The Role of Biomass in Achieving Net Zero Call for Evidence

Ember submitted a response to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy's call for evidence on the role of biomass in achieving net zero. The submission argues that biomass for power and BECCS are expensive and that sustainable biomass should be prioritized for construction and hard-to-abate industry rather than the power sector. Ember calls for tighter sustainability regulations, a move away from the assumption of inherent carbon neutrality for biomass power, and the unbundling of residual and negative emissions budgets to provide clarity on the 2050 net zero law.

• Ember argues that biomass-for-power, BECCS, and coal-to-biomass conversions are expensive power generation sources compared to alternatives and should only receive government support if they demonstrate other uses. Furthermore, because sustainable, low-carbon biomass supplies are limited globally, they are better utilized in hard-to-abate industry or construction than in the power sector.
• Ember recommends that the UK tighten regulations on sustainable biomass to exclude feedstocks from slow-growing, highly biodiverse, primary, or high-carbon forests, aligning with Climate Change Committee advice that BECCS development depends on sustainable sourcing due to lifecycle emission concerns.
• The document states that science no longer supports the assumption that using biomass for power is inherently carbon neutral. Consequently, Ember proposes that UK biomass generators should provide full lifecycle assessments of carbon impacts for their feedstocks using realistic counterfactuals over a timeframe relevant to the Paris Agreement.
• To clarify the scale of negative emissions required by the 2050 net zero law, Ember suggests that the UK's carbon budgets should unbundle negative emissions from emissions mitigation. Additionally, BEIS is encouraged to explore lower-risk feedstock routes, such as domestic energy crops grown on degraded land.
• Because BECCS cannot currently be relied upon for true net negative emissions, Ember emphasizes the need to explore other negative emissions routes. This includes exploring direct air capture (best suited for areas with excess solar and wind production) and the immediate large-scale deployment of low-cost, low-risk nature-based solutions like restoration and afforestation that do not involve burning wood.

APA

Ember (2021). The Role of Biomass in Achieving Net Zero Call for Evidence. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/11/Biomass-call-for-evidence-June-2021.pdf

Chicago

Ember. The Role of Biomass in Achieving Net Zero Call for Evidence. 2021. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/11/Biomass-call-for-evidence-June-2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Ember |title=The Role of Biomass in Achieving Net Zero Call for Evidence |date=15 June 2021 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/11/Biomass-call-for-evidence-June-2021.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{ember2021role, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{The Role of Biomass in Achieving Net Zero Call for Evidence}}, publisher = {Ember}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/11/Biomass-call-for-evidence-June-2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }