Consultation ends: 10 May 2016
The European Commission is consulting on plans to update policy on sustainable bioenergy for 2020–30 as part of the EU renewable energy package, which should be finalised by the end of the year. Currently, the renewable energy and fuel quality directives provide an EU‐level sustainability framework for biofuels and bioliquids. This includes harmonised sustainability criteria for biofuels and provisions to limit indirect land‐use change. However, the commission is now reviewing the sustainability of all bioenergy sources and final uses for the period after 2020. Identified sustainability risks under examination include lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from bioenergy production and use; impacts on the carbon stock of forests; ecosystems; impacts on biodiversity, soil and water; emissions to the air; and indirect land use. It is also looking at impacts on the competition for the use of biomass between different sectors (energy, industrial uses, food).