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Abstract This paper reviews recent literature on bioenergy potentials in conjunction with available biomass conversion technologies. The geographical scope is the European Union, which has set a course for long term development of its energy supply from the current dependence on fossil resources to a dominance of renewable resources. A cornerstone in European energy policies and strategies is biomass and bioenergy. The annual demand for biomass for energy is estimated to increase from the current level of 5.7 EJ to 10.0 EJ in 2020. Assessments of bioenergy potentials vary substantially due to methodological inconsistency and assumptions applied by individual authors. Forest biomass, agricultural residues and energy crops constitute the three major sources of biomass for energy, with the latter probably developing into the most important source over the 21 st century. Land use and the changes thereof is a key issue in sustainable bioenergy production as land availability is an ultimately limiting factor.

The European Union (EU) has experienced a large increase in the use of biomass for energy in the last decades. In 2015, biomass used to generate electricity, heat, and to a limited extent, liquid fuels accounted for 51% of the EU's renewable energy production. Bioenergy use is expected to grow substantially to meet energy and climate targets for 2020 and beyond. This development has resulted in analyses suggesting the increased use of biomass for energy might initially lead to increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the atmosphere, a so-called carbon debt. Here, we analyze carbon debt and payback time of substituting coal with forest residues for combined heat and power generation (CHP). The analysis is, in contrast to most other studies, based on empirical data from a retrofit of a CHP plant in northern Europe. The results corroborate findings of a carbon debt, here 4.4 kg CO2eq GJ−1. The carbon debt has a payback time of one year after conversion, and furthermore, the results show that GHG emissions are reduced to 50% relative to continued coal combustion after about 12 years. The findings support the use of residue biomass for energy as an effective means for climate change mitigation.

The EU bioeconomy strategy aims to accelerate the European bioeconomy and its contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. National policies and strategies in many countries promote their bioeconomies. The importance of agricultural crops and residues as raw materials for the bioeconomy is increasingly recognised, but agricultural production also contributes to large impacts on nature and environment. With the aim of assessing the governance measures and their effectiveness in addressing the sustainability of bioenergy and biofuel production, the purpose of this study was to map the governance complex relevant to agricultural crop production in Denmark, and to identify the achievements, challenges and lessons learned.

Background Renewable energy and biomass are becoming increasingly important energy sources to help mitigate climate change and meet national renewable energy targets. This will lead to a substantial growth in solid biomass consumption for heat and electricity, but questions about its sustainability have been raised. Danish energy companies have addressed these issues with sustainability criteria in a voluntary industry agreement since 2016. The aim of this study was to synthesise and evaluate biomass sourcing in the Danish energy sector and its compliance with voluntary sustainability criteria. Methods We collected energy companies' public industry agreement sustainability reports and compiled the included information into a dataset that allowed us to compare and analyse the Danish energy sector's biomass sourcing, compliance and implementation of sustainability criteria in 2016 and 2017. Furthermore, we analysed the supply chains and feedstock use of Danish energy companies. Results In Denmark, medium to large energy companies documented that 57% and 70% of their biomass sourcing was in compliance with the sustainability criteria in 2016 and 2017, respectively. To show compliance with the sustainability criteria, sustainable forest management certification was most common in 2016 while risk-based certification prevailed in 2017. Most biomass is sourced and reported sustainability compliance by a few large companies. Wood pellets are sustainability reported and sourced in significantly larger volumes than wood chips. Danish energy companies source solid biomass from local to global scales, but especially from countries around the Baltic Sea. Conclusions The Danish approach to sustainable sourcing with voluntary sustainability criteria has been successfully implemented for most of the wood sourced for energy by medium to large energy companies in Denmark. The implementation of this approach shows that it has been possible within a couple of years to implement sustainability governance with risk-based criteria for multiple energy companies that source solid wood biomass at the megaton scale. A risk-based approach to implementation of sustainability criteria for forest biomass has also been chosen by the European Union (EU) and will be implemented through the EU Renewable Energy Directive from 2021.

The legislative process before the adoption of the revised European Union renewable energy directive mobilised various actors around the forest biomass issue in Europe. Which storylines do actors use to discuss and define the sustainability of forest biomass, how are the differences between the existing storylines explained, and can distinct 'discourse coalitions' of actors be observed as following each storyline? These questions are addressed through a discourse analysis to critically evaluate the debate around the utilisation of forest biomass for European renewable energy to identify persistent storylines adopted by discourse coalitions as they communicate their understanding of the issue, and compete to influence the policymaking and public perception. The hypotheses are that there are more than the hypothetical binary arrangement of pro versus anti storylines, and that some actors follow multiple storylines. Locating the methodological approach on the two dimensions; text versus context and critical versus constructivist, this study pays closer attention to context rather than on individual linguistic elements of texts. Regarding the second dimension, this study builds upon constructivist epistemology, being concerned with understanding which truths these storylines produce for their speakers, and their external influences upon alternative storylines and actors. The three storylines presented here represent three competing discourses regarding forest biomass usage in European renewable energy: forestry prioritised, climate focussed and critical. Each of these are promoted by actors aiming to gain discursive hegemony on the issue, both in terms of the impact of their discourse upon EU policy making and in the eyes of the public. Despite the discursive differences created by these deeply held opposing views of what sustainability and nature are and what this means for forest biomass, there were several points where narrative elements overlapped. These can provide insight for developing a more constructive debate on the sustainability of forest biomass.

This report is in accordance with the regulation EU 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land-use, land-use change, and forestry in the 2030 climate and energy framework, and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 and Decision No 529/2013/EU. The report gives a description of the accounting for greenhouses gasses related to forestry. The perspective on sustainable forest management is described by forest regulation and policies as well as by giving a overview of key indicators for sustainable forest management in Denmark. The main product is the Forest Reference Level, based on the requirements given in the Regulation (EU 2018) and based on the available data. The Forest Reference Level is hereby a prediction of the expected emissions/uptake by the forests of Denmark in the period 2021-2030, based on the data from the reference period 2000-2009. This will subsequently be utilized as baseline (reference level) for the Danish accounting for forests. The report is produced by the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN) as part of the SINKS2 project, funded by The Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate, Denmark and for the same ministry. Final version by 31st of January 2019.

Preface This report is in accordance with the regulation EU 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land-use, land-use change, and forestry in the 2030 climate and energy framework, and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 and Decision No 529/2013/EU. The report provide a description of the accounting for greenhouse gasses related to forestry. The perspective on sustainable forest management is described by forest regulation and policies, as well as by providing an overview of key indicators for sustainable forest management in Denmark. The main product is the Forest Reference Level, based on the requirements given in the Regulation (EU 2018) and based on the available data. The Forest Reference Level is hereby a prediction of the expected emissions/uptake by the forests of Denmark in the period 2021-2030, based on the data from the reference period 2000-2009. This will subsequently be utilised as baseline (reference level) for the Danish accounting for forests. The report is produced by the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN) as part of the SINKS2 project, funded by The Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities, Denmark and for the same ministry. Data from the Danish National Forest Inventory is utilised and is funded by the Ministry of Environment and Food. The report has been commented on by representatives from by Erik Tang (The Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities) and Christian Lundmark Jensen (The Ministry of Environment and Food as well as a number of researchers (Henrik Meilby and Jette Bredahl, Department of Food and Resource Economics, Copenhagen University, Steen Gyldenkærne, DCE, Aarhus University). First version was submitted by 31st of January 2019. Following review comments from EU process, this is a revised version to be submitted by December 2019. Section for Forest, Nature and Biomass, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. December 2019

The report is Denmark's National Inventory Report 2022, which serves as documentation for the Danish greenhouse gas inventories submitted to the European Union and the United Nations. The report contains information on Denmark's emission inventories for all years' from 1990 to 2020 for CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs and SF6.

The report is Denmark's National Inventory Report 2021, which serves as documentation for the Danish greenhouse gas inventories submitted to the European Union and the United Nations. The report contains information on Denmark's emission inventories for all years' from 1990 to 2018 for CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs and SF6.

The report is Denmark's National Inventory Report 2020, which serves as documentation for the Danish greenhouse gas inventories submitted to the European Union and the United Nations. The report contains information on Denmark's emission inventories for all years' from 1990 to 2018 for CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs and SF6.

The report is Denmark's National Inventory Report 2019, which serves as documentation for the Danish greenhouse gas inventories submitted to the European Union and the United Nations. The report contains information on Denmark's emission inventories for all years' from 1990 to 2017 for CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs and SF6.