Key points are the need for a more level playing field for biomass heat, compared to power generation, and concern that not enough is being done to bring forward the development of '2nd generation' biofuels.
The REA has welcomed the publication of this report
Graham Meeks, Head of Fuels and Heat at the REA, said:
�It is nothing short of scandalous that Government continues to overlook the potential of bioenergy in our efforts to tackle climate change. Although we have abundant bioenergy resources available from our forests, farms and waste management industry, the Government has still to introduce coherent policies to encourage the supply of heat, transport fuels and renewable power from these sources. By comparison only Italy, Cyprus and Malta perform worse than the UK in their utilisation of wood for energy supply.
�Just last year, the Biomass Task Force, headed by Sir Ben Gill, pointed out that biomass could meet 7% of our national heat demand by 2015, replacing scarce fossil fuel imports. Government�s advisers, the Carbon Trust, estimate that using biomass for heating could save over 20 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. And developing this resource would provide a welcome economic boost to our farming, forestry and engineering sectors.
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