Sustainability guidelines and forest market response: an assessment of European Union pellet demand in the southeastern United States

摘要: Woody biomass from the southeast United States is expected to play an important role in meeting European Union renewable energy targets. In crafting policies guide bioenergy development and guiding investment decisions meet established policy goals, a firm understanding of interaction between targets forest markets necessary, as effect that this will have on environmental economic objectives. This analysis increases our these interactions by modeling response southern US new pellet demand presence sustainability sourcing or harvest criteria. We first assess influence EU recommended guidelines inventory available supply markets, then model changes composition extent demand. Next, we how can evolution region, paying particular attention land use carbon. Regardless whether are applied, find increased removals, increase area, little change inventory. also annual gains carbon most years analysis. The incremental guideline application greenhouse gas (GHG) balance difficult discern, but results suggest could be steering production away sensitive types inherently less responsive changing market conditions. Pellet GHG shows significant attributable complexity underlying landscape. manner which tracked thus critical decision, reinforcing importance relevance current efforts develop approaches accurately account for implications both Union.