Document wildfires, underutilized agricultural residues like straw and husks and suffering sawmills have left Canada with an abundance of undervalued biomass. If controlled moderately and strategically, this useful resource may just change into a formidable best friend within the combat in opposition to local weather exchange.
Canada’s biomass sectors face vital uncertainty because of political and herbal disruptions. The forestry sector was once hit ultimate 12 months by way of new US price lists introduced by way of the Donald Trump management on Canadian wooded area merchandise, bringing the full price lists imposed on Canadian lumber to 45 %.
The rural and agri-food sector may be in particular inclined, because it exports greater than 70 % of its primary vegetation.
Along with going through those political uncertainties, biomass sectors are more and more experiencing the results of local weather screw ups. In 2025, fires burned 8.3 million hectares of Canadian forests by way of September 30, making it Canada’s second-worst fireplace season on document. With local weather exchange, excessive climate occasions like wildfires and droughts are more likely to change into extra common and intense.
Adjustments are accelerating and dangers are rising. For industries and communities that depend on biomass, that is the instant to outline a long-term position within the local weather transition.
Biomass sources
Canada wishes to transport in opposition to a carbon-neutral economic system, and biomass sectors have a key position to play on this transition.
The provision of numerous biomass sources in Canada’s forests and agricultural lands, mixed with new applied sciences to transform them into bioproducts and bioenergy, makes biomass a possible answer for decreasing carbon emissions in different sectors, together with trade, development and all modes of transportation (highway, marine, rail and air).
Biomass can also be a part of local weather exchange mitigation methods. If used correctly, it may possibly change fossil fuels and merchandise and lend a hand retailer carbon in numerous techniques: in sustainable fabrics produced from picket or agricultural residues, within the type of biochar that traps carbon within the soil, or via bioenergy with carbon seize and garage (BECCS), which prevents carbon launched all through calories manufacturing from coming into the ambience.
A number of contemporary tasks have proven that pastime in biomass feedstocks is top in lots of industries. Canada’s first business biochar plant opened in Quebec in 2025, whilst the Strathcona refinery in Alberta will change into Canada’s biggest renewable diesel facility.
The prospective position of biomass is turning into transparent within the pathways now being modeled to satisfy Canada’s local weather targets. Those analyzes display that if a vital a part of the to be had biomass was once used another way, it could be conceivable to sequester as much as 94 million heaps of CO₂ identical in keeping with 12 months via BECCS and biochar.
Those effects underscore the desire for Canada to scrupulously plan the advance of recent tasks and to allocate biomass judiciously between its conventional and new makes use of.
Absolute best used for biomass
As we defined in a up to date find out about, a number of elements impact biomass’ attainable for decreasing emissions, together with the kind of ecosystem wherein it’s amassed, the potency of its conversion, the fuels used and the goods it replaces within the sectors involved.
In different phrases, the local weather advantages of biomass don’t seem to be automated: they rely at the alternatives made at each and every level of the price chain. For instance, if processing or transporting sources calls for a large number of fossil calories, or if the overall product replaces a low-emissions selection, the local weather receive advantages could also be marginal and even destructive.
Environment friendly use of biomass calls for an figuring out of the sources that will probably be to be had beneath local weather exchange stipulations and their exact attainable for decreasing emissions. That attainable is dependent no longer most effective on technological potency, but in addition at the cultural, ecological and financial fact of communities.
1000’s of timber have been destroyed within the Oldfield Highway wildfire in New Brunswick in the summertime of 2025. The biomass sector is more and more feeling the results of local weather screw ups like wildfires. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ron Ward Nonetheless no long-term imaginative and prescient
Choice makers should steer clear of running in isolation and believe the collateral results of useful resource allocation. Follow within the biomass sectors, whether or not in forestry or agriculture, is slowly growing. Forests, particularly, observe lengthy cycles of enlargement and logging, so alternatives made these days will impact emissions for many years to return.
But regardless of the significance of its sources, Canada has no technique or imaginative and prescient for the position biomass will play within the transition to carbon neutrality by way of 2050.
Canada has advanced a number of bioeconomy frameworks, together with the Renewed Woodland Bioeconomy Framework (2022) and Canada’s Bioeconomy Technique (2019). On the other hand, there may be nonetheless no complete technique that defines the position that biomass will play achieve a carbon-neutral long run, whether or not within the calories or non-energy sectors.
Canada can draw inspiration from its personal Canadian hydrogen way to broaden a equivalent technique for biomass, in line with built-in modeling of its attainable throughout sectors of the Canadian economic system. There may be an pressing want to undertake a practical way in line with multi-level analyzes — from regional to nationwide — as an alternative of remoted sectoral objectives.
Many actors within the sector emphasize the pressing want to undertake a transparent nationwide technique for the bioeconomy to make sure larger predictability of the biomass trade in Canada. In a piece of writing in Canadian Biomass Mag, Jeff Passmore (founder and president of Scaling Up) says he has been looking ahead to Canada to broaden a concrete nationwide technique for the bioeconomy.
Some other article in Bioenterprise 2023 argues that “one of the key areas needed to build Canada’s biomass future is a robust, long-term national bioeconomy strategy, supported by industry and governments.”
In spite of everything, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada’s name to motion recommends revising the nationwide bioeconomy technique by way of surroundings measurable targets for interdepartmental and cross-sector coordination, with a transparent roadmap for collaboration between trade and the general public sector.
Biomass can’t be controlled blindly. Its affect varies by way of area and utilization. For long run tasks to actually give a contribution to Canada’s local weather targets, a coherent nationwide imaginative and prescient is wanted now.
