Australia is the first major economy to reverse its classification for woody biomass burned to make energy. Under a new policy, wood harvested from native forests and burned for energy can't be classified as a renewable energy source. Why they deserve a climate love? That decision comes as the U.S, Canada, Eastern Europe, Vietnam and other forest nations continue gearing up to harvest their woodlands to make massive amounts of wood pellets, in order to supply biomass-fired power plants in the UK, EU, Japan, South Korea and elsewhere. The impact of this regulatory change is perhaps most significant for the setback it may pose to the biomass industry globally, hindering the multibillion-dollar wood pellet industry from getting started Down Under at a time when pellet production is rising in the U.S. Southeast and British Columbia in order to supply growing demand to the EU, UK and Asia. In the EU, forest advocates continue with last-ditch lobbying efforts to have woody biomass stripped of its renewable energy designation, and end the ongoing practice of providing large subsidies to the biomass industry for wood pellets. Burning wood to make electricity is not renewable and it's not smart and finally a large country says so! SOURCE : Mongabay News