Wood is widely considered as the very first source of energy for humankind. Today it is still an important source of renewable energy in the global total primary energy supply.

More than two billion people depend on woodfuels for cooking and/or heating, mostly in developing countries. Wood represents a domestically available and affordable source of energy, making it one of the most decentralized energy sources in the world.

Woodfuels arise from multiple sources including forests, other wooded land and trees outside forests, co-products from wood processing, post-consumer recovered wood and processed wood-based fuels. Woodfuel is also an important emergency backup energy. Societies at any socio-economic level may switch back to woodfuel when encountering economic difficulties, natural disasters, conflict situations or fossil fuel supply shortages.

Woodfuels are a very important forest product. Fuelwood and charcoal production are often the predominant use of woody biomass in developing countries and economies in transition.

Today, wood for energy use has entered a new phase of high importance and visibility with climate change and energy security concerns.

Contact

Xia Zuzhang
Forestry Officer
Wood Energy
Forestry Division
[email protected]