International Tree Protection Commission
ITPC
The ITPC has been established in support the United Nations Sustainable development Goals (SDGs) for the promotion of study, research and dialogue among the scientific community, international institutions, Governmental Agencies, NGOs and the private sector to promote sustainable development though the diffusion of the culture of tree conservation.
ID: 828861521546-07
Lobbying Activity
Response to Revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2001
23 Aug 2020
The International Tree Protection Commission- ITPC (www.itpc-commission.org), represented in the European Transparency Register at N.828861521546-07 presents its compliments to the European Commission and, in reference to the Reform of the Renewable Energy Directive wishes to express its fullest adhesion to the Letter sent to the European Parliament by 784 European top Scientists, among which Nobel Winner Prof. Werner Arber, to urge the necessity to restrict the term “forest biomass” eligible under the directive, to residue and wastes
Not doing so, and allowing the deliberate cutting and burning of healthy living trees (Carbon Sinks) it will release 150% of CO2 (Carbon dioxide) in the Atmosphere than fossil Coal and 400% of CO2 more than natural Gas (Booth, 2018) adversing the provisions of Kyoto Protocols on containment of Climate Change, the Paris COP and the SDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals no. 7), 13) and 15) will destroy the majority of European Forests in a matter of years, with few energy efficiency advantages, being the effectiveness of wooden biomass power points very low and dependent form public subsidies (Epidemiologia e Prevenzione, N, 43, 2029)
1) The European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC) Commentary hereby attached also showns that "the effects of substituting fossil fuels with forest biomass showed that the lower energy density of biomass and supply-chain emissions were increasing atmospheric CO2 and thus accelerating the pace of global warming" and that "Biomass should not be regarded as a source of renewable energy under the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED)"
2) The aforementioned European top Scientists write that "The adverse implications not just for carbon but for global forest and biodiversity are also large. More than 100% of Europe's annual harvest of wood would be needed to supply just one third of the expanded RED. Because demand for wood and paper will remain, their result will be increased degradation of forests around the world "
Also, according to ITPC the very next global ban of plastic disposable bottles will turn in augmentation of paper-like containers (Tetrapac), implying the use of greater amounts of paper derived from wooden sources.
3) As recalled by "Nature Commentary, 2018 on Europe’s renewable energy directive concern is risen regarding the way in which the new European directive, aimed at reaching higher renewable energy targets, treats wood harvested directly for bio-energy use as a carbon-free fuel. The result could consume quantities of wood equal to all Europe’s wood harvests, greatly increase carbon in the air for decades, and set a da ngerous global example.
4) The burned biomass so dispersed in the atmosphere will result in severe adverse effects for the Health of European citizens and consumers, provided the dispersion in the air of great quantities of numerous respiratory and neurotoxic volatile pollutants, as sulphur hydrogen and carbon monoxide from combustion, plumb, manganese, etc, and most of all of the micro-particulate PM 2,5 produced by the biomasses and responsible for the premature death of more than 20.000 (twenty thousands) Italian citizens per year. (Epidemiologia e Prevenzione N.43, 2019, p.300)
5) Criminal penetration of speculative groups in the territories are also noteworthy, as shown by the investigations of the Office of the Prosecutor of Cosenza and of the Civil Protection of Calabria, which suspect that man-made fires may have been ignited to provide wooden combusted fuels to aliment biomass power points (ibidem)
In view of all that, we therefore urge the European Commission to review the Renewable Energy Directive by restricting the term “forest biomass” eligible under the directive (as well as regarding the additional biomass coming from urban trees) , exclusively to residue and wastes.
Thank you for your attention.
The ITPC Commission Secretariat
Scientific Documentation in Attachment
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