Carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by as much as a billion tonnes per year – equivalent to the combined annual outputs of Canada and Italy – if OECD nations developed and improved their use of biomass, according to a new report by WWF and the European Biomass Association.
The report claims that biomass could provide 15% of the electricity demand in industrialised countries by 2020 and play a major role in meeting Kyoto targets for both emissions and energy sourcing. Under the expansion blueprint outlined in the study, biomass could provide enough energy to supply 100 million homes, equivalent to 400 large power stations, without encroaching on food producing or conservation land areas.
Biomass has not yet received the same level of government backing around the world as other renewable technologies.
“Decision-makers have overlooked the potential of biomass to deliver sustainable energy for the future,” said Giulio Volpi of WWF’s Climate Change Programme. “The big advantage that biomass offers over other renewable energy sources such as wind and solar is that it can be stored and used when needed. It can provide a constant, non-fluctuating supply of electricity.”
Source
Green Consumer Guide.com vom 2004-06-02.
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