Brussels, 1 December 2023 – Bioenergy Europe concluded yesterday its three-day flagship event, the European Bioenergy Future 2023. The conference, with almost 200 participants representing the bioenergy industry, policymakers, academia, and civil society, featured comprehensive coverage of policies and market trends in the EU bioenergy sector.

The Europe Bioenergy Future 2023 edition delved into critical topics such as the new sustainability criteria of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), synergies across bioenergy sectors (bioethanol, biodiesel, solid biomass, and biogases), and the pivotal role of bioenergy in achieving a climate-neutral economy.

Emma Wiessner MEP opened the conference and underlined that, when joining the European Parliament, she would have expected to promote regulations to end fossil fuels rather than putting in discussion renewable solutions such as bioenergy. She encouraged the bioenergy value chain to take ownership of sustainability and proactively address areas for improvement.

Jean-Marc Jossart, Bioenergy Europe’s Secretary General presented “3 steps toward the energy transition”, the Bioenergy Europe manifesto for 2024 EU elections, and called on future EU institutions to address pressing issues such as climate change, energy security and a rising cost-of-living. “It is time to end all fossil fuel subsidies and develop a clear defossilisation strategy”, he said.

A notable session focused on carbon removal and the significance of Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and biochar (BCR) in delivering climate neutrality.

Opening the second day, Lídia Pereira MEP, rapporteur on the Carbon Removal Certification Framework emphasized that “The role of negative emission technologies and bio-based carbon removals is crucial and irreplaceable“.

In a video message, Commissioner Thierry Breton, stressed the imperative to decarbonize the energy system: “We must decarbonise the energy system, increase our energy sovereignty and decrease energy prices. For this we need affordable, abundant net zero energy from renewable sources. Bioenergy ticks all the boxes. It can provide affordable heating for our population, low-carbon energy for our industries, advanced biofuels for our transports and non-intermittent power to compliment solar and wind energy”.

Christoph Pfemeter, President of Bioenergy Europe, underscored the growing recognition of bioenergy’s role in climate strategies: “The IPCC and the International Energy Agency have made it clear that climate goals cannot be achieved without more bioenergy and BECCS”, he stated, “More and more industrial sectors, regions, and municipalities are realizing that phasing out fossil energy is not possible without bioenergy.“

The Europe Bioenergy Future 2023 conference proved to be a dynamic platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, insights, and strategies, contributing to the ongoing dialogue on sustainable energy solutions for Europe’s future.

Download “3 steps toward the energy transition”, the Bioenergy Europe Manifesto for 2024 EU Elections