We wood experts sometimes get annoyed that the focus of renewable energies is very often on electricity generation from solar and wind power. I think that the energy transition is primarily a heat transition. In private households in Germany, two thirds of the energy required is used for heating. And in the case of final energy consumption across all sectors, including households, industry, trade and transport, the heating sector accounts for over half2 of the entire energy demand. However, when it comes to renewable heat, wood is unavoidable.

Exodraft was in August 2019 nominated for the UN Sustainable Development award in category no. 7 – “Affordable and clean energy.” Both our chimney fans and particle filters for wood-burning stoves contribute significantly to the reduction of harmful particles, both within the private home and the outdoors. In other words, our products aid in fostering health and well-being wherever they are installed.

All firewood suppliers will need to be environmentally conscious and only be able to sell wood of a moisture content of less than 20%. At Logs Direct we are already committed to the government’s strategy, with all of our kiln dried and fully seasoned logs already meeting the guidelines set by DEFRA.

Stephen Talbot, Sales Director of Logs Direct, said: “Logs Direct are already committed to the Clean Air Strategy 2019 and providing only Woodsure Quality products. Because of this pre-existing commitment to clean air, there will be no disruption to our services."

Lancaster City Council has been awarded £198,794 to help tackle air pollution through the Defra Air Quality Grant.

The successful grant bid and subsequent award was made in response to an increase in concerns and complaints made to the council relating to the impact of smoke from the burning of solid fuels such as wood and coal.

The Stove Industry Alliance exists to promote and explain the benefits of wood-burning stoves and biomass appliances.

The SIA is an alliance of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, independent retailers, advisory/test house bodies, sweep associations and other interested parties.

clearSkies is an objective, independent and not-for-profit certification scheme open to all manufacturers

New data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) cuts the estimated proportion of small particle pollution produced by wood burners from 38% to 17%, but the total still outweighs that produced by the UK’s road traffic, which is responsible for 13% of particle pollution.

At the moment, the restrictions for Smoke Controlled Areas are very rarely enforced. Theoretically, you can be fined up to £1000, but in reality, local councils rarely have the resources to investigate and enforce that. We might start to see that changing soon though, as more and more focus is being placed on environmental protection and concerns regarding air quality are on the rise.

In recent years, the production of pellets derived from forestry biomass to replace coal for electricity generation has been increasing, with over 10 million tonnes traded internationally—primarily between United States and Europe but with an increasing trend to Asia. Critical to this trade is the classification of woody biomass as ‘renewable energy’ and thus eligible for public subsidies. However, much scientific study on the net effect of this trend suggests that it is having the opposite effect to that expected of renewable energy, by increasing atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide for substantial periods of time.

Wood emits more CO2 per MWh even than coal – as noted by the IPCC – which is why most environmentalists and scientists think that it takes several decades for plant regrowth to reabsorb the carbon emitted “in one pulse” from wood burning.

In Cumbria as a whole nearly 9,000 households keep themselves warm - or not - without the aid of radiators and a boiler.

Many people have positive associations with wood burning – as a cosy, attractive way to heat a room, or as an allegedly carbon-neutral fuel, yet even the most ‘eco-friendly’ wood burning stoves emit high levels of particulate matter (PM).

" In the Southeast United States, a major wood pellet fuel industry has developed where the carbon in the wood is released as CO2 immediately upon combustion. The use of wood pellets to replace coal for electricity, on the mistaken assumption that it is carbon neutral, is expected to grow substantially by 2050 (IEA 2017), further degrading forested wetlands while adding large amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere."