Today, in the European Parliament, Maria da Graça Carvalho and Bas Eickhout, MEP co-hosted a debate on Biomass and resource efficiency.
Maria da Graça Carvalho was responsible for closing remarks. During her intervention, Ms Carvalho expressed her "special interest in climate change and environmental issues". That is the reason because the sustainable management of EU forests is a matter "that is close to my heart".
Ms. Carvalho concluded that 3 actions should be adopted to deal with this problem, "a more urgent action at EU level; a more pro-active approach to preventing man-made disasters in the forest sector should be instituted. Lastly, the European Community in general has been pressing for clear sustainability criteria for biomass."
Demand for timber is set to grow rapidly. Incentives to promote wood energy have intensified competition for wood supplies. National Renewable Energy Action Plans indicate that around 10 per cent of the EU energy consumption is expected to come from biomass by 2020. These factors have potentially a big impact on forests in the EU and elsewhere.
The event focused on measures needed to ensure the use of forest products is not guided by unregulated demand but by what forests can supply sustainably.
Programme:
The panel discussed what policy measures would be needed at EU and Member State level to ensure that the use of forest products is not regulated by demand but by what can be sustainably supplied.
Moderator: Bas Eickhout
14.50 - 15.00 Closing remarks