Editorial for special issue: Biomass and Energy Crops

Modeling indicates that, in order to meet the target of limiting global warming to a 2°C rise in temperature, modern bioenergy should provide between 15% and 40% of the world's energy needs, through biofuels for road and air, electricity generation, and heat. [...]short‐term plantations can play a role in phytoremediation of contaminated brownfield sites, increasing below‐ground biomass, supporting biodiversity, and even forming barriers to control drifting snow at road edges. On the negative side, complexity is encountered in determinations of sustainability, especially with respect to carbon emissions ascertained by life cycle analysis (LCA).