Reducing the use of wood for energy & improving the sink performance

The most recent German national forest inventory – an evaluation of forest stocks in Germany that takes place every ten years – showed that forests have become a source of CO₂. Do its forests still contribute to climate protection, then, or is there a need for action? In our latest podcast episode, Dr Klaus Hennenberg, one of our experts on forests, offers an assessment of wood use, the state of the forest and its future role.

Listen to Oeko-Institut's podcast episode 'How do we use wood sustainably?' here.

The podcast audio is in German; an English translation is here.

Keeping CO₂in the wood: the carbon storage capacity of forests and wood products

Wood is used for numerous purposes – in furniture production, paper manufacturing and for heating, i.e. for energy purposes. Wood is a popular raw material because it grows back and is considered sustainable. And wood stores CO₂. The carbon storage of forests and wood products as part of the land use sector (LULUCF) is an essential component on the path to greenhouse gas neutrality in 2045 as it is part of firm plans to counterbalance carbon emissions from the agricultural and industrial sectors. However, beetle infestation and periods of drought have recently led to a huge decline in spruce stocks and reversed the carbon storage capacity of the forests. The carbon storage capacity of mixed deciduous forests has not been able to compensate for the loss.

Promotion of using wood for energy purposes hinders achievement of climate targets

The material use of wood for products such as wooden beams or fiberboard creates more added value and has a significantly better greenhouse gas (GHG) balance than firewood, as carbon remains stored in the wood. If wood from stable mixed deciduous forests is not harvested and more carbon is stored in the forest, the GHG balance is slightly better than that of firewood, for example. The existing support mechanisms in the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) and the Building Energy Act (GEG) – which benefit heating systems – unintentionally make it more difficult to achieve climate targets in the LULUCF sector. Furthermore, the other ecosystem services provided by forests, including water retention, protection of biodiversity, cooling effects and local recreation, are not sufficiently taken into account.

Germany needs a national biomass strategy

Dr. Klaus Hennenberg
Senior Researcher, Energy & Climate

However, a national biomass strategy (NABIS) agreed in the coalition agreement of Germany’s so-called traffic-light coalition government did not materialise in 2024.

Knowledge instead of everyday advice

Oeko-Institut’s podcast ‘All change please!’ is aimed at listeners from politics, research, the media, NGOs and the general public – anyone with an interest in political and environmental issues. It is hosted by Mandy Schossig, Head of Public Affairs & Communications, and Hannah Oldenburg, Digital Communications & Social Media Officer at Oeko-Institut. For about an hour – enough time for the ‘long haul of environmental podcasts’ - they talk to an expert from Oeko-Institut about the upcoming changes towards sustainability. The special episodes also address current political and social issues.

All change please!’ podcast: episodes of the 5^th season

Episode 3: 'How do we use wood sustainably?' with Dr Klaus Hennenberg, published on 7th May 2025

Episode 2: 'How will the transport transition reach the countryside?' with Nelly Unger, published on 27 March 2025

Episode 1: 'What's next for climate policy?' with Anke Herold, published on 13 January 2025

All seasons and episodes of the podcast can be found at oeko.de/podcast.

The podcast is available on all common podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Revised methodologies under the EU Carbon Certification Removal Framework continue to lack integrity

Blog 05/28/2025

In March and April 2025, the European Commission presented revised methodologies for the European Union’s Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF). The methodologies continue to set a much lower standard than the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism and best practice in the voluntary carbon market. If the European Commission does not fundamentally improve these methodologies, the vast majority of CRCF units will not represent any actual emission reductions or removals.

Monitoring that matters – transparency makes land sector climate action effective

Blog 04/23/2025

Land management has important implications for climate change, making it essential to monitor it transparently. Increased transparency helps to improve decisions, accountability, and responsibility of all actors.

Background report provides data and facts for Germany’s National Biomass Strategy

News 04/01/2025

How much wood will be available in the future for building, heating or for the production of wood products? How much agricultural land will be used to grow food and animal feed? How much livestock is justifiable in the context of climate targets in the future? What role do waste materials and residue matter play as suppliers of energy and raw materials? These and other questions are answered in a recent background report prepared by the six research institutes Oeko-Institut, DBFZ (German Biomass Research Centre), UFZ (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research), IFEU (Institute for Energy and Environmental Research), and the Thuenen Institutes for Market Analysis and Forestry. The report summarises key data, results and considerations relating to the potential of biomass and its uses.

Climate-neutral transition of Germany’s heating sector with a plan: reducing emissions, increasing energy efficiency

News 03/26/2025

Although emissions in the building sector have fallen in recent years according to the German Environment Agency, the annual emissions for the building sector stipulated in the country’s Climate Action Act have been regularly exceeded. There are technological options for solving this problem. There is a lack of consensus as to how quickly and with what preferred instruments the climate-neutral transition of the heating sector should advance in future. In a new report, Ariadne researchers, including researchers from Oeko-Institut, give their recommendations to the German government: a rapid switch to renewable and more efficient heating systems and the systematic refurbishment of buildings.

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Keeping CO2 in the wood: the carbon storage capacity of forests and wood products