Biomass System Perspective Framework

The main objective of the Biomass and Carbon Neutrality: Putting in place an evaluation framework project is to develop an evaluation and comparison grid for biomass uses in a context of transition to carbon neutrality. Following the publication of a white paper, and several rounds of consultations with stakeholders and specialists, the present publication, entitled A Biomass System Perspective Framework for a Net-Zero Future, is the synthesis of two years' work that has also led to the development of an open-access decision-support tool, Biomass System Perspective.

Biomass resources can play a strategic role in Canada’s energy transition as the country’s vast forest and agriculture lands and the diversity of conversion technologies make biomass part of potential decarbonization pathways for several end-use sectors, such as industries, buildings, road transport, marine, rail or aviation. Biomass use, therefore, must be accurately assessed to ensure that projects will deliver the expected climate benefits and that we avoid situations where efforts to decarbonize different sectors could be counterproductive to climate change mitigation.

The research and consultations carried out during this project were designed with the aim of advancing the systemic understanding of the biomass sectors to better assess biomass contribution to Canada’s climate objectives.

The final report of this project explores first the factors that impact the benefit of biomass use in terms of climate change mitigation, the methods used to track biogenic CO2, and those employed to evaluate biomass uses.

The second part of the report describes the proposed approach for project evaluation in Canada’s transition to net zero and the structure of the first version of the Biomass System Perspective decision-support tool.