Study Addresses Lack of Sustainable Forest Management Policy for Bioenergy

A study by a University of Illinois researcher suggests that the United States must adopt a policy towards sustainable forest management in order to meet ambitious bioenergy targets.

The study, authored by Jody Endres, a professor of bioenergy, environmental and natural resources law at University of Illinois, cited the lack of policy in the U.S. about what forest sustainability means in the bioenergy context. While existing renewable energy policies recognize the role of forests in meeting the demands for environment-friendly energy feedstock, concerns are mounting on the destructive impact of exploiting the forests with no net gain in greenhouse gas reduction targets.

According to Endres, the U.S. must create a kind of certification standard for forested plantations and semi-natural environments that are sources of bioenergy feedtock, and be able to assess whether there are actually some ecological and climate benefits for getting those lands into the bioenergy system. Endres said that such standard will help to access the bioenergy market in Europe, which is becoming more stringent about sustainability certification.