Biomass energy seen as harmful to biodiversity and heritage in the Baltics, may soon lose EU green label

The EU has been touting wood pellets as an energy-efficient heating source for years, as it seeks to meet its commitments to the Paris climate accords. Since 2009, the European Union has classified wood pellets as “renewable.” But many scientists and environmentalists disagree with this classification. They argue that cutting and burning trees emits long-stored carbon into the atmosphere at a time when scientists say we need to be drastically reducing those emissions. In Estonia, the second-largest producer of wood pellets in Europe, opponents say the felling of trees for energy harms the country’s biodiversity and its rich pagan heritage. Now, the political tides for biomass are turning and it might soon be stripped of its “renewable” label in the EU. Gerry Hadden reports.