Chapter 9: Wood Energy
Abstract
The availabilty of information on wood energy continues to improve, particularly for commoditized woodfuels. Wood energy consumption and production vary in the UNECE region because demand is strngly affected by weather and the prices of competing energy sources. There has been an increase in wood energy in the power-and-heat sector in the EU28 and North American subregions in the last en year, with prospects for a similar trend in the CIS. The implementation of renewable energy targets and financial incentive programmes, and improvements in energy conversion efficiency, has helped drive this trend. Across the UNECE region, other factors influencing wood energy markets include requirements to address bioenergy sustainability and the role of wood energy in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Programmes developed to ensure standardized wood pellet quality and sustainability exemplify proactive multistakeholder efforts to deal with these potential concerns. Government action requiring the certification/verification of wood-fibre sources, the establishment of GHG accounting frameworks, and updated renewable energy targets can significantly influence commoditized wood energy markets.