Valuing wood energy to stop climate change environment and savings

A new video realised by ABA, the Austrian Biomass Association, and translated by AIEL, the Italian Agroforestry Energy Association, explains in a simple but effective way the important role that woody biomass, and the energy derived from it, play in the energy transition and the fight against climate change.

Woody biomasses are renewable and carbon neutral sources of energy because they contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the environment: in fact, the carbon dioxide emitted for their use in energy production is the same as the carbon dioxide that plants have first absorbed to develop and that upon their death would return to the atmosphere through the normal degradation processes of organic matter, in a natural circular flow with zero impact. 

This is why the energy derived from the combustion of wood and pellets represents a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels in view of the energy transition. Indeed, it has been estimated that fossil fuels release as much as 8 billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere every year. 

In addition, the energetic valorisation of biomass not only reduces emissions into the atmosphere, but also offers an economic value to woody assortments that would otherwise be left on the ground, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere and risking becoming the cause of fires or pests. Sustainable forest management, through the principle of cascading utilisation of wood, is therefore essential to avoid the uncontrolled accumulation of biomass, which can lead to an increase in the frequency and severity of environmental risks, and to achieve a true form of circular economy. 

The new video by ABA and translated by AIEL illustrates the positive effects of the energetic use of biomass on the environment and climate in an intuitive and effective way. 

Watch the video: