TY - JOUR
T1 - Projected water usage and land-use-change emissions from biomass production (2015–2050)
AU - Drews, Martin
AU - Larsen, Morten Andreas Dahl
AU - Peña Balderrama, Jenny Gabriela
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Increased biomass for energy production features as a key part of the transition to a competitive low-carbon EU energy system. Not all energy strategies however will lead to reduced emissions, and extensive biomass production inherently compete with, e.g., agricultural systems for key natural resources like water and land. This paper investigates the ramifications of three potential energy pathways for Europe developed by the H2020 REEEM project, ambitiously aimed at reducing CO2 emissions to 80–95% compared to 1990, using different mixes of biomass. Their environmental footprint for 2015–2050 in terms of land-use-change emissions and water consumption are confronted with near-term climate change projections. Finally, potential implications for the implementation and robustness of future European energy strategies are discussed, highlighting in particular the role of uncertainties in estimating the performance of biomass systems.
AB - Increased biomass for energy production features as a key part of the transition to a competitive low-carbon EU energy system. Not all energy strategies however will lead to reduced emissions, and extensive biomass production inherently compete with, e.g., agricultural systems for key natural resources like water and land. This paper investigates the ramifications of three potential energy pathways for Europe developed by the H2020 REEEM project, ambitiously aimed at reducing CO2 emissions to 80–95% compared to 1990, using different mixes of biomass. Their environmental footprint for 2015–2050 in terms of land-use-change emissions and water consumption are confronted with near-term climate change projections. Finally, potential implications for the implementation and robustness of future European energy strategies are discussed, highlighting in particular the role of uncertainties in estimating the performance of biomass systems.
U2 - 10.1016/j.esr.2020.100487
DO - 10.1016/j.esr.2020.100487
M3 - Journal article
VL - 29
JO - Energy Strategy Reviews
JF - Energy Strategy Reviews
SN - 2211-467X
M1 - 100487
ER -