(English below) Elérhető a Habitat for Humanity Magyarország munkatársainak tanulmánya a lakossági tűzifa-használatról, amelyet a Life Bio-Balance projekt keretében készítettek.
A tanulmány a tűzifát használó háztartások helyzetét és kihívásait vizsgálja, különös tekintettel a közép-kelet-európai régió uniós tagállamaira. Célja, hogy alapot és információt biztosítson olyan jövőbeli szakpolitikák kialakításához, amelyek képesek lehetnek sikeresen integrálni a társadalmi és környezeti szempontokat a biomassza alapú energia összetett kérdéseinek kezelése során.
A tanulmány rávilágít, hogy a legtöbb uniós országban, háztartási szinten, a tűzifa és más szilárd biomassza használata a megújuló energiafogyasztás fő formája. A biomassza átlagos aránya a háztartások megújuló energiafelhasználásában az EU-ban 2020-ban 83% volt, míg tízből kilenc közép-kelet-európai tagállamban 90% fölötti értéket mértek. Ugyanakkor az elavult fűtőberendezések, valamint a nem megfelelő energiahatékonyságú lakóépületek miatt a háztartási szilárd tüzelés jelentősen hozzájárul a légszennyezéshez. Az emelkedő tűzifaárak mindemellett növelik az energiaköltségek terhét a jellemzően szegény, tűzifát használó háztartások körében. Annál is inkább, mivel a COVID-19 járvány utáni nyersanyagár-infláció jelentősen érintette a fatermékeket, az Ukrajna elleni agresszió pedig további terhet rótt a kereskedelemre.
A témával a Habitat for Humanity Magyarország 2022. évi Lakhatási jelentése is részletesen foglalkozik.
A tanulmány szerzői: Feldmár Nóra (Habitat HU) és Bajomi Anna Zsófia (Habitat HU)
Közreműködtek: Assya Dobrudjalieva (Habitat Bulgaria), Cristina Nica (Habitat Romania), Harmat Ádám (WWF Hungary), Vankó Lili (Habitat HU), Aradi Sára (Habitat HU)
A Fuel of The Poor – Household use of firewood in Central and Eastern Europe című (angol nyelvű) tanulmány erre a linkre kattintva teljes terjedelmében letölthető.
A LIFE BIO-BALANCE PROJEKT
A 2021. július 1-jén indult és 2024. május 30-ig tartó Life Bio-Balance projekt során a Habitat for Humanity magyarországi, romániai és bulgáriai szervezetei, a WWF magyar, román és bolgár szervezeteivel, valamint a bolgár Energy Agency of Plovdiv intézettel dolgoznak partnerségben. A program elsődleges célja, hogy támogassa az EU tagállamait az alacsony szén-dioxid-kibocsátású és ellenálló gazdaságra való áttérésben azáltal, hogy minden szinten biztosítja a szilárd biomassza fenntartható előállítását és felhasználását, különös tekintettel a kelet-közép európai országokra.
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Habitat for Humanity Hungary’s study on household use of firewood in Central and Eastern Europe, carried out in the framework of the Life Bio-Balance project, is available.
Wood fire has been a fundamental part of human life and civilization since prehistoric times, providing means of heating, cooking, and lighting. Today, through technological and economic advances, its role is less crucial as centralised networks of gas, electricity and district heating entered the homes of many. While more privileged households are already moving on to more advanced technologies – such as solar-powered heat pumps and smart appliances enhanced by artificial intelligence –, around half of the people across the world are still using wood and other solid fuels to keep warm and to cook food.
Therefore, to this day, solid biomass – mainly firewood – is one of the most important household energy sources globally. It is the “fuel of the poor” as mainly low-income households rely on it, especially in the Global South and in Central-Eastern Europe (CEE). Firewood can be a more independent and affordable option than other energy sources, however using it can be tiresome and time-consuming, while many people do not have the option to change their heating fuel and system. Furthermore, biomass burnt in inefficient devices is wasteful and imposes health risks of indoor and outdoor air pollution.
The “energy ladder” captures the relationship well between income and the dominant energy source used for cooking and heating. At the lower steps of the ladder, low-income households rely on solid fuels, including firewood and coal. As the households’ income increases, they step up on the ladder and gain access to cleaner energy sources, such as natural gas or electricity alongside more advanced and efficient cooking, heating and cooling equipment.
The use of firewood – i.e., the most common form of “primary solid biofuel” – has another, contrasting side: with strong environmental safeguards, it can be used in sustainable, efficient, and clean ways both in centralised, industrial settings as well as directly in the home. Woody biomass should come from sustainably managed forests or in the form of by-products (e.g., timber production or agriculture) and be burnt in modern heating systems which satisfy strict environmental and safety standards. It can also provide an alternative, off-grid energy source independent from the sometimes fragile and unpredictable energy markets and supply.
Wood-based energy is the main source of renewable energy in the EU, with a share of almost 60%.2 Its already important role in the energy mix is expected to become more crucial as the European Union (EU) and other countries are trying to decrease their fossil fuel dependence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, a just and sustainable energy transition can only happen by respecting the limits and boundaries of our natural resources and by adopting stringent environmental and social criteria. Strategies and policies framing the energy transition in the EU such as the Green Deal or the Fit for 55 package tend to encourage a high technology future including smart infrastructure and advanced renewable energy systems. However, these often assume a certain degree of financial and material status which are far from the realities of many, especially in the CEE region. Low-income households that rely on firewood and solid fuels need to be supported by policy instruments and subsidies to climb up the energy ladder and be part of the transition.
Recent crises triggered by the COVID pandemic and the aggression against Ukraine are dramatically impacting energy markets, politics, and policies as well as the way people use and think about energy. As fossil fuels become unaffordable or less accessible, many resort to firewood. At the same time, these crises have also driven up the cost of firewood and timber products, putting low-income and vulnerable households at even greater risks of (energy) poverty.
This study sheds light on the situation and challenges these households face, with a focus on EU member states in the CEE region. It aims to provide a basis and input for future policies which successfully incorporate social and environmental considerations when dealing with the complex issues of biomass-based energy and the “fuel of the poor”.
Authors: Nóra Feldmár (HfH Hungary), Anna Zsófia Bajomi (HfH Hungary)
Contributors: Assya Dobrudjalieva (HfH Bulgaria), Cristina Nica (HfH Romania), Ádám Harmat (WWF Hungary), Lili Vankó (HfH Hungary), Sára Aradi (HfH Hungary)
The study Fuel of The Poor – Household use of firewood in Central and Eastern Europe can be downloaded in full from here.
THE LIFE-BIOBALANCE PROJECT
Funded by EU LIFE Programme Climate Governance and Information, the „Balancing solid biomass for climate neutrality in CEE countries” (LIFE BIO-BALANCE) projects’ overall objective is to support EU Member States to shift to a low-carbon and resilient economy by ensuring that solid biomass is produced and used sustainably at all levels. The project design was motivated by multiple negative trends which connected to the energy utilization of solid biomass, namely climate change, biodiversity, air pollution and energy poverty.
