Bio Screen CEE

A flower remaining in front of logs in a forest.

Reducing unsustainable utilisation of forestry biomass in Central and Eastern Europe.

Background

As a result of coal phase-out, many residents in the Central and Eastern Europe region turn to raw firewood as heating material. This causes an expansion of commercial-scale biomass use. Due to a lack of biomass sustainability criteria in the national and local policies, ineffective biomass utilisation has serious implications for the region’s climate, forests, and local communities.

Eco-Briketts made from waste by-product at the Plimob factory in Sarasau are used as fire fuel. Photo: (c) WWF Romania.

Project

In order to prevent an increase in forestry biomass usage, Bio Screen CEE advances policy implementation in the energy sector in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania. To this end, the project evaluates energy use plans and their deficiencies. On the basis of the obtained data, stakeholders recommend appropriate alternatives to forest biomass to firewood-dependent municipalities and advocate these alternatives to national policy makers. Furthermore, the project introduces biomass sustainability criteria which go beyond those in the European Renewable Energy Directive II (REDII). Through such adaptation and subsequent implementation of REDII, complemented by national energy and climate plans, the project contributes significantly to achieving EU climate targets.

Project information

Updated: January 2021

Countries: Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania

Project duration: 09/20 - 08/22

Funding: 639,367 €

Target groups: Cities, towns and municipalities, Governments, Policy makers, Public sector

Implementing organisation: Energy Agency of Plovdiv (EAP)

Partners: REKK Foundation for Regional Policy Co-operation in Energy and Infrastructure, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme Bulgaria, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme Romania, WWF Hungary Foundation

Contact Person:

Ms Ina Karova

Organisation:
Energy Agency of Plovdiv (EAP)

Address:
139 Ruski Blvd
4000 Plovdiv
Bulgaria

Email:
ina.karova∂eap-save.eu

EUKI

The European Climate Initiative (EUKI):

Potsdamer Platz 10,
10117 Berlin – Deutschland
Tel.: +49 (0)30 338424 570
info∂euki.de

The European Climate Initiative (EUKI):

This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). EUKI is a project financing instrument by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The EUKI competition for project ideas is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is the overarching goal of the EUKI to foster climate cooperation within the European Union (EU) in order to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information on the EUKI: www.euki.de

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