Je využití lesní biomasy pro produkci bioenergie účinným nástrojem pro mitigaci klimatu?

Climate change is a problem primarily driven by fossil fuel emissions, and mitigation strategies necessitate a shift to alternative energy sources. One potential source is bioenergy. Forest biomass is a widespread energy source favored for its renewability, abundance, and versatility. However, its carbon neutrality is debated. In their scoping review, Selivanov et al. (2023) identified eight carbon neutrality concepts, highlighting the lack of a unified definition and emphasizing the importance of temporal and spatial boundaries, feedstock origin, and production practices. A potential solution is to evaluate the environmental impact of bioenergy production across its entire life cycle using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, rather than simplistically labeling a biomass source as carbon neutral. Selivanov, Cudlín (2025) performed an LCA study to evaluate the environmental impact of heat production from wood pellets derived from sawmill residues in Northwest Russia. The goal of this short communication is to summarize the findings of these two studies, and conclude whether the use of forest biomass for bioenergy contributes to climate change mitigation.