The paper “Biomass and land use in a decarbonizing U.S. economy” by WRI concludes that biomass is a limited and valuable resource; as such, it is critical that it be used in a way that is most effective for emissions mitigation. It is vital that the value of biomass production be weighed against the many other demands placed on land in a decarbonizing society. This analysis finds that some biomass, including wastes and residues, has a role to play in decarbonizing the US economy, but accurate carbon accounting is essential, and guardrails must be placed on biomass use. The impact of policies like the RFS and California’s LCFS demonstrate the power of US policy to shape biomass use.
This analysis shows that there are opportunities for US policy incentives to support biomass use that provides efficient climate mitigation benefits and to channel investment toward new and innovative biomass uses. Policy incentives such as tax credits or low-carbon fuel standards should place a premium on the use of biomass feedstocks for end uses that are most beneficial to decarbonization and should not incentivize feedstocks like first-generation biofuels that lead to increased, not reduced, greenhouse gas emissions.
Access the paper here
