EU climate law could cause 'catastrophic' deforestation

World's carbon sinks are at risk because the law will count energy from burning trees as carbon neutral, say climate scientists

Senior climate scientists say that the world's carbon sinks could be facing a grave threat from a wholly unexpected source: the EU's renewable energy directive.

The climate law could suck in as much imported wood as Europe harvests each year because it will count energy created from the burning of whole trees as "carbon neutral", according to several academics including a former vice-chair of the UN IPCC.