Climate benefits of sustainably-sourced woody biomass strengthened by new research

A growing body of scientific literature confirms the US biomass industry is achieving carbon-neutrality, a key requirement for reducing emissions and mitigating climate change.  

February 2, 2023 

A precondition to deliver emissions reductions through the use of woody biomass requires procuring it without depleting the carbon stocks of source forests. New peer-reviewed research confirms this key provision is being met by biomass producers in the US Southeast, which is the world’s leading region for wood pellet production and export.

The recent study titled, Impacts of the US southeast wood pellet industry on local forest carbon stocks, represents some of the most advanced methods ever used to isolate changes in carbon stocks surrounding individual pellet mills. Data was collected from more than 19,000 forest inventory plots maintained by the US Forest Service and included observations between 2000 and 2019. The results were conclusive with researchers noting that, “Our estimates offer robust evidence that the wood pellet industry has met the overall condition of forest carbon neutrality.” 

These findings corroborate the growing body of scholarly research on this topic. Published in 2017, the paper titled, How is wood-based pellet production affecting forest conditions in the southeastern United States?, found that “Timberland forest trends (2002–2014) in two southeast US fuelshed areas supplying wood pellets to the ports of Savannah and Chesapeake illustrate steady or slightly increasing timberland area, volume and carbon stocks over the past six years.” 

Yet, another paper published in 2020 titled, Expansion of US wood pellet industry points to positive trends but the need for continued monitoring, concluded that wood pellet production in the US “is compliant with current EU RED biofuel trade requirements for the preservation of carbon stocks in biomass sourcing areas.”  

Anti-biomass activists often argue that wood pellet production in the US Southeast reduces carbon stocks and creates a carbon debt that accelerates climate change. However, there is no published research in scientific journals that has been subjected to the rigors of independent peer-review that supports these claims. Indeed, they are directly refuted by the weight of empirical scientific evidence. Moreover, the scientific literature shows consistently and unequivocally that existing regulations are working as intended to ensure biomass is responsibly sourced in a way that provides a positive impact for the climate and environment.  

Since its inception about a decade ago, the US biomass industry has grown 12 fold, exporting more than 8 million tons of wood pellets in 2022 valued at more than $1.5 billion. Concurrent with its impressive growth, the industry has maintained the carbon balance in source forest and demonstrated its ability to meet strict sustainability criteria. Despite the industry’s expansion, it is still a small part of the overall forestry sector, accounting for about 4 percent of the annual harvest in a region where forest carbon stocks have increased 20 percent since 2000. 

The demand for sustainable biomass is expected to increase this decade and beyond as countries look for additional renewable technologies to meet net-zero goals. Biomass is a versatile solution with applications that can decarbonize the power and heat, industry, maritime and aviation sectors, as well as removing carbon from the atmosphere through Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS). 

Scientific research continues to show that the US South is a sustainable and dependable sourcing area for woody biomass, that can help meet growing needs abroad while providing important ecological and economic benefits at home.