Cascading of woody biomass: definitions, policies and effects on international trade

The paper analyzes the 'cascading' principle of woody biomass, which prioritizes material use over energy use. It warns that without harmonized rules across the EU and North America, implementation could lead to complex legislative disputes over biomass classification and the exploitation of regulatory loopholes in international trade.

• The cascading principle lacks a universal definition, but is generally understood as the requirement that "material use of wood should be prioritized over energy use of wood".
• Implementing the cascading principle carries risks of creating complex legislative processes, particularly regarding the determination of which woody biomass types are reserved for materials and excluded from energy use.
• A lack of harmonized rules between the EU and North America could compromise the efficacy of cascading policies, as market actors may prioritize exploiting regulatory loopholes over improving performance.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2016). Cascading of woody biomass: definitions, policies and effects on international trade. https://www.sei.org/publications/cascading-of-woody-biomass-definitions-policies-and-effects-on-international-trade/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Cascading of woody biomass: definitions, policies and effects on international trade. 2016. https://www.sei.org/publications/cascading-of-woody-biomass-definitions-policies-and-effects-on-international-trade/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Cascading of woody biomass: definitions, policies and effects on international trade |date=9 May 2016 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/cascading-of-woody-biomass-definitions-policies-and-effects-on-international-trade/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2016cascading, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Cascading of woody biomass: definitions, policies and effects on international trade}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2016}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/cascading-of-woody-biomass-definitions-policies-and-effects-on-international-trade/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }