Credit: Lee Smith
A finding that you submitted dodgy data to the regulator on where your wood pellets come from sounds like very bad news if, like the biomass power generator Drax, you are the lucky recipient of £500m-plus of subsidies every year and are trying to keep the handouts flowing beyond their scheduled end date of 2027. But shares in Drax did not collapse on Thursday. City analysts judged that the end of Ofgem’s investigation represented an excellent development for the company – “a clear positive”, said RBC, and “a positive read-across” for the chances of getting a new contract with the government, thought Jefferies. Why? Well, Ofgem’s conclusion contained the critical words “technical in nature” to describe the reporting failures from a forestry operation in Canada. The regulator also said it did not find evidence to question the sustainability of Drax’s biomass.
In related coverage: UK’s Drax Group rises on conclusion of Ofgem investigation
In recent years, timber has become a hugely important resource for the Scottish economy. According to a recent report from Scottish Forestry, forestry’s economic contribution to Scotland is now £1.1 billion GVA (Gross Value Added), £878 million of which comes from timber processing and supply chain activities. In total, Scottish Forestry contributes 76% of the UK’s total commercial forestry market… The demand for timber is being driven by a range of factors, but perhaps the main driver is its sustainability credentials. Wood is a renewable resource that, when sourced from sustainably managed forests with FSC and PEFC certification, has a lower environmental impact compared to traditional building materials like concrete and steel. Additionally trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, and much of this carbon remains stored in the wood even after it is harvested and used in construction. 
Building emissions are made up of two parts: operational carbon (from energy used to heat, cool and power buildings) and embodied carbon (due to material use and construction). We know how to reduce operational carbon to net zero… It’s entirely unclear how we’ll get down to net-zero embodied carbon. …Our new research shows while we can greatly reduce embodied carbon in Australia, it will require radical changes in how we design, construct, use and reuse buildings. …Our study explores the extent to which we can reduce embodied carbon in Australian office buildings. …We also tested to see if we could reach net zero embodied carbon by including the “biogenic carbon” stored in the timber and straw. …However, our study shows small decisions can have a big impact. Of all the changes we made, the one that reduced embodied carbon the most was simply replacing carpet with hardwood floors. 
By bio-based, we refer to buildings constructed of natural materials (wood, bamboo, algae, etc.) or those that mimic biological processes. The “bio revolution” is coming to construction – in fact, it is already here. …However, wider adoption is stymied by codes and practices, not to mention a large degree of industry scepticism. …As we enter a period defined by “zero” (carbon, waste, plastics … you name it), we suggest that bio-based principles will become further embedded in buildings. …the benefits of natural and plant-based materials go well beyond air quality and physical health. A large body of research demonstrates that occupant mental wellbeing is significantly enhanced in environments where natural and bio-based materials are utilised. The use of timber in indoor settings, for example, has been linked to limiting mental stress and anxiety, promoting relaxation, improving cognitive performance, and even lowering blood pressure.
Tiny plastic particles reach the leaves and needles of trees via the roots and disrupt photosynthesis, researchers at federal technology institute ETH Zurich have discovered. After absorbing plastic particles, the trees no longer used part of the sunlight’s energy for photosynthesis, but dissipated it as heat. This is a typical stress reaction of trees, wrote the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). For their experiment, the researchers grew 200 young trees and added different concentrations of tiny plastic particles, known as nanoplastics, to the water. After just a few weeks, the researchers discovered one to two milligrams of nanoplastics per gram of plant material in the roots. In the trunk and in the leaves and needles, it was around ten to a hundred times less. Measurements showed that the effectiveness of photosynthesis in the torminalis trees fell by a third within two weeks and by a tenth in the spruce within four weeks. 
LONDON — The cooling towers of the giant Drax power station loom over rural North Yorkshire as a reminder of Britain’s grimy past – and as a beacon of its efforts to create a net zero economy by 2050. The power plant was once one of the largest coal-burners in Europe, and a lightning rod for campaigners against fossil fuels in the UK’s electricity system. Today, its owners claim to be the UK’s largest renewable energy power plant – burning 7m tonnes of biomass pellets a year. But this power plant’s green revolution is not without its sceptics. Green groups and climate scientists insist Drax remains the largest single source of carbon emissions in the UK, and that its FTSE 250 owners should not have been allowed to claim billions of pounds in renewable energy subsidies. …The battle between the two camps has reignited as the government prepares to decide whether to extend a subsidy scheme.
Ottawa, Ont.-based carbon reduction company Invert Inc., and Merida, YU-based carbon project developer, The Earth Lab, have announced the successful first issuance of more than 380,000 high-quality, North American Improved Forest Management (IFM) Climate Reserve Tonnes (CRT) to market. Invert said in a press release the issuance marks a significant milestone in the organizations’ projects in the Yucatan Peninsula and their shared strategy to develop high-quality carbon projects to combat climate change, promote sustainable development, and empower local communities. Bonos Laguna Síjil Noh-Há — a collaborative endeavor between Invert, Earth Lab, and the local ejido community — has been verified under the Climate Action Reserve’s Mexico Forest Protocol version 3.0. This verification confirms the project’s impact in preserving and enhancing forest carbon stocks through sustainable management practices.
BRASILIA – Firefighters succeeded on Wednesday in reducing the extent of a massive wildfire that blazed for two days and destroyed 20% of a forest in the Brazilian capital, cloaking the city in smoke, according to officials, who suspect that it may have been started by arsonists. The National Forest of Brasilia is a conservation area that extends over 5,600 hectares of woodland that protects the springs that are the source of 70% of the city’s freshwater. The fire broke out at the peak of the dry season allowing flames to spread fast. “We hope to have the fire under control by the end of the day,” said Fabio dos Santos Miranda, who manages the forest. “We are sure this was an environmental crime, but we haven’t confirmed if it was intentional or not,” he said in an interview, adding that three suspected arsonists were seen in the area where the fire started.