Bio-energy: dream or nightmare for biodiversity?

As the European Commission brings bio-energy into the spotlight with a view to promoting its production in Europe, BirdLife International has been exploring the issue in depth, to discover what growth in the ‘new industry’ could really mean for the environment and birds.

“If managed sustainably, the use of biomass, biogas and biofuels could help us to cut greenhouse gas emissions,” said Ariel Brunner, Agriculture Policy Officer at BirdLife International, “However, without adequate regulation and a well developed EU policy on the industry, widespread and rapid uptake of growing crops for bio-energy production could have devastating impacts on the environment.”

BirdLife