Converting coal plants to biomass could fuel climate crisis, scientists warn

Experts horrified at large-scale forest removal to meet wood pellet demand

Plans to shift Europe's coal plants to burning wood pellets instead could accelerate rather than combat the climate crisis and lay waste to woodland equal to half the size of Germany's Black Forest a year, according to campaigners.

The climate thinktank Sandbag said the heavily subsidised plans to cut carbon emissions would result in a "staggering" amount of tree cutting, potentially destroying forests faster than they can regrow.