Biomass in a Low-Carbon Economy: Resource Scarcity, Climate Change, and Business in a Finite World

The document argues that while biomass is not a 'silver bullet' for climate change, it is a promising low-carbon energy source if managed within physical limits. It compares four scenarios—Single Bottom Line, Meeting the Climate Challenge, Feeding the Planet, and Sustainability Transition—concluding that a transition focusing on both sustainable agriculture and climate mitigation offers the most benefit. The brief emphasizes that biomass production is constrained by land, water, and soil health, and calls for a focused agricultural research programme to increase yield potential and close yield gaps through both genetic modification and conventional breeding.

• Biomass is a viable but limited resource for a low-carbon economy, constrained by land and water availability, soil productivity, the necessity of returning nutrients to the land, and competing demands for food and animal feed.
• The 'Sustainability Transition' scenario, which prioritizes both climate mitigation and sustainable agricultural development, is identified as the most positive path, potentially boosting food production and spurring business innovation by 2035.
• In the 'Meeting the Climate Challenge' scenario, cumulative emissions are kept to 1,000 Gt CO2 by 2035, but this requires either zero annual emissions from 2036 onward or net negative emissions later in the century.
• The 'Sustainability Transition' scenario utilizes more biomass for energy by 2035 (25% of total supply) compared to the 'Meeting the Climate Challenge' scenario (13%), while maintaining lower total demand through reduced energy and meat consumption.
• There is a critical need for a focused agricultural research programme to increase yield potential and narrow yield gaps, utilizing both conventional breeding and genetic modifications, while also considering social and political factors.
• The transition to a bio-based economy requires the creation of markets for bio-materials, which can be supported by public sector investment in research, development, and purchasing.

APA

Kemp-Benedict, E., Kartha, S., & Fencl, A. (2012). Biomass in a Low-Carbon Economy: Resource Scarcity, Climate Change, and Business in a Finite World. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/SEI-PB-2012-3C-Biomass.pdf

Chicago

Kemp-Benedict, Eric, Sivan Kartha, and Amanda Fencl. Biomass in a Low-Carbon Economy: Resource Scarcity, Climate Change, and Business in a Finite World. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2012. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/SEI-PB-2012-3C-Biomass.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kemp-Benedict |first1=Eric |last2=Kartha |first2=Sivan |last3=Fencl |first3=Amanda |title=Biomass in a Low-Carbon Economy: Resource Scarcity, Climate Change, and Business in a Finite World |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2012 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/SEI-PB-2012-3C-Biomass.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kempbenedict2012biomass, author = {Kemp-Benedict, Eric and Kartha, Sivan and Fencl, Amanda}, title = {{Biomass in a Low-Carbon Economy: Resource Scarcity, Climate Change, and Business in a Finite World}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2012}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/SEI-PB-2012-3C-Biomass.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }