Money to Burn
Money to Burn is an investigation by a team of journalists and European newsrooms, led by Argos and funded by Investigative Journalism for Europe.
A cross-border investigation
16 reporters – 11 newsrooms – 8 countries
For a period of three months, our cross-border team investigated everything related to the biomass trade, from subsidies, to certifications, to the European lobby, after learning from a colleague in Tallinn that Estonia was exporting almost all of its pellets overseas, with increasing impact on the country’s forests. The result: a cross-border story about the effect of Western European subsidies on Estonia's forest, plus a series of radio, print and online publications in our partner media.
Media partners
Supported by
More about our partners
Äripäev
Äripäev is an Estonian financial newspaper, founded in 1989. Website.
De Groene Amsterdammer
De Groene Amsterdammer is an independent Dutch weekly news magazine. Website.
ERR
ERR is the Estonian public broadcaster. Website.
Expresso
Expresso is a Portuguese newspaper based in Lisbon. Website.
The Guardian
The Guardian is a British daily newspaper, founded in 1821 as The Manchester Guardian. Website.
Investico
Investico is a Dutch platform for thorough and structural journalistic research. Website.
E&T
E&T is a monthly magazine and associated website for professional engineers. The magazine is based in the UK. Website.
Latvia Radio
Atvērtie Faili (Open Files) is the investigative desk of Latvia Radio 1. Website.
Público
Público is a Spanish online newspaper with an estimated 7.5 million monthly visitors. Website.
Zeit Online
Zeit Online is the digital version of Die Zeit, a German national weekly newspaper. Website.
5W
5W is a Spanish online magazine with a strong focus on international affairs. Website.
Supporters
IJ4EU
The IJ4EU fund supports cross-border investigations of public interest. In 2020, IJ4EU is providing one million euros in direct support to watchdog journalism.
Money to Burn
All stories
The lumber industry
European sustainable energy policies promote commercial logging to produce wood pellets. But how sustainable is this practise really?
Latvia is a major pellet producer. But is the industry harming the climate?
In recent decades, the 'small' country of Latvia has become a major producer of wood pellets and supplier of firewood. Manufacturers are proud of the industry, but doesn't it actually contribute to deforestation?
Forests, burned in the name of the climate
Generating energy by burning wood instead of coal is considered to be climate-friendly. Trees grow back. But our investigation in Estonia shows that the reality might look very different
'Carbon-neutrality is a fairy tale'
Wood pellets are sold as a clean alternative to coal. But is the subsidised bioenergy boom accelerating the climate crisis?
An increasingly powerful biomass industry
The biomass industry for power generation is becoming increasingly important in Spain as an alternative to coal. The country’s National Energy and Climate Plan foresees a growth from 2020 to 2030 of 129.69 per cent in the installed power of electricity generation from biomass. Meanwhile, local associations say the industry has an impact on forests and air quality, affecting the health of people who live near power plants.
How Estonian trees fuel our biomass plants
Despite the fact that the Netherlands has some of the strictest sustainability criteria for woody biomass, trees from protected Estonian forests end up in our coal plants. Wood that has been harvested though clear cutting is also deemed sustainable under these Dutch SDE+ criteria, investigation by investigative journalism platform Investico, Argos and De Groene Amsterdammer shows.
The impenetrable world of sustainable wood to burn
The Netherlands has very strict criteria for the biomass that is imported. But what really happens on the ground in Estonian forest?
How Estonian trees fuel our biomass plants
Despite the fact that the Netherlands has some of the strictest sustainability criteria for woody biomass, trees from protected Estonian forests end up in our coal plants. Wood that has been harvested though clear cutting is also deemed sustainable under these Dutch SDE+ criteria, investigation by investigative journalism platform Investico, Argos and De Groene Amsterdammer shows.
The pellet king's business is heating up
How Estonian forests go to Western power plants
The pellet king's business is heating up
How Estonian forests go to Western power plants
Reporters
Estonia
- Piret Reiljan — Freelance journalist
- Teet Konksi — Videographer, ERR
- Liis Treimann — Photographer, Äripäev
- Nele Aunap — Freelance cinematographer
The Netherlands
- Sophie Blok — Journalist, Argos
- Ties Gijzel — Partnership developer, Argos
- Emiel Woutersen — Journalist, Investico
- Daphné Dupont-Nivet — Journalist, Investico
Latvia
Germany
Belgium
Spain
United Kingdom
Portugal
About Argos
Argos is the award-winning investigative journalism platform of Dutch public broadcasters VPRO and Human. Our in-depth reporting spans more than twenty years, covering a broad range of topics, but always with the aim of uncovering what those in power would otherwise prefer to keep hidden. Our mission is to create impactful journalism, online as and on air, that critically analyses the powers that shape public opinion. We believe that complex issues know no borders. That’s why, in addition to our reporting in the Netherlands, we actively search for and engage in cross-border collaborations.