WWF Japan Position Paper (May 2019 Edition)
Bioenergy as a Sustainable Energy Source
Biomass has generally been considered a carbon neutral energy based on the calculation
methodology of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its
use as an energy source could contribute to the reduction of Japan’s greenhouse gas
emissions. However, there is a need to take into consideration the reality of carrying
capacity limits, as tightening energy demand and supply conditions could force
bioenergy into intensifying competition with food crops and other existing needs,
ultimately posing a risk to forests and other ecosystems.
The purpose of “Bioenergy as a Sustainable Energy Source” is to show ways in whichsome bioenergy, which are listed among the sources of renewable energy envisioned inWWF Japan’s “Long-term scenarios for achieving a zero-carbon society (February2017)”, could be used in a sustainable way.
Global deforestation and the current status of palm oil production
According to “Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015” by the UN Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO), the world’s forested area declined from 4.128 billion
hectares in 1990 to 3.999 billion hectares in 2015, and carbon stock in forest biomass
decreased by approximately 11 billion t-c in the last 25 years due to deforestation andforest degradation.
Internationally traded forest commodities such as timber, palm oil, paper, soybeans andbeef as well as the production of agricultural and livestock products are mainly to blame
for the deforestation.
According to Global Forest Resources Assessment (2015), the forest area primarily used
for timber production accounts for 31% of the world’s forested area (2015) and although
it decreased slightly compared to 1990, the impact of the wood industry on forests
remains significant.
The oil palm, the raw material for palm oil, is native to West Africa and therefore needs
to be grown around the equator and requires a certain minimum amount of rainfall. Asa result, plantations have developed in Southeast Asia, Africa and Central and SouthAmerica. The emergence of large-scale oil palm plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia
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in particular, and the accompanying change in land use, has led to the burning anddeforestation of large tracts of rainforests and peat swamp forests, resulting in serious
greenhouse gas emissions.
Japanese corporations’ efforts to procure timber and palm oil in a sustainable way
The supply chain for internationally-traded, primary forest products and agriculturalproducts has a significant impact on global deforestation, particularly in developing
countries. For this reason, an increasing number of companies have established internal
guidelines for the sustainable procurement of timber and palm oil.
Growing criticism towards companies using raw materials that may contribute todeforestation is encouraging the procurement of products produced in a manner notaccompanied by deforestation. The “New York Declaration on Forests” adopted at the2014 UN Climate Summit aims to halve the rate of natural forest loss globally by 2020and end natural forest loss by 2030. The Japanese government signed the declaration on
September 23, 2014.

WWF Japan’s Proposal
Scope of application
WWF Japan proposes focusing only on woody biomass and oil palm, as well as theirbyproducts such as timber waste and palm kernel shells (PKS). Among woody biomass,
post-consumer wastes such as construction waste materials and bioenergy derived fromagricultural products other than oil palm are excluded. Also, WWF Japan’s proposal
currently applies primarily to power plant operators of 10MW or more, as well as tooperators procuring or utilizing an equivalent amount of bioenergy. Even smaller-scale
operators are expected to procure bioenergy in a manner conforming to the purpose ofour proposal. The intended use of bioenergy is not limited to power generation, but also
to heating and transportation.

2Standards
WWF Japan’s proposal incorporates the following five standards (1-5):
1. Traceability
Bioenergy use should be traced with a level of precision that allows confirmation ofwhether standards 2-5 are being met.
2. Legality
The legality of bioenergy raw material production and supply chain should be
confirmed in the light of forestry, environment and social laws.
3. Prevention of deforestation and preservation of biodiversity
Plantations for woody biomass developed in November 1994 or earlier, and plantations
for biomass derived from oil palm developed in November 2005 earlier are excluded
from this standard.
3-1. If the production of raw material for bioenergy is derived from highconservation value (HCV) 1 lands, it should be confirmed that the status of such
habitats has been maintained or improved.
3-2. Certify that the raw material for bioenergy is not derived from peatlands.
3-3. If the production of raw material for bioenergy is accompanied by theconversion of natural forest in a tropical region, identify the high carbon stock (HCS)
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land and certify that the material is not derived from such area.
4. Establishment of a standard for greenhouse gas reduction rate and evaluation
This standard does not require emission rate evaluation as a result of changes in land
use for woody biomass from plantations developed in November 1994 or earlier, andbiomass from oil palm plantations developed in November 2005 or earlier.
4.1. Identify a fossil fuel to be used for comparison during each life-cycle fromproduction of raw material for bioenergy (including emissions resulting from achange in land use) to processing and transportation. Establish and publish a
1 Abbreviation for High Conservation Value.

High conservation value areas are natural forests andhabitats significant for their endangered species, delicate ecosystems and unique local communities.
HCV is an important concept in maintaining the natural environment of production sites andenhancing important environmental and social values. For more details, refer to HCV Resource
Network’s website (https://hcvnetwork.org/).
2 Similar consideration should be given to lands that are not tropical areas but have a notably highcarbon stock amount. The tools for identifying HCS can be found in the High Carbon Stock Approach
website (http://highcarbonstock.org/the-hcs-approach-toolkit/), where young regenerating forests andolder forests are considered High Carbon Stock forests.

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voluntary standard3 for a reduction rate that allows for a sufficient drop ingreenhouse gases, along with a calculation method4. The voluntary standard forgreenhouse gas reduction rate should conform to the zero-carbon society goal of theFramework Convention on Climate Change’s Paris Agreement and be gradually
increased as necessary.
4.2 Assess the greenhouse gas reduction effect of each bioenergy, confirm using
actual values that the voluntary standard established based on 4-1 above has beenachieved, and publish the information regularly.
5. Other considerations
5.1 Competition against food crops and non-fuels uses should be avoided in theprocurement of raw material for bioenergy and cascading use5 should be thoroughly
enforced by taking into consideration the existing purpose. While raw materials suchas timber waste and forest scraps are sometimes regarded as residue, they are within
the scope of application of our proposal. Therefore, efforts should be made to avoid
competition against non-fuels uses and priority should be given to the current use.
5-2. The appropriate amount of woody biomass to be left in the forest should beconsidered from the standpoint of forest material circulation.

3 Our proposal does not currently set a threshold value for the greenhouse gas reduction rate, but

may do so in the future.
4 Ensure third-party verifiability of the voluntary standard and its calculation method.
5 Cascading use is a multi-step approach, whereby biomass resources such as wood or oil palm areused repeatedly in a descending order of priority according to the product’s value and only finallyused as energy.

4Other/reference
FSC®-certified bioenergy is considered to generally meet the standards under ourproposal. Standards 4 and 5 (Thorough implementation of cascading use), however,require voluntary verification.
Even RSPO-certified bioenergy is not considered to meet Standards 3 and 4 completely
and requires additional verification.
For reference, Japan’s liquid fuel greenhouse gas reduction rate was increased to 55% in
2018.
EU Revised Renewable Energy Directive (2018) requires that the greenhouse gas
reduction rate for fuels used in power generation and cooling/heating meet the following
standards:
 Liquid fuels only: Reduction rate of 50% of more (Fuels produced in a facility
established in October 2015 or earlier) Liquid fuels only: Reduction rate of 60% or more (Fuels produced in a facility
established from October 2015 through 2020) All fuels: Reduction rate of 70% or more (Fuels used in a facility established from2021 through 2025)
All fuels: Reduction rate of 80% or more (Fuels used in a facility established from2026 onward)

Contact: WWF Japan, Forest Groupemail: forest@wwf.or.jp

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