CEO Note: Victory amid a coup – South Korea acts for nature and climate
I’m thrilled to be able to share some good news for Nature and climate.
In response to an investigation in the Associated Press and a citizen campaign, the government of South Korea has just announced that it will reduce subsidies for burning forests for electricity, known as “biomass” energy. Although the changes aren’t perfect, they are a big step in the right direction.
AP story about the new biomass policy in South Korea
This new policy marks a significant victory against the absurd idea of burning forests for electricity – an industry that drives forest destruction in places like Indonesia, the United States, and Canada, pushing endangered species such as the mountain caribou and orangutans to the brink.
Watch: Video about Mighty Earth’s biomass campaign
South Korea has a lesson for all of us: even in the most challenging times, progress on Nature and climate is possible. This victory came even as South Korea has experienced an attempted imposition of dictatorial powers, the impeachment of its president, and huge disruption in government. It is a tribute to South Korean citizens’ support for effective, democratic government and the country’s remarkably effective and broad-based environmental movement.
Bioenergy or biomass is billed as green; it’s anything but. Chopping down trees to make wood pellets to burn for electricity is not a climate solution – it emits more carbon than coal. Asia has emerged as the largest growth market for biomass with Japan poised to become the world’s largest consumer of wood pellets by 2030.
AP graphic showing Indonesia’s wood pellet exports
Mighty Earth has been working with allies in different countries to shift these forest-destroying subsidies to truly clean energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal.
I want to congratulate Solutions For Our Climate (SFOC), our partner in South Korea that led the campaign on the ground. Mighty Earth worked with Earth Insight, Auriga, SFOC, and other allies in Japan and Indonesia to to publish a report exposing the devastating impact of biomass sourcing in Indonesia. We also profiled the case through our Rapid Response platform to increase the visibility. The resulting exposé from Victoria Milko at the Associated Press (and additional media attention) helped drive the debate in South Korea and persuaded the government to act.
The AP’s investigation exposed deforestation near wood pellet production facilities in Indonesia
Now we need other countries like the UK and Japan to follow suit.
Japan’s thirst for biomass is destroying forests across Southeast Asia and North America and poisoning the health and safety of communities in the US. Working with allies, we recently sent letters to dozens of Japanese banks and power generation companies, urging them to end all involvement in large-scale wood biomass power generation. We toured at-risk forests of British Columbia with a renowned Japanese nature photographer who is exhibiting a photo story of destructive biomass at Patagonia stores throughout Japan.
We will keep up the campaign – and I will be sure to update you as we hear back from these companies. South Korea has just shown that progress on biomass is possible, and I am optimistic that, with momentum on our side, Japan will also feel the need to act.
