Factsheet – Bioenergy

The document evaluates the role of bioenergy in the energy transition, specifically critiquing the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Net Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario for its heavy reliance on biomass. It argues that solid biomass creates a 'carbon debt' and threatens biodiversity, while biogas and biofuels often have greenhouse gas intensities comparable to fossil fuels due to land-use change and methane leaks. Reclaim Finance concludes that bioenergy should not be included in sustainable financing frameworks, as it competes with wind and solar power and risks prolonging the use of fossil gas infrastructure.

• The IEA's Net Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario relies heavily on bioenergy, projecting its share of the total global energy supply to increase from 7% in 2023 to 18% by 2050, reaching 100 EJ. This is significantly higher than the Energy Transitions Commission's (ETC) 'prudent scenario', which estimates sustainable biomass availability at only 30-50 EJ per year by 2050.
• Solid biomass, primarily wood pellets and chips, is deemed incompatible with short-term carbon reduction goals because it emits as much CO2 as coal per unit of energy and creates a 'carbon debt' that takes decades to reabsorb.
• The climate benefits of biogas and biomethane are undermined by methane leaks during production, storage, and transport, as well as the high greenhouse gas intensity of energy crops due to land-use change.
• Biomethane development risks locking in fossil fuel infrastructure, as it relies on existing gas networks and provides a justification for building new gas power plants under the premise of future fuel switching.
• Modern biofuels often have higher emission factors than fossil diesel due to deforestation, indirect land-use change, and energy-intensive refining, while also risking higher food prices by diverting crops from food production.
• Reclaim Finance advises financial institutions to exclude bioenergy from sustainable financing frameworks and capacity targets, prioritizing wind and solar power instead.

APA

Reclaim Finance (2025). Factsheet – Bioenergy. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/FACTSHEET-Bioenergy.pdf

Chicago

Reclaim Finance. Factsheet – Bioenergy. 2025. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/FACTSHEET-Bioenergy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Reclaim Finance |title=Factsheet – Bioenergy |date=October 2025 |url=https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/FACTSHEET-Bioenergy.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reclaimfinance2025factsheet, author = {{Reclaim Finance}}, title = {{Factsheet – Bioenergy}}, institution = {Reclaim Finance}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/FACTSHEET-Bioenergy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }