Need for forest certification highlighted at 5th AEBIOM Conference

27 June 2014 News

Can forest certification be the tool to address the key challenges facing sustainable forest management in light of the development of bioenergy? This was the key question debated by PEFC’s Head of Technical Unit, Michael Berger, along with other experts in the field, during a panel discussion at the recent AEBIOM Bioenergy Conference.

Taking place last month, the 5th AEBIOM Bioenergy Conference gathered over 200 representatives from the global bioenergy sector, focusing on the future of bioenergy and the opportunities and challenges of biomass developments in Europe. This year, the AEBIOM conference gave a particular focus to the bioheat market which is experiencing a strong development, in particular through the use of pellets.

However, as the use of bioenergy increases, so too does the demand on the world’s forests to provide the required raw materials, creating a clear challenge to sustainable forest management. In addition, other issues, such as the growing competition between the various demand sectors and the need for reliable and transparent sustainability evidence, also require attention.

Forest certification systems, such as the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the world’s largest forest certification system, are well placed to address these challenges, providing assurance that the raw materials come from sustainably managed forests.

Some of the other key outcomes from the conference included:

• The need for bioenergy to contribute to 2030 EU climate and energy objectives
• No Sustainability criteria before 2020
• Bio-heat market under strong development
• Competition of uses of biomass debate ongoing