Research highlights high water footprint of EU bioenergy

EU policies to encourage renewable energy sources should take into account their ‘water footprint’, according to the European Commission’s science service, which places the spotlight on bioenergy.

For the first time, the Commission-funded Joint Research Centre (JRC) has analysed the total water required to produce and consume different energy sources in the EU, noting that wood used for energy accounts for two-thirds of the energy sector’s total ‘water footprint’ and first-generation biofuels for a further 20%-30%.