Carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere when biomass is burned, in the same way as when fossil fuels are burned. But when biomass grows it binds carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.
The carbon dioxide released through biomass combustion is captured by growing biomass. Properly managed biomass is therefore carbon neutral over time.
There is currently a debate on the time period within which biomass is truly carbon neutral. Vattenfall is of the opinion that biomass can and must make a meaningful contribution to the goal of limiting global warming to a maximum of two degrees.
As such Vattenfall actively contributes to the debate on the carbon neutrality of different biomass types and is also directly involved in the definition of criteria that ensure timely carbon neutrality; for example in the Netherlands where sustainability criteria for biomass are defined that include criteria that ensure such timely carbon neutrality.