Report “The GBEP Sustainability Indicators for Bioenergy”

 

In November 2011 the GBEP Steering Committee endorsed the report The Global Bioenergy Partnership Sustainability Indicators for Bioenergy. It was developed by GBEP Partners and Observers through the GBEP Task Force on Sustainability that had been working since 2008, initially under the leadership of the United Kingdom and then (since October 2010) of Sweden. The report presents 24 voluntary sustainability indicators for bioenergy intended to guide any analysis undertaken of bioenergy at the domestic level with a view to informing decision making and facilitating the sustainable development of bioenergy and, accordingly, shall not be applied so as to limit trade in bioenergy in a manner inconsistent with multilateral trade obligations. In addition, supporting information relating to the relevance, practicality and scientific basis of each indicator, including suggested approaches for their measurement, is presented in the methodology sheets.

The uniqueness of this GBEP work lies in the fact that it is currently the only initiative seeking to build consensus among a broad range of national governments and international institutions on the sustainability of bioenergy and in the fact that the emphasis is on providing measurements useful for informing national-level policy analysis and development. The GBEP work addresses all forms of bioenergy. The GBEP sustainability indicators do not feature directions, thresholds or limits and do not constitute a standard; nor are they legally binding on GBEP Partners. Measured over time, the indicators will show progress towards or away from a sustainable development path as determined nationally.

The indicators have been tested in a number of countries at both regional and national level, to evaluate their feasibility and enhance their practicality as a tool for policymaking.

The work of the Task Force responds directly to the mandates GBEP received from G8 Leaders in the last few years and facilitates the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

[Download the executive summary, and the full report, as well as the summary table and the full list of names and descriptions of the 24 GBEP sustainability indicators for bioenergy]

The report "The Global Bioenergy Partnership Sustainability Indicators for Bioenergy" has been translated into Spanish.

Part 1 of the report  has also been translated into French.

 

 

 

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