What woodfuels can do to mitigate climate change

Nov 2010

Wood is society’s oldest source of energy. Its use for cooking and heating remains vital to the daily energy needs of over two billion people in developing countries. It is also a “new” energy source in the sense that modern and efficient applications for wood energy are increasingly being used, especially in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), to produce cost-effective, high-quality energy services at various scales. The complexity of woodfuel issues arises in part from this dual role: woodfuel is both an intimate part of basic energy needs in developing countries and integral to the ambitious plans for renewable energy in many OECD countries (and increasingly in some developing countries).
The notion of woodfuels as a contributor to climate change mitigation is more recent and remains controversial. Any analysis of the energy and environmental implications of woodfuels spans a wide spectrum of issues, including forest management, agricultural practices and socio-cultural traditions as well as the basic economics of formal and informal energy markets. Such an analysis is further complicated by the many non-energy uses of woody biomass – such as in housing, furniture, paper, chemicals and many other goods and services.

By: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)

 
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