Bioenergy in a changing climate: Linking mitigation and adaptation in the Nordic region

The document analyzes how climate change affects the production, logistics, and consumption of bioenergy in the Nordic region, specifically Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. While warming temperatures may increase biomass productivity in Northern Europe, the region faces risks from extreme weather and pest infestations. The brief argues for diversifying supply chains and increasing fuel flexibility to build resilience against climate-driven disruptions in global bioenergy trade.

• Bioenergy is a central element of climate mitigation in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, where it accounts for 20–30% of total energy consumption, and there are high ambitions for further expansion to reduce fossil fuel dependence.
• Nordic bioenergy relies on extensive international trade. Bioethanol is imported from the U.S. and Brazil; biodiesel raw materials come from Europe and Asia; and wood pellets and chips are sourced primarily from the Baltic Sea region (Russia, Latvia, and Estonia), though North American imports have occurred.
• Climate change is expected to generally increase biomass productivity in Northern Europe due to longer growing seasons and higher temperatures, but this is offset by risks from forest fires, storms, and insect infestations.
• Climate impacts on non-European bioenergy sources vary: Brazilian sugarcane ethanol may expand southward, while U.S. maize ethanol, Argentinean soybean, and Indonesian/Malaysian oil palm cultivation face increased vulnerability to drought, floods, and pests.
• Bioenergy logistics are vulnerable to climate disturbances due to lower energy density compared to fossil fuels, requiring larger transportation volumes. While warmer winters may reduce ice-related shipping disruptions in the Baltic Sea, droughts can halt inland transport, as seen in the U.S. Mississippi River system.
• Warming temperatures in the Nordic region are expected to reduce demand for space heating, potentially freeing up biomass for export or industrial use, although cooling needs may increase electricity demand in summer.
• To build climate-resilient supply chains, policy-makers should prioritize diversification of fuel sources to reduce regional exposure and implement fuel-flexible energy conversion equipment, such as CHP boilers.

APA

Olsson, O., & Johnson, F. X. (2014). Bioenergy in a changing climate: Linking mitigation and adaptation in the Nordic region. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/NORD-STAR-PB-2014-Bioenergy-Nordic-adaptation.pdf

Chicago

Olsson, Olle, and Francis X. Johnson. Bioenergy in a changing climate: Linking mitigation and adaptation in the Nordic region. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/NORD-STAR-PB-2014-Bioenergy-Nordic-adaptation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Olsson |first1=Olle |last2=Johnson |first2=Francis X. |title=Bioenergy in a changing climate: Linking mitigation and adaptation in the Nordic region |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/NORD-STAR-PB-2014-Bioenergy-Nordic-adaptation.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{olsson2014bioenergy, author = {Olsson, Olle and Johnson, Francis X.}, title = {{Bioenergy in a changing climate: Linking mitigation and adaptation in the Nordic region}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/NORD-STAR-PB-2014-Bioenergy-Nordic-adaptation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }