Germany cannot replace fossil fuels with biomass, study finds

A University of Kassel study finds Germany cannot substitute fossil resources with biomass: national consumption of wood, water and farmland far exceeds levels that are ecologically safe and globally just. Across five categories—arable land, wood extraction, biomass production, water use and greenhouse gas emissions—Germany's footprint exceeds the lower boundary of the researchers' safe, fair usage range by 1.6 to 4.2 times, prompting calls for more frugal resource management. The study does not reject bioeconomy outright: biomass should serve sectors lacking alternatives, with cascade use—material use first, energy recovery last. Over 60 percent of agricultural land tied to German consumption is livestock grassland.