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Bioenergy

​Bioenergy is a type of renewable energy that is derived from plants and animals.[1] The biomass that is used as input materials consists of recently living (but now dead) organisms, mainly plants.[2] Thus, fossil fuels are not regarded as biomass under this definition. Types of biomass commonly used for bioenergy include wood, food crops such as corn, energy crops and waste from forests, yards, or farms.[3] Bioenergy can also refer to electricity generated from the photosynthesis of living organisms, typically using microbial fuel cells and biological photovoltaics.

Bioenergy can help with climate change mitigation but in some cases the required biomass production can increase greenhouse gas emissions or lead to local biodiversity loss. The environmental impacts of biomass production can be problematic, depending on how the biomass is produced and harvested. But it still produces CO2; so long as the energy is derived from breaking chemical bonds.[4]

The IEA's Net Zero by 2050 scenario calls for traditional bioenergy to be phased out by 2030, with modern bioenergy's share increasing from 6.6% in 2020 to 13.1% in 2030 and 18.7% in 2050.[5] Bioenergy has a significant climate change mitigation potential if implemented correctly.[6]: 637  Most of the recommended pathways to limit global warming include substantial contributions from bioenergy in 2050 (average at 200 EJ).[7]: B 7.4