s dependency on imported fossil fuels.
Under the European Green Deal, the EU Commission has committed to reduce the EU’s GHG by at least 55 per cent by 2030 – and ultimately become climate neutral by 2050. In this framework, the EU Commission has proposed a revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) to align it with the EU’s increased climate ambition.
The EU Renewable Energy Directive
The Renewable Energy Directive is the legal framework for the development of renewable energy across the EU. The first Renewable Energy Directive (RED) entered into force in 2009 and set a target of 20 per cent renewables in the EU energy mix by 2020. In 2018, the recast Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) entered into force and set a new binding target of 32 per cent renewables in the EU energy mix by 2030, which is likely to be further increased.
The REDII Sustainability Criteria and the role of Voluntary Schemes
The RED II defines a series of sustainability and GHG emission criteria that operators have must comply with to be counted towards the overall 32 per cent target and to be eligible for financial support by public authorities. Some of these criteria are the same as in the original RED, while others are new or reformulated.
Voluntary and national certification schemes of EU countries help operators to verify that energy produced from biofuel (bioliquid and/ or biomass) are sustainably produced and sourced. By using schemes that are recognized by the European Commission, operators can ensure that their use of biofuel complies with the EU sustainability criteria (article 29 REDII).
Several schemes, such as FSC, also consider additional sustainability aspects such as soil, water, and social criteria. While the schemes are run privately, the European Commission can recognize them as an accepted implementation tool within REDII. FSC is currently assessing and monitoring the upcoming rules for recognition and their implications on FSC’s system.
more at: https://fsc.org/en/newsfeed/fsc-and-eu-renewable-energy-rules