With Germany as the point of energy end-use, 70 current and future modern pathways plus 4 traditional biomass pathways for heat, power and transport have been compiled and examined in one single greenhouse gas (GHG) balancing assessment. This is needed to broaden the narrow focus on biofuels for transport and identify the role of bioenergy in GHG mitigation. Sensitivity analysis for land-use changes and fossil reference systems are included. Co-firing of woody biomass and fermentation of waste biomass are the most cost-efficient and effective biomass applications for GHG emission reduction in modern pathways. Replacing traditional biomass with modern biomass applications offers an underestimated economic potential of GHG emission reduction. The range of maximum CO(2) equivalent GHG reduction potential of bioenergy is identified in a range of 2.5-16 Gt a(-1) in 2050 (5-33% of today's global GHG emissions), and has an economic bioenergy potential of 150 EJ a(-1). (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.