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Written question asked by Jonathan Lord (Conservative) on Monday, 15 January 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 17 January 2024. It was answered by Andrew Bowie (Conservative) on Monday, 22 January 2024 on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Trees

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to page 26 of the research paper by Chatham House entitled BECCS deployment: the risks of policies forging ahead, published in October 2021, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of that paper's findings on the carbon payback period of a mature tree; and whether her Department has made an estimate of the carbon payback period for unabated wood burning.

Answer

The Government views sustainably sourced biomass as low carbon, in line with independent organisations such as the CCC and IPCC, as set out in the Government Biomass Strategy, published in August 2023.

Only biomass that complies with strict sustainability criteria receives support from Government. For forest derived biomass, the criteria includes requirements around sustainable forest management including regeneration rates and sustainable harvesting, requiring that the carbon stock of the forest is not decreased.

In 2024, Government will consult on a cross sectorial sustainability framework to see where we can strengthen the criteria further based on latest evidence.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
9506
Session
2023-24
Subjects
Renewable energy Timber Trees Carbon emissions
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk