An alliance of major environmental organizations has warned the traffic light parties against classifying wood heating systems as sustainable. They warn against allowing new heating systems in the future. In a joint statement, the associations pointed out that forests are already being overexploited both in Germany and globally. Increasing deforestation has “devastating consequences for biodiversity”.
Firewood as a climate killer? Dispute about heating with wood in the new building energy law sparks heated debate
The background to this is the debate about the planned new Building Energy Act (GEG). Above all from the FDP, but also from parts of the SPD, there are demands within the framework of “technology openness” to enable heating with wood in the future. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) has at least shown himself open to exceptions in this regard.
The German Environmental Aid, Greenpeace, Nabu, Robin Wood and WWF warned against “wanting to replace one combustion technology – based on coal and gas – with another that is also harmful to the climate”. The associations warned that this would neither contribute to the achievement of climate targets nor to the protection of biodiversity.
Alarming development: Increase in wood use leads to deforestation and climate damage
“Forests are increasingly threatening to become a source of CO₂,” the joint statement continues. The use of wood is steadily increasing in all areas, which further accelerates deforestation and forest degradation. “If the global energy demand were only covered with wood, the forests of the world would be almost wiped out after one year,” it says, citing scientific analyses.
The associations criticize that Germany is already importing enormous quantities of wood. The proportion of the EU wood harvest that goes into incineration has already risen from 40 percent in 2005 to 55 percent in 2017. When wood is burned, the CO₂ previously bound by the tree is released. Since the energy stored in wood is less than in coal and natural gas, up to twice as much CO₂ is released when burning wood to obtain the same amount of heat.
“Forests are increasingly threatening to become a source of CO₂,” the joint statement continues. The use of wood is steadily increasing in all areas, which further accelerates deforestation and forest degradation. “If the global energy demand were only covered with wood, the forests of the world would be almost wiped out after one year,” it says, citing scientific analyses.
Wood burning and climate protection: The ominous truth behind seemingly climate-neutral wood heating systems
The associations criticize that Germany is already importing enormous amounts of wood. The proportion of the EU wood harvest that goes into incineration has already risen from 40 percent in 2005 to 55 percent in 2017. When wood is burned, the CO₂ previously bound by the tree is released. Since the energy stored in wood is less than in coal and natural gas, up to twice as much CO₂ is released when burning wood to obtain the same amount of heat.
Although wood heating systems are often considered to be climate-neutral, this only applies if just as much wood grows back as ends up in the incinerator. The associations also point out that CO₂ released in a short time as a result of combustion will only be bound again very slowly in trees over the next few decades. “Heating with wood is therefore not a contribution to climate protection,” warn the environmental protection organizations.
Environmental hazard and scarcity of resources: why burning wood is a practice of concern
In addition, the burning of wood releases harmful substances. These are primarily particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Reference is made to investigations by the Federal Environment Agency, according to which wood-burning stoves and other wood-fired systems are responsible for around one-fifth of all particulate matter emissions in Germany.
The associations also point out that wood is a valuable raw material that is only available in very limited quantities. It should therefore only be used for heating purposes in exceptional cases. With increasing demand, domestic sawmill residue alone is not sufficient for the production of wood pellets and these would have to be imported. In many pellet exporting countries such as Estonia or Romania, however, this leads to logging in species-rich natural forests.
AFP +Blackout-News
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