• Biomass from plants is carbon-neutral. For instance the amount of carbon dioxide that the sugarcane plant absorbs from the atmosphere during its growing phase is equal to the carbon dioxide emissions that the biomass emits during combustion. This makes the process of cogeneration greenhouse gas — neutral. Thus, biomass is a “carbon-lean” fuel, producing a fraction of the carbon emissions of fossil fuels.

• Biomass can often be sourced locally and contributes to the security of the energy supply.

• Biomass production and conversion into energy can offer new business opportunities, and support the industrial and rural economy.

• The use of biomass as a fuel makes the consumer independent from fossil fuels. It provides an economic incentive to manage woodland and agriculture independently, and improve biodiversity and soil fertility.

• Many biomass fuels generate lower levels of atmospheric pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen that contributes to “acid rain.” Modern biomass combustion systems are highly sophisticated, offering better combustion efficiency and lower emission levels then the best fossil fuel boilers.

• Biomass can be cofired with coal, generating heat or electricity with a low overall carbon dioxide output.

• Possible man-made disasters like the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or the 2011 nuclear reactor destruction in Fukushima with fatal radioactive radiation can be avoided using biomass as a renewable energy.

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