Financer la conversion du charbon en biomasse : est-ce une idée verte ?

The document contends that replacing coal with biomass is not a viable climate solution, as solid biomass can emit 3% to 50% more CO2 per unit of energy than coal. It highlights that biomass production drives deforestation and ecosystem loss, particularly in Europe and North America, and releases harmful air pollutants. For financial institutions, the document warns of reputational, financial, and regulatory risks, noting that biomass is more expensive than wind or solar and heavily dependent on subsidies.

• Converting coal to biomass may increase greenhouse gas emissions rather than reduce them, with solid biomass potentially emitting between 3% and 50% more CO2 per unit of energy produced than coal. A group of 772 scientists stated in 2018 that replacing fossil fuels with wood would likely result in 2 to 3 times more carbon in the atmosphere by 2050 per gigajoule of final energy.
• Biomass energy production drives deforestation and the destruction of ecosystems because wood residues alone cannot meet energy demands, leading to the removal of whole logs, branches, and stumps. Europe accounts for 49% of global wood pellet production, with North America serving as a primary supplier. Proposed European coal-to-biomass conversions could increase biomass consumption by 607 petajoules (PJ) per year, potentially tripling the amount of biomass burned in coal plants.
• The combustion of biomass for electricity releases harmful pollutants, including suspended particles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide, which cause serious respiratory, skin, and eye problems for nearby populations.
• Financial institutions face significant risks by supporting biomass, including reputational damage from NGOs and scientists, financial risks due to higher costs compared to wind and solar energy, and regulatory risks as European legislation and the EU Taxonomy for sustainable activities evolve.

APA

admin (2020). Financer la conversion du charbon en biomasse : est-ce une idée verte ? Reclaim Finance. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/2020/12/03/financer-la-conversion-du-charbon-en-biomasse-est-ce-une-idee-verte/

Chicago

admin. Financer la conversion du charbon en biomasse : est-ce une idée verte ? Reclaim Finance, 2020. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/2020/12/03/financer-la-conversion-du-charbon-en-biomasse-est-ce-une-idee-verte/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=admin |title=Financer la conversion du charbon en biomasse : est-ce une idée verte ? |publisher=Reclaim Finance |date=3 December 2020 |url=https://reclaimfinance.org/site/2020/12/03/financer-la-conversion-du-charbon-en-biomasse-est-ce-une-idee-verte/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{admin2020financer, author = {admin}, title = {{Financer la conversion du charbon en biomasse : est-ce une idée verte ?}}, publisher = {Reclaim Finance}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://reclaimfinance.org/site/2020/12/03/financer-la-conversion-du-charbon-en-biomasse-est-ce-une-idee-verte/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }