Bioenergy and Sustainability

Global land outlook working paper: energy and land use

This Global Land Outlook working paper is one of a series that aims to synthesize and compile knowledge, focus on the land-energy nexus (i.e., taking into account food and water) and provide data, contexts, and ...

Sep 2017
Global land outlook

Land, literally the ground beneath our feet, is a finite resource composed of soil, water, minerals, plants, and animals. It is an essential part of our life support system and the key building block of ...

Sep 2017
Technology Roadmap: How2Guide for Bioenergy

Bioenergy is the largest source of renewable energy today, providing heat and electricity, as well as transport fuels. Yet, more so than for other low-carbon energy technologies, the complex and multi-faceted supply chains of bioenergy ...

Jan 2017
A Life-Cycle Analysis of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn Based Ethanol

The primary purpose of this report is to consider a more complete set of information now available related to the life-cycle emissions for corn-based ethanol and based on this information, assess its current (i.e., in ...

Jan 2017
Forest biomass, carbon neutrality and climate change mitigation

The Paris Agreement and the EU Climate and Energy Framework set ambitious but necessary targets. Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by phasing out the technologies and infrastructures that cause fossil carbon emissions is one of ...

Oct 2016
Towards advanced biofuels – options for integrating 1st and 2nd generation biofuel production (RES-T-BIOPLANT)

The integration of advanced (2nd generation / 2G) biofuel plants with conventional (1st generation / 1G) biofuel plants can lead to significant synergies and cost savings, especially for bioethanol plants. For biodiesel, conversion of fossil ...

Feb 2016
Region-Specific Indicators for Assessing the Sustainability of Biomass Utilisation in East Asia

This paper presents the findings of an expert working group of researchers from East Asian countries. The group was tasked with developing a theoretically sound and practically implementable methodology for assessing the sustainability of biomass ...

Dec 2015
Bioenergy: land-use and mitigating iLUC - Summary and Conclusions from the IEA Bioenergy ExCo74 workshop

IEA Bioenergy held its biannual workshop in Brussels on the 23rd October 2014 in conjunction with the Executive Committee meeting (ExCo74). The workshop on ‘Bioenergy: land use and mitigating iLUC’ was prepared in close collaboration ...

Nov 2015
REthinking Energy: Renewable Energy and Climate Change

The second edition of REthinking Energy – the flagship report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) – looks at how the transition to renewables could help limit global warming. As the report points out, ...

Nov 2015
Identifying and mitigating potential nutrient and sediment hot spots under a future scenario in the Missouri River Basin

Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for large-scale watershed modeling could be useful for evaluating the quality of the water in regions that are dominated by nonpoint sources in order to identify potential ...

Sep 2015
The Energy–Water–Food Nexus at decentralized scales

A notable feature of almost all the discussions surrounding the energy–water–food nexus to date is that they have focused on national or supra-national scales. Most key background documents lack discussion of smaller, more localized scales. ...

Jun 2015
Bioenergy & sustainability: bridging the gaps

This report combines a comprehensive analysis of the current bioenergy landscape, technologies and practices with a critical review of their impacts.Experts from over 80 institutions contributed to the extensive evaluation of the current status of ...

Apr 2015
Towards sustainable modern wood energy development

Wood energy currently makes up more than 65% of the global share of renewable energy. In some developing countries, more than 90% of the people rely exclusively on fuelwood, charcoal and crop residues for cooking ...

Dec 2014
Implementing the GBEP indicators for sustainable bioenergy in Germany

In November 2011, the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) adopted a set of 24 indicators to assess and monitor the sustainability of modern bioenergy. The indicators shall provide a tool for policy-makers and other stakeholders that ...

Dec 2014
Global bioenergy supply and demand projections. A working paper for REmap 2030

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has developed a Global Renewable Energy Roadmap – called REmap 2030 – to double the share of renewablesin the global energy mix by 2030. This ambitious target is derived ...

Sep 2014
Sustainable biomass production and use. Lessons learned from the Netherlands Programme Sustainabile Biomass (NPSB) 2009-2013

The Netherlands Programme Sustainable Biomass (NPSB) has been developed to gain experience in the production and certification of sustainable biomass to strengthen the framework for the production of sustainable biomass, based on practical experiences. The ...

May 2014
Possibilities of sustainable woody energy trade and impacts on developing countries

Many OECD countries, particularly within the EU, have set ambitious plans for the use of woody bioenergy. While the woody biomass consumed for householduse is most likely to be sourced locally and is quite independent ...

Jan 2014
Impacts of biofuel production. Case studies: Mozambique, Argentina and Ukraine

The objective of this study is to develop and demonstrate a methodological framework to enable an ex-ante assessment of the potential land availability for dedicated energy crops and the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of ...

Nov 2013
Lessons learned in testing the Global Bio-Energy Partnership sustainability indicators

In May 2011 the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) Task Force on Sustainability agreed on a first set of 24 relevant, practical, science-based, voluntary sustainability indicators for bioenergy. Several countries are undertaking pilot projects to test ...

Nov 2013
An approach to designing energy delivery models that work for people living in poverty

Access to modern, safe, affordable and sustainable energy is increasingly recognised as crucial for development. Designing the delivery of energy services that can meet the needs and wants of end-users, in particular those of men ...

Sep 2013
Biofuels and food security: risks and opportunities

This comprehensive overview of the main aspects of the interrelation between food and biofuels synthesizes previous research on the subject. It addresses the causality between biofuels production, global crop commodity prices and eventual implications for ...

Aug 2013
Analysing the effect of biofuel expansion on land use in major producing countries

Existing estimates on the potential impacts of biofuel production are often based on projections made with models that have limited ability to incorporate changes in land use (notably cropping intensity). This paper studies biofuel expansion ...

Jul 2013
Guidance Manual Smallholder Certification in Biomass Supply Chains

The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance to companies and others, such as NGO‘s, governments and standard certification/verification organizations, that wish to work with certified smallholders in biomass supply chains. The manual is ...

Jun 2013
Smallholder certification in biomass supply chains. Challenges and strategies

As a result of an increasing interest in biomass as an alternative to the use of non-renewable fossil fuel resources, agricultural production of biomass has become a key topic in many boardrooms. This results in ...

Jun 2013
EU bioenergy potential from a resource efficiency perspective

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has produced a series of reports estimating the European Union's bioenergy potential in an environmental perspective and analysing its most efficient use to support greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation (EEA,2006, 2007, ...

Jun 2013
Status of Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Facilities in 2012

A number of companies around the world pursue projects to develop and deploy advanced technologies for the production of biofuels. Plenty of options are available, e.g. on which feedstock to use, how to pretreat it ...

Mar 2013
Sustainability Certification in the Biofuel Sector

The European Union (EU) and the United States have adopted aggressive programs to promote the greater use of biofuels. One of the goals is to reduce carbon emissions by replacing gasoline with low carbon fuels. ...

Mar 2013
Poor people's energy outlook 2013

The theme for PPEO 2013, the third in the series, is energy for community services: health, education, public institutions, and infrastructure. The report has been informed and guided by discussions with people in Bolivia, Bangladesh, ...

Mar 2013
Biofuels – what role in the future energy mix? Facts, trends and perspectives

The use of biofuels grew strongly in Germany between 2004 and 2007, but its share has been stagnating since then, at between 5.5-6%. Biodiesel made from rape led the way, ahead of ethanol made from ...

Oct 2012
RSB Version 1.0. Food security guidelines

The Energy Centre at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) is coordinating a multi-stakeholder effort, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB), to develop international standards for sustainable biofuels production and processing and ...

Sep 2012
Low indirect impact biofuel certification module

One of the key sustainability challenges for bioenergy is indirect land use change (ILUC). Ecofys together with WWF and EPFL have developed a certification module to demonstrate and claim biofuels with a low risk of ...

Jul 2012
EU biofuel use and agricultural commodity prices: a review of the evidence base

In 2012, the European Commission (EC) will produce a report reviewing the social impacts of EU biofuel policy. Under Article 17 (5) of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED)1, the EC is obliged to conduct this ...

Jun 2012
IEA Technology Roadmap. Bioenergy for Heat and Power

This roadmap further develops past IEA analysis in line with the forthcoming Energy Technology Perspectives 2012. The ETP 2012 2°C Scenario (ETP 2DS) sets out cost effective strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the ...

May 2012
Smallholders in global bioenergy value chains and certification

Over the last few years, there has been growing interest in bioenergy, due in part to its potential for rural development and climate change mitigation, and as an energy alternative given the high price of ...

Mar 2012
Poor people's energy outlook 2012

This second edition of the Poor people’s energy outlook (PPEO) shines a spotlight on energy access and its impact on the ability of the world’s poorest people to earn a decent living. Its release is ...

Mar 2012
A compilation of tools and methodologies to assess the sustainability of modern bioenergy

The FAO’s Bioenergy and Food Security Criteria and Indicators (BEFSCI) project has compiled a set of thirty relevant tools and methodologies that can be used to inform the development of a sustainable bioenergy sector and ...

Mar 2012
Global assessments and guidelines for sustainable liquid biofuel production in developing countries

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) needs to set clear policies and priorities for future work and funding of biofuel-related projects while providing guidance to countries interest-ed in developing this sector. UN agencies in collaboration with ...

Feb 2012
Modern bioenergy: one of the game changers for achieving universal access to modern energy services

Energy empowers people. It enables development and growth. Yet, 20% of the global population still does not have access to electricity; and 40% currently rely on traditional biomass in the form of wood, charcoal or ...

Jan 2012
Bioenergy’s potential for rural development and poverty alleviation

Most of the world’s poor dwell in rural communities with limited or no access to modern energy services. It is widely acknowledged that the majority of people in developing countries depend on ‘traditional biomass’. The ...

Nov 2011
The bioenergy and water nexus

Renewable, sustainable sources of energy are an essential part of the transition to a low carbon, resource-efficient Green Economy. All forms of energy have, to a greater or lesser extent, an impact on water resources, ...

Aug 2011
Indirect effects of biofuel production. Overview prepared for GBEP

This report was prepared to provide input to discussion on the indirect effects of biofuel production and consumption in the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) Its aim is to provide an up-to-date insight into the science ...

May 2011
Global impacts of European agricultural and biofuel policies

Food supply and food distribution have been and are important issues in the global political arena. The recent emergence of biofuel policies has increased the influence of the policy arena on agricultural production. In this ...

Apr 2011
Biofuels: ethical issues

Biofuels are not a new technology. Rudolf Diesel ran an engine on peanut oil at the World‘s Fair in Paris in 1900, and liquid fuels made from sources such as food crops have been researched ...

Apr 2011
Biofuels and indirect land use change. White paper: challenges and opportunities for improved assessment and monitoring.

This White Paper summarizes the issues surrounding indirect land use change (iLUC) and identifies ways to address weaknesses and areas of controversy in current approaches to modeling iLUC and potential iLUC mitigation options. It specifically ...

Mar 2011
The role of remote sensing in monitoring biofuel feedstock and land use changes

The aim of this study is to assess the potential to use Remote Sensing (RS) technologies and products to identify land use changes (direct and indirect) relating to the increased production of biofuel crops. The ...

Mar 2011
Urgent actions needed to prevent recurring food crises

Recent trends in food prices—higher levels and higher volatility—mirror trends predicted by a number of experts. Given the complex web of factors influencing global food security, governments of developed and developing countries, as well as ...

Mar 2011
The growing demand for land. Risks and opportunities for smallholder farmers

In many countries of Africa, Asia and South America, over the past few years there has been a rapid increase in the demand by foreign and domestic investors for land suitable for agriculture. Large-scale investments ...

Feb 2011
The Energy Report – 100% renewable energy by 2050

WWF has a vision of a world that is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy sources by the middle of this century. Unless we make this transition, the world is most likely to avoid ...

Feb 2011
Land deals in Africa: what is in the contracts?

Over the past few years, agribusiness, investment funds and government agencies have been acquiring long-term rights over large areas of land in Africa. Government concerns about food and energy security and private sector expectations of ...

Jan 2011
Sustainable land management in practice - Guidelines and best practices for Sub-Saharan Africa

This volume is a core knowledge product for the TerrAfrica platform, prepared under the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) leadership, and financed by the multi-donor TerrAfrica Leveraging Fund, the World Bank, FAO, Swiss Development Cooperation ...

Jan 2011
Making integrated food-energy systems work for people and climate

Integrated Food Energy Systems (IFES) aim at addressing these issues by simultaneously producing food and energy as a way to address the energy component of sustainable crop intensification through an ecosystem approach, as defined in ...

Jan 2011
Bioenergy, land use change and climate change mitigation

There is at present a lively public debate, as well as substantial scientific activity related to the sustainability of bioenergy, and in particular the sustainability of liquid biofuels. The debate concerns both environmental and socio-economic ...

Dec 2010
The impacts of biofuel targets on land-use change and food supply - A global CGE assessment

This study analyzes the long-term impacts of large-scale expansion of biofuels on land-use change, food supply and prices, and the overall economy in various countries or regions using a global computable general equilibrium model, augmented ...

Dec 2010
Invasiveness of biofuel crops and potential harm to natural habitats and native species

Several factors prompted the development of biofuel cropping within agroecosystems. These include a growth in population and energy demand, geopolitical instability linked to demand for fossil fuels, concerns about global warming and calls for 'carbon ...

Dec 2010
Development of strategies and sustainability standards for the certification of biomass for international trade

The "Development of strategies and sustainability standards for the certification of biomass for international trade" research project (short title: Bio-global) was carried out from Summer 2007 until Spring 2010.The study is based on the fact ...

Nov 2010
What woodfuels can do to mitigate climate change

Wood is society’s oldest source of energy. Its use for cooking and heating remains vital to the daily energy needs of over two billion people in developing countries. It is also a “new” energy source ...

Nov 2010
Impacts of liquid biofuels on ecosystem services and biodiversity

Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. Biofuels can provide a number of ecosystem services (e.g. fuel, climate regulation) but also compromise other ecosystem services (e.g. food, freshwater services) and biodiversity which are ...

Nov 2010
Biofuels production, trade and sustainable development

This document presents case studies from Pakistan, Costa Rica, South Africa and Ecuador that give a low- and middle-income country perspective on the potential for biofuel development. The focus is on the transport sector as ...

Nov 2010
A causal descriptive approach to modelling indirect land use change impacts of biofuels

The Department commissioned E4Tech to study the Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) impacts of the five biofuels expected to form the main supply of biofuel in the UK in the next ten years: palm, soy ...

Oct 2010
Land use change: science and policy review

Biofuels feedstocks are highly diverse in their input requirements, alternative uses and climatic requirements and are grown in many different contexts globally. LCAs of different biofuel crops reveal large differences in yields, climatic requirements, energy ...

Oct 2010
Biofuels, land rights and community-investor partnerships - Good practices and preliminary lessons learned in selected case studies in India, Thailand and Viet Nam

Over the past years, there has been a rapid expansion of biofuel development in many Asian countries. A number of governments are promoting biofuel programmes, mainly to achieve energy security, meet the increasing demand for ...

Oct 2010
A decision support tool for sustainable bioenergy – An overview

Whether or not bioenergy can deliver on the objectives without creating new and additional pressures depends largely on the existence of a robust and inclusive national planning process and project design and management.Bioenergy has received ...

Sep 2010
Impacts of liquid biofuels on ecosystem services and biodiversity

Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. Biofuels can provide a number of ecosystem services (e.g. fuel, climate regulation) but also compromise other ecosystem services (e.g. food, freshwater services) and biodiversity which are ...

Sep 2010
Algal biorefinery-based industry: an approach to address fuel and food insecurity for a carbon-smart world

Food and fuel production are intricately interconnected. In a carbon-smart society, it is imperative to produce both food and fuel sustainably. Integration of the emerging biorefinery concept with other industries can bring many environmental deliverables ...

Sep 2010
Beyond the talk: engaging stakeholders in bioenergy development – Bioenergy Issue Paper Series No.4

Ensuring that benefits of bioenergy development materialise and risks are mitigated requires robust policies and processes. Designing these policies and processes with a multi-stakeholder approach helps identify and address the risks, and different interests and ...

Sep 2010
Energy poverty - How to make modern energy access universal?

Lack of access to modern energy services is a serious hindrance to economic and social development and must be overcome if the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are to be achieved. This report - which ...

Sep 2010
Criteria and indicators for sustainable woodfuels

Wood energy is the dominant source of energy for over 2 billion people, particularly in households in developing countries. Biofuels, especially fuelwood and charcoal, currently provide more than 14 percent of the world’s total primary ...

Sep 2010
Unravelling the ‘land grab’ - How to protect the livelihoods of the poor?

Land grabbing is a broad term, which in the current debates refers to the large-scale acquisition of land in developing countries by (foreign) companies or governments. These acquisitions have the positive potential to inject investment ...

Sep 2010
Africa: up for grabs - The scale and impact of land grabbing for agrofuels

The African continent is increasingly being seen as a source of agricultural land and natural resources for the rest of the world.National governments and private companies are obtaining access to land across the continent to ...

Aug 2010
Second-generation biofuels - Economics and policies

Recent increases in production of crop-based (or first-generation) biofuels have engendered increasing concerns over potential conflicts with food supplies and land protection, as well as disputes over greenhouse gas reductions. This has heightened a sense ...

Aug 2010
Indirect Land Use Change from increased biofuels demand - Comparison of models and results for marginal biofuels production from different feedstocks

This study compares the ILUC results produced by different economic models for marginal increases in biofuel production from different feedstocks. The work is the result of a survey of marginal calculations launched by the JRC-IE ...

Aug 2010
Modeling the global trade and environmental impacts of biofuel policies

There is rising skepticism about the potential positive environmental impacts of first generation biofuels. Growing biofuel crops could induce diversion of other crops dedicated to food and feed needs. The relocation of production could increase ...

Aug 2010
Algae-based biofuels: applications and co-products

The possible competition for land makes it impossible to produce enough first generation biofuel to offset a large percentage of the total fuel consumption for transportation. As opposed to land-based biofuels produced from agricultural feedstocks, ...

Jul 2010
The impact of land use change on greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels and bioliquids - Literature review

The Renewable Energy Directive (as far as biofuels and bioliquids are concerned) and the Fuel Quality Directive (as far as biofuels are concerned) require the Commission to submit to Parliament and Council a report with ...

Jul 2010
Bioenergy and food security - The BEFS analysis for Tanzania

Serious concerns on the food security impacts, social feasibility and sustainability of bioenergy have arisen over time, especially with first generation bioenergy. In this context FAO set up the Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) project ...

Jul 2010
Biofuels, land access and rural livelihoods in Mozambique

In recent years, global demand for biofuels has increased as a result of changing oil prices coupled with concerns over energy security and climate change. In Mozambique, private investors have expressed growing interest in biofuel ...

Jun 2010
Making the most of agricultural investment: a survey of business models that provide opportunities for smallholders

Recent years have witnessed a renewed interest in agricultural investment. In many cases, this new momentum has translated into large-scale acquisitions of farmland in lower- and middle-income countries. Partly as a result of sustained media ...

Jun 2010
Selection of a sustainability standard for pilot assessments of Jatropha producers in Mozambique

The project “Towards Sustainability Certification of Jatropha Bio-fuels in Mozambique” aims to build up knowledge for future certification of Jatropha bio-fuels through a benchmark pilot sustainability assessment using existing sustainability criteria frameworks.In order to do ...

May 2010
Next-generation biofuels - Near-term challenges and implications for agriculture

Next-generation biofuels refer to biofuels made using advanced technologies that greatly expand the potential to use widely available biomass, including woody biomass and wood waste; crop residues; dedicated energy crops such as switchgrass, energy cane, ...

May 2010
Energy for a sustainable future - Summary report and recommendations

At the global level, the energy system – supply, transformation, delivery and use – is the dominant contributor to climate change, representing around 60 per cent of total current greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Current patterns ...

Apr 2010
Development perspectives of the biobased economy: a review

This paper provides an outline of the biobased economy, its perspectives for agriculture and, more particularly, for development purposes.Possibilities of development of biobased products, advanced biofuels, and viable and efficient biorefinery concepts are explored. The ...

Apr 2010
Update: initiatives in the field of biomass and bioenergy certification

This background document is prepared in the frame of IEA Bioenergy Task 40 on sustainable international bioenergy trade and includes an overview and update on relevant certification initiatives and systems for biomass and bioenergy certification, ...

Apr 2010
Gain or pain? Biofuels and invasive species

Most current biofuels are produced from food crops that are well understood and have been domesticated for centuries. However, many plant species that are currently being developed or considered for biofuels are potentially invasive. Whether ...

Apr 2010
Global trade and environmental impact study of the EU biofuels mandate

This study was commissioned by the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission (DG TRADE). The initial objective was to examine the potential economic and environmental impact of various EU trade policy options with ...

Mar 2010
Assessing the potential of bio-energy production in smallholder farming systems. The case of Nhambita community, Gorongosa District, Sofala Province

This report provides insight in the potential of bio-energy production and application within smallholder farming system in Mozambique. Analysts see Mozambique as a promising country for biomass production for bioenergy purposes. The recently approved National ...

Mar 2010
Investment contracts and sustainable development - How to make contracts for fairer and more sustainable natural resource investments

Negotiations for investment contracts can be extremely complex because they typically involve a large number of sophisticated and context-specific technical, legal, economic and financial issues.This guide provides the foundations for understanding general contractual issues and ...

Mar 2010
Sustainable production of commercial woodfuel: lessons and guidance from two strategies

Woodfuels (firewood - or fuelwood - and charcoal) are the most important energy source and the most important forest product for most developing countries. Commonly, woodfuels contribute from 50 to 90% of all energy consumed ...

Mar 2010
Energy use in the U.S. food system

Energy is an important input in growing, processing, packaging, distributing, storing, preparing, serving, and disposing of food. Analysis using the two most recent U.S. benchmark input-output accounts and a national energy data system shows that ...

Mar 2010
Algae – The future for bioenergy?

This publication provides the summary and conclusions from the workshop ‘Algae – The Future for Bioenergy?’ held in conjunction with the meeting of the Executive Committee of IEA Bioenergy in Liege, Belgium on 1 October ...

Mar 2010
Water and bioenergy – UNEP bioenergy issue paper series No. 2

Bioenergy and water are inextricably linked. Water is an emerging issue of concern in the area of bioenergy development both in terms of quantity and quality. As a limiting factor, water will undoubtedly affect the ...

Feb 2010
Community participation in biofuels crop production in Zimbabwe - A focus on the policy and practical aspects

The primary purpose of this policy and practice review publication is to assess the participation of community groups in biofuels production in Zimbabwe. The assessment is hypothetically based on the basis that monoculture farming for ...

Feb 2010
Jatropha: a smallholder bioenergy crop - The potential for pro-poor development

This publication reviews the information currently available on jatropha as a bioenergy crop, starting with the papers presented to the April 2008 IFAD/FAO International Consultation on Pro-Poor Jatropha Development held in Rome, Italy (IFAD 2008). ...

Feb 2010
Principles for responsible agricultural investments that respect rights, livelihoods and resources

Many studies show that investment to increase productivity of owner-operated smallholder agriculture has a very large impact on growth and poverty reduction. The fact that investment to bring about such productivity increases in Africa has ...

Jan 2010
Bioenergy development - Issues and impacts for poverty and natural resource management

This report overviews recent developments in the consumption and production of bioenergy. It examines the main issues and possible economic implications of these developments and assesses their potential impact on land use and the environment, ...

Jan 2010
Fundamentals of a sustainable US biofuels policy

The United States is investing billions of dollars each year in subsidies and tax breaks to domestic ethanol producers in the hope that biofuels will become a major plank of an energy security and fuel ...

Jan 2010
Fodder for war: getting to the crux of the natural resources crisis

The balance of State-people landholding is altering, with gradual or sudden surrender of state landlordism over lands which were never government’s to take. Observant forest-related agencies, for example, begin to note how slowly but surely ...

Jan 2010
Sustainable production of second-generation biofuels - Potential and perspectives in major economies and developing countries

This study first discusses the global status quo of second-generation biofuels and their potential role in the future energy supply. Next, the study identifies global drivers for the development of this new industry and their ...

Jan 2010
Perceptions on fairness and efficiency of the REDD value chain - Methods and results from pilot analyses in Indonesia and Peru

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) will require a ‘value chain’ that links global beneficiaries to local actions towards high carbon storing land use patterns. The value chain includes: effectively reducing emissions, a shift ...

Jan 2010
Contribution of energy services to the Millennium Development Goals and to poverty alleviation in Latin America and the Caribbean

The energy debate has one dimension that is often sidelined: its relationship with poverty and development. This document attempts to shed some light on this aspect, unnoticed when public policies are being formulated.The document describes ...

Jan 2010
Knowledge sharing for improved food security and better nutrition - Global forum on Food Security and Nutrition - FSN forum

The Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum) was created to strengthen FAO’s capacity in knowledge sharing. The Forum is an online community where members can share experiences, identify resources, provide peer coaching ...

Jan 2010
Meals per gallon - The impact of industrial biofuels on people and global hunger

According to the authors of this report, industrial biofuels would not offer a solution to the two main aims of EU biofuel policy – to combat climate change and increase fuel security. Rather, industrial biofuels ...

Jan 2010
Biofuels, land access and rural livelihoods in Tanzania

This report investigates and describes patterns of biofuel development in Tanzania. It looks at the spread and scale, crop use and different models of biofuel production through several case studies. It also outlines the challenges ...

Dec 2009
Implications of biofuel sustainability standards for Brazil

With the recent rising concerns regarding energy security and the environment, interest in biofuels has grown substantially. Consideration of biofuels has been due to their potential beneficial impact on energy security, mitigation of Greenhouse Gases ...

Dec 2009
Small scale sustainable farmers are cooling down the earth

Farmers -­‐ men and women -­‐ around the world are joining hands with other social movements, organizations, people and communities to ask for and to develop radical social, economic and political transformations to reverse the ...

Dec 2009
Global potential of sustainable biomass for energy

Through a review of existing data and literature, this report synthesizes the amount of information and its relative distribution in different fields.The report contains two main sections, organized around bioenergy issues including an information survey ...

Dec 2009
Better use of biomass for energy - Position paper of IEA RETD and IEA Bioenergy

With this position paper, IEA RETD and IEA Bioenergy present key findings from a joint project on “Better Use of Biomass for Energy” which identifies opportunities• of bioenergy for better greenhouse-gas reduction, and• of climate ...

Dec 2009
Bioenergy – A sustainable and reliable energy source (main report)

The supply of sustainable energy is one of the main challenges that mankind will face over the coming decades, particularly because of the need to address climate change.Biomass can make a substantial contribution to supplying ...

Dec 2009
Cookstoves and markets: experiences, successes and opportunities

GVEP International’s vision to reach millions of men, women and children in rural and peri urban areas by focusing on market mechanisms is a challenge in itself. Energy access for the poor has multi-dimensional facets ...

Dec 2009
Agrofuels, Brazil and conflicting land uses

Biomass energy only accounts for a small share of global energy use, 10 percent. Most of this is used as fire wood and charcoal. The part of the biomass that is set aside for liquid ...

Dec 2009
Technology action plan: Bioenergy - Report to the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate

Bioenergy includes any kind of chemical energy accumulated through photosynthetic processes in organic plant matter (i.e., biomass). Example sources of bioenergy include dedicated energy crops (short rotation wood, perennial grasses), agricultural and forestry products and ...

Dec 2009
BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport. Results and recommendations from the European BEST project

This report is the conclusion of BEST – BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport – a four-year project to demonstrate the use of bioethanol in cars and buses at ten sites in Europe, Brazil and China. The ...

Dec 2009
The African land-grab: creating equitable governance strategies through codes-of-conduct and certification schemes

This paper examines two failed land acquisition processes for food and biofuels production in Africa with the aim to establishing more equitable governance strategies. More specifically it explores the roles of certification schemes and codes-of-conduct ...

Dec 2009
Implications of biofuel sustainability standards for Indonesia

Over recent years, as energy security and environmental concerns have risen, there has been a substantial interest in biofuels and their potential contribution to energy security, mitigation of GHGs in the transport sector and also ...

Dec 2009
The biofuels market: current situation and alternative scenarios

A forward-looking vision should focus on the instruments and preconditions that would make biofuels a win-win solution for the environment and for rural development, while contributing to expand the supply of sustainable transportation fuels.The intent ...

Dec 2009
Examining the potential of biofuels for rural development and empowerment of women

Gender considerations come into play because in many developing countries the current lack of energy in rural areas has a disproportionate impact on women. They are the ones primarily responsible for collecting and managing traditional ...

Dec 2009
Biochar land grabbing: the impacts on Africa

A new technology called “biochar” is being promoted as a major “geo-engineering” solution to global climate change, as well as a means of improving soils and addressing poverty. But this technology raises serious scientific and ...

Nov 2009
WBA position paper on global potential of sustainable biomass for energy

The purpose of the World Bioenergy Association (WBA) is to promote the increasing utilisation of bioenergy globally in an efficient, sustainable, economic and environmentally friendly way. One prominent item in the WBA Action Plan is ...

Nov 2009
Biofuels in Africa: growing small-scale opportunities

Global demand for climate-friendly transport fuels is driving vast commercial biofuels projects in developing countries. At the opposite end of the spectrum is small-scale bioenergy production. This offers a way for the poor to meet ...

Nov 2009
Navigating bioenergy - Contributing to informed decision making on bioenergy issues

Bioenergy has become one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing sectors of the global energy economy. Accelerated growth in the production and use of bioenergy in the past few years is attracting interest from ...

Nov 2009
Mitigating climate change in the global transport sector

The paper was prepared by The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA), as a position paper on what it was discussed in  the COP15 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. ...

Nov 2009
2nd Joint International Workshop on Bioenergy, Biodiversity Mapping and Degraded Lands

This document consists of the report on the outcomes of the 2nd Joint International Workshop on Bioenergy, Biodiversity Mapping and Degraded Lands, prepared by Oeko-Institut and UNEP.The objectives of the workshop were to identify gaps ...

Nov 2009
Risk governance deficits - An analysis and illustration of the most common deficits in risk governance

This report on deficits in the risk governance process is a continuation of the development of IRGC’s approach to risk governance. Central to this approach is the IRGC Risk Governance Framework, intended to help policymakers, ...

Nov 2009
Development first: linking energy and emission policies with sustainable development for Brazil

Brazil is the tenth largest energy consumer in the world and the third largest in the Western Hemisphere, behind the United States and Canada. Over the past decade, Brazil has made great strides in increasing ...

Oct 2009
Towards sustainable production and use of resources: assessing biofuels

Biofuels have received much attention from decision-makers in government and industry, and of the wider public world-wide. As the number of publications devoted to this renewable source of energy is expanding rapidly, it has become ...

Oct 2009
Summary of approaches to account for and monitor indirect impacts of biofuel production

This study has four elements regarding the indirect impacts of biofuel production:1 A review of quantification initiatives of indirect impacts of biofuel production.2 A review of mitigation initiatives of indirect impacts of biofuel production.3 A ...

Oct 2009
Background paper: Chinese Renewables Status Report

This report was commissioned by REN21 as a background paper to its policy report on Recommendations for Improving the Effectiveness of Renewable Energy Policies in China.The report includes, among other, an overview of the Chinese ...

Oct 2009
Rainforest Alliance position on biofuels

Biofuels are fuels produced from biomass — renewable plant sources, including crops such as oil palm, soybean, sugar cane, and corn as well as wood, grass, woody plants and other grains or nuts. Whether in ...

Oct 2009
‘Land grabs’ in Africa: can the deals work for development?

For many millions in the developing world, land is central to livelihoods, food security, even identity – the result of a direct dependence on agriculture and natural resources. It is not surprising, then, that a ...

Sep 2009
Bioenergy – The impact of indirect land use change - Summary and conclusions from the IEA Bioenergy ExCo63 Workshop

This publication provides the summary and conclusions from the workshop ‘Bioenergy – The Impact of Indirect Land Use Change’, held in conjunction with the meeting of the Executive Committee of IEA Bioenergy in Rotterdam on ...

Sep 2009
Growing pains: the possibilities and problems of biofuels

What contribution can biofuels make to a low-carbon future? And how can that contribution be made to work best for poor people?This report aims to answer these questions by analysing the impact of the current ...

Aug 2009
Jatropha! A socio-economic pitfall for Mozambique

This study evaluates Jatropha production in Mozambique. It is believed that the current rush to develop Jatropha production on a large scale is ill-conceived, under-studied and could contribute to an unsustainable trade that will not ...

Aug 2009
Bio-carbon in Africa: harnessing carbon finance for forestry & bioenergy

The chapters are organised in terms of the production cycle, beginning with two chapters on forest bio-carbon (which can “grow” carbon): one on policy options and the second on forest bio-carbon methodologies. The review then ...

Aug 2009
Use of biomass energy in cement production - Opportunities in Ethiopia

Biomass and biomass residues, if sourced in an environmentally and socially sustainable fashion, represent a vast – and largely untapped – renewable energy source for the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. This guide seeks to outline ...

Aug 2009
Increasing commercial pressure on land: building a coordinated response

The food price crisis of 2007-2008 brought to public attention a wave of large-scale acquisitions of land in developing and transition countries by foreign investors. The predominant investors in these deals have been governments and ...

Jul 2009
The potential for 1st generation ethanol production from sugarcane

Ethanol production from sugarcane (mainly in Brazil) on the basis of “1st generation technology” (22.5 billion liters per year in 3.4 million hectares) replaces 1% of the gasoline used in the world today and is ...

Jul 2009
Re-Impact: forest based bioenergy for sustainable development in developing counties

Re-Impact (Rural Energy Production from Bioenergy Projects) is a project funded by the European Union Aid Cooperation office which is promoting a sustainability assessment framework for bioenergy project focussed on rural development in developing countries. ...

Jul 2009
Building capacity to monitor compliance with biofuel sustainability standards - White paper #2: Existing and emerging tools and approaches

The substantial and growing interest in biofuels as a potential contribution to improving energy security, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and in delivering rural economic development benefits has been challenged in recent years by non-governmental organizations ...

Jul 2009
Commercial pressures on land: rethinking policies and practice for development

Over the past few years the demand for land has been boosted by global economic trends - among which energy and food needs are playing major roles – that significantly increased its commercial value. Profit ...

Jul 2009
Analysis of opportunities for biofuel production in sub-Saharan Africa

Within the developing world, and especially Africa, biofuels, are regarded as a potential mechanism to stimulate agricultural development, create jobs and save foreign exchange. In reaction to the initial euphoria about biofuels as a carbon-neutral ...

Jun 2009
EU support for biofuels and bioenergy, environmental sustainability criteria, and trade policy

This paper provides a description of the EU’s biofuel policies, set in the context of its overall policy framework on renewable and bioenergy, and their interface with the WTO legal system.

Jun 2009
Agriculture and climate change: real problems, false solutions - Preliminary version of a new report on agriculture and climate change

This paper discusses some of the ways in which industrial agriculture is proposed to mitigate and promote adaptation to climate change in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).Proposals for mitigation include the agricultural ...

Jun 2009
Land grab or development opportunity? Agricultural investment and international land deals in Africa

Large-scale acquisitions of farmland in Africa, Latin America, Central Asia and Southeast Asia are making headlines in a flurry of media reports across the world. Lands that only a short time ago seemed of little ...

Jun 2009
The water footprint of biofuels: a drink or drive issue?

Ensuring inexpensive and clean water is an overriding global challenge noted as one of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. This challenge will likely be intensified by the increasing demand for biomass-derived fuels ...

Jun 2009
Algae-based biofuels: a review of challenges and opportunities for developing countries

Algae have recently received a lot of attention as a new biomass source for the production of renewable energy. Some of the main characteristics which set algae apart from other biomass sources are that algae ...

May 2009
Energy access, climate and development

The transition to a climate-constrained world is occurring at a time when nearly half of the world’s population lacks reliable access to modern energy services. Consequently, the energy transition and climate vulnerability are much more ...

May 2009
Jatropha: wonder crop? Experience from Swaziland

The search for alternatives to fossil fuel has seen a rush towards biofuels. This is contributing to rising food prices and increasing concern about our ability to grow enough food and fuel. Despite social and ...

May 2009
A thirst for distant lands: foreign investment in agricultural land and water

There has been a recent surge of interest in foreign investment in agricultural land. The purchase or long-term lease of agricultural land for food production, predominantly by state-owned and private investors from Arab and wealthy ...

May 2009
UNICA comments on California’s proposed Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)

The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) is the leading trade association for the sugarcane industry in Brazil, representing nearly two thirds of all sugarcane production and processing in the country. Their 125 member companies are ...

Apr 2009
The impact of expanding biofuel production on GHG emissions - White paper #1: accessing and interpreting existing data

There is now a substantial focus on recognizing the potential for GHG emission savings from biofuels but with the publication of recent studies concern also exists about the potential emissions associated with consequential (or indirect) ...

Apr 2009
Biofuels: could the South benefit?

Further biofuel expansion in the North will mean a small increase in global food prices and poverty. On these grounds alone, there is reason to reduce the targets in OECD countries. If, on the other ...

Apr 2009
Making sustainable biofuels work for smallholder farmers and rural households - Issues and perspectives

In developing countries, liquid biofuel production (LBP) - particularly if small in scale – offers potential opportunities for poverty reduction and rural development, through the creation of both income-generating opportunities for farmers and jobs for ...

Apr 2009
Sowing the seeds of prosperity: developing bioenergy technology to alleviate smallholder farmer poverty

The challenges facing the Developing World’s rural poor are formidable. Not only must these agricultural societies become more productive in supplying food, they must also find a way to produce the jobs and incomes needed ...

Apr 2009
RFA Quarterly Report 3: April 2008 - January 2009

To encourage suppliers to source sustainable biofuels, the RFA requires fuel suppliers claiming Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates to submit monthly reports on the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) saving and the sustainability of the biofuels they ...

Apr 2009
Women raise their voices against tree plantations - The role of the European Union in disempowering women in the South

In order for raw materials and the products made from them to be produced and made available to the European public, a series of trade policies are formulated to promote the “development” of different corporations ...

Mar 2009
Biofuels and food security - Implications of an accelerated biofuels production - Summary of the OFID study prepared by IIASA

The year 2008 will perhaps be remembered as the defining moment when the world experienced the reality of the inter-linkages and interdependencies between food and energy. A number of factors including the adoption of mandatory ...

Mar 2009
ITTO/IUCN Guidelines for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in tropical timber production forests

Since 1991 ITTO has adopted several set of guidelines for forest managers and policymakers, including on natural production forests, planted forests, the restoration, management and rehabilitation of degraded and secondary tropical forests, and fire management. ...

Mar 2009
Greenhouse gas sequestration by algae. Energy and greenhouse gas life cycle studies - Proceedings of the 6th Australian Conference on Life Cycle Assessment

This paper assesses the greenhouse gas, costs and energy balance on a life cycle basis for algae grown in salt water ponds and used to produce biodiesel and electricity.Under the conditions described and data assumed ...

Mar 2009
Is oil palm the next emerging threat to the Amazon?

Oil palm is one of the world’s most rapidly expanding crops. Despite the recent economic slowdown, burgeoning demand for palm oil remains an important driver of deforestation in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia ...

Mar 2009
An emergency package for tropical forests

The Prince’s Rainforests Project was established in 2007 to develop consensus as to how to curb tropical deforestation. This report contains a set of proposals that could form the basis for rapid and coordinated global ...

Mar 2009
Rapid assessment on biofuels and the environment: overview and key findings – Executive Summary

The Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) of the International Council for Science (ICSU) established the International SCOPE Biofuels Project to provide a comprehensive and objective, science based analysis of the effects of ...

Mar 2009
Biofuels in Asia - An analysis of sustainability options

The purpose of this report is to provide an objective and comprehensive regional analysis summarizing the benefits and risks of biofuels development in Asia, and examining the distribution and use of biofuels through the lens ...

Mar 2009
Study of the effects on employment of public aid to renewable energy sources

Europe’s current policy and strategy for supporting the so-called “green jobs” or renewable energy dates back to 1997, and has become one of the principaljustifications for U.S. “green jobs” proposals. Yet an examination of Europe’s ...

Mar 2009
Biofuel industry study, Tanzania - An assessment of the current situation

The biofuel industry in Tanzania is still in a nascent stage, with various companies, both Tanzanian and international, active at various stages. Tanzania has been inundated by foreign investors since 2006, most from the EU ...

Mar 2009
Framework and guidelines on land policy in Africa

In 2006, the AUC, the UNECA and the AfDB initiated a process for the development of a framework and guidelines for land policy and land reform in Africa with a view to strengthening land rights, ...

Mar 2009
Sustainable bioenergy: current status and outlook

The study is based on the fact that the production of renewable raw materials (biomass) and their application range are significantly increasing at present as a result of ambitious growth objectives adopted in Germany, the ...

Mar 2009
Biochar for climate change mitigation: fact or fiction?

Soils are extremely diverse and dynamic, playing a fundamental role in supporting communities of plants, detritivores (which break down organic matter) and microbial communities, interacting with the atmosphere, regulating water cycles and much more. As ...

Feb 2009
Profit at any cost: a battle between big business and sustainable lifestyles

The spread of agrofuels is happening fast in Ghana. Jatropha and even more rapidly sugarcane have been expanding following success with small plantations in 2001. Initially the aim was the domestic market but now the ...

Feb 2009
Synergies and competition in bioenergy systems - Summary and conclusions

The use of renewable energy sources in general, and bioenergy in particular, is rapidly expanding in response to the ambitions of governments around the world to meet environmental and energy security objectives. Among the various ...

Feb 2009
An examination of the potential for improving carbon/energy balance of bioethanol – A report to the IEA Bioenergy Task 39

The energy balance and greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels remain a controversial topic in the popular press, with government policy makers, and within the academic community. Most of the discussion is based on the existing ...

Feb 2009
Small-scale bioenergy initiatives: brief description and preliminary lessons on livelihood impacts from case studies in Asia, Latin America and Africa

This report is based on a series of 15 International Case studies conducted between September and November 2008 under a joint initiative between FAO and the PISCES Energy Research Consortium funded by DFID. The case ...

Jan 2009
Unintended environmental consequences of a global biofuels program

Biofuels are being promoted as an important part of the global energy mix to meet the climate change challenge. The environmental costs of biofuels produced with current technologies at small scales have been studied, but ...

Jan 2009
EEA Signals 2009 - Key environmental issues facing Europe

Signals is published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) at the start of each year and provides snapshot stories on issues of interest both to the environmental policy debate and the wider public for the ...

Jan 2009
Struggle for the Amazon: capitalist project x worker and local communities project

This document compiles texts from scholars and social militants, covering some of the issues about the Amazon, which we are interested in spreading, discuss and look at the facts in depth about this reality.The texts ...

Jan 2009
Smart choices for biofuels

Much of the strong support for biofuels in the United States is premised on the national security advantages of reducing dependence on imported oil. In late 2007, these expected payoffs played a major role in ...

Jan 2009
Bioenergy and biofuels: opportunities and constraints

It is still controversial whether biofuels, particularly first generation biofuels, deliver net GHG benefits. Policies concerning biofuel production will need to require that feedstock production practices do not create net additional emissions of GHGs directly, ...

Jan 2009
World in transition: future bioenergy and sustainable land use

The incipient global bioenergy boom is giving rise to vigorous and strongly polarized debate. Different underlying aims, such as reducing dependenceon imported oil and gas or using biofuels to reduce the CO2 emissions of road ...

Jan 2009
A bottom-up assessment of land use related to corn ethanol production

Land use change can be determined according to several methods including a) conducting a census, b) using economic indicators, and c) using remote sensing. Several economic models (global equilibrium models such as GTAP) use land ...

Dec 2008
Access to sustainable energy sources on a local level – Expert analysis and study on the current policy issues - Summary report

With their forthcoming presidency of the EU in 2009, the Czech Republic has decided to give priority in development policy to ‘Access to Sustainable Energy Sources at the Local Level.’ In preparation for 2009, the ...

Dec 2008
Agrofuels in South Africa - Projects, players and poverty

The South African government has readily embraced the establishment of an agrofuels industry, citing job creation, the need for clean and renewable energy and the creation of markets for small-holder farmers, as key motivators.Agrofuel production ...

Dec 2008
GMOs in South Africa

As the idea of “peak oil” becomes a stark reality, humankind is frantically searching for alternative sources of energy to fuel the consumer-addicted lifestyles of the elite. With the dwindling supply of fossil fuels in ...

Dec 2008
The palm oil financing handbook - Practical guidance on responsible financing and investing in the palm oil sector

The aim of this handbook is to:• help financial institutions to reduce the environmental and social risks associated with transactions in the palm oil sector;• enable more sustainable palm oil production.The how-to guidance focuses on ...

Dec 2008
Implementing sustainable bioenergy production - A compilation of tools and approaches

In recent years, concerns about energy security, climate change and support for rural development have climbed rapidly up political agendas, both in developing and industrialised countries.As a number of sustainability schemes develop principles and criteria ...

Dec 2008
From 1st- to 2nd-generation biofuel technologies - An overview of current industry and RD&D activities

In order to move away from sole dependence on food crops towards the conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks to bioethanol, synthetic diesel and aviation fuels, the necessary transition from 1st- to 2nd-generation biofuels will require major ...

Nov 2008
Climate geo-engineering with ‘carbon negative’ bioenergy

This report represents a critical analysis of proposals for 'carbon negative' bioenergy, including biochar (agrichar) and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, as a means of reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and thus mitigating climate ...

Nov 2008
Maximising the environmental benefits of Europe's bioenergy potential

The EU is seeking to increase the use of renewable energy in order to limit climate change and enhance the security of energy supply. In 2005, renewables accounted for 6.7% of EU's gross energy consumption; ...

Nov 2008
Food, farmers and fuel: balancing global grain and energy policies with sustainable land use

The public debate on agrofuels changed dramatically over the past year. What started out as an intriguing proposal on an apparently innovative alternative fuel source quickly turned into an important and contentious topic of international ...

Nov 2008
Certified unsustainable? - Observations on the first three RSPO certificates

The RSPO was set up in response to major public concern about deforestation for palm oil.Apart from environmental criteria, it also aims to address concern about human rights abuses, evictions, land-grabbing and intolerable working conditions, ...

Nov 2008
Sugarcane ethanol - Contributions to climate change mitigation and the environment

The aim of this publication is to set the stage for the discussion about both challenges and concerns of sugarcane ethanol by providing the scientific context, the basic concepts and the approach for understanding the ...

Nov 2008
A sustainability analysis of the Brazilian ethanol

This is the report of the project Analysis of Environmental and Social Impacts of Bioethanol Production in Brazil, funded by UK Embassy, in Brasília, with funds of the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural ...

Nov 2008
Biofuels - At what cost? - Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in China

This report examines the historical development and current status of the biofuel industry in China, focusing on government policies to support production and consumption. The analysis forms part of a multi-country effort by the Global ...

Nov 2008
Biofuel plantations on forested lands: double jeopardy for biodiversity and climate

Fossil fuels supply most of the energy requirements of industrialized nations, yet the greenhouse gas emissions that result threaten to seriously affect natural systems through human-induced climate change, which compromises livelihoods, global security and biodiversity. ...

Nov 2008
Water implications of biofuel crops: understanding tradeoff¬s and identifying options

Biofuels are being touted as a solution to rising fuel prices, growing energy demands, and the need to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. Governments have good reasons for promoting biofuels. Yet, a headlong rush into ...

Nov 2008
The palm oil financing handbook. Practical guidance on responsible financing and investing in the palm oil sector

How can banks and investors reduce their risks in the palm oil sector? How can financial institutions encourage sustainable palm oil production? These two questions are the starting point for The Palm Oil Financing Handbook, ...

Nov 2008
Sugarcane-based bioethanol: energy for sustainable development

Biofuel production started to attract growing attention in the early 2000s because of mounting interest in the development of cleaner and renewable energy sources: biofuels were seen as part of the drive to move beyond ...

Nov 2008
Bioenergy in Europe - Implementation of EU directives and policies relating to bioenergy in Europe and RD&D priorities for the future

In 2006-2007, members of the Bioenergy Network of Excellence carried out this study of major European Union directives and policies related to the development of bioenergy in Europe.The report analyses the implementation of important EU ...

Nov 2008
Agrofuels in Brazil - What is the outlook for its farming sector?

This study of Brazilian agrofuels deals separately with ethanol and biodiesel. In spite of overlaps which will be discussed in the text and which are likely to increase with time ethanol and biodiesel are governed ...

Nov 2008
Summaries of analyses in 2008 of biofuels policies by international and European technical agencies

Since January 2008, international institutions, national technical agencies, and major international scientific organizations have released ten major reviews of biofuel policies. This brief summarizes their conclusions, which include: World land use competition means liquid biofuels are ...

Nov 2008
Bioenergy and pastoralism: challenging the wastelands myth

Drynet commissioned this discussion paper, prepared and researched by SOS Sahel International UK, to clarify the problem and identify the key issues and options for pastoralists and governments.To some, Africa’s drylands represent the last agricultural ...

Oct 2008
Sustainable bioenergy development in UEMOA Member Countries

This report, led by the UN Foundation, in partnership with the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, the Energy and Security Group and the Global Bioenergy Partnership, identifies opportunities, assesses constraints, identifies trade-offs, and ...

Oct 2008
Statement by the director-general on the occasion of the launch of SOFA 2008

This document contains the statement made by the director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Jacques Diouf, on the occasion of the launch of SOFA 2008.

Oct 2008
The State of Food and Agriculture 2008 - Biofuels: prospects, risks and opportunities

The State of Food and Agriculture 2008 explores the implications of the recent rapid growth in production of biofuels based on agricultural commodities. The boom in liquid biofuels has been largely driven by policies in ...

Oct 2008
GHG implications of land use and land conversion to biofuel crops

There are multiple reasons why biofuels are attracting global interest. A systematic assessment of the GHG mitigation potential of biofuels is required because climate change mitigation is either a primary objective or as a co-benefit ...

Oct 2008
Bioenergy and land tenure

Biomass has been used for energy since the early days of humanity. Today, 52% of the population of the developing world, including 575 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, rely on traditional biomass, particularly fuelwood and ...

Oct 2008
Life as commerce: the impact of market-based conservation on indigenous peoples, local communities and women

Global deforestation has accelerated to unprecedented rates since the inception of ‘forest’ certification – as has the destruction of agricultural land and natural areas, as new tree plantations have been established.Meanwhile, in an attempt to ...

Oct 2008
The state of food and agriculture in Asia and the Pacific region

The growing importance of biofuels is a major challenge and an opportunity for the sector. Biofuels production has grown from 1 million hectares seven years ago to 25 million hectares today. If petroleum prices remain ...

Oct 2008
RFA Quarterly Report: 15 April - 14 July 2008

To encourage suppliers to source sustainable biofuels, the RFA requires fuel suppliers claiming Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates to submit monthly reports on the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) saving and the sustainability of the biofuels they ...

Oct 2008
Malaysian palm oil - Green gold or green wash? - A commentary on the sustainability claims of Malaysia’s palm oil lobby, with a special focus on the State of Sarawak

The objective of this report is to inform decision makers about the serious sustainability challenges in Malaysia’s palm oil sector and to call up on them to take appropriate actions to address these challenges. The ...

Oct 2008
World in transition: future bioenergy and sustainable land use - Summary for policy-makers

The incipient global bioenergy boom is giving rise to vigorous and strongly polarized debate. Different underlying aims, such as reducing dependence on imported oil and gas or using biofuels to reduce the CO2 emissions of ...

Oct 2008
The challenge of biofuels

It is difficult to know how much ethanol will be needed in countries that already adopted blend mandates but it is estimated at least 1 billion gallons.Brazil already replaces 20–25% of its gasoline with ethanol, ...

Oct 2008
Biofuels. Big potential for some...but big risks too

Record breaking oil prices have reinforced an existing push to reduce dependence on foreign oil, and a number of countries are turning to biofuels as a means of enhancing energy security. Concerns about climate change ...

Oct 2008
Fuelling destruction in Latin America - The real price of the drive for agrofuels

Rapid expansion in the use of agricultural crops as a transport fuel has been justified in Northern countries as a predevelopment policy that will help bring developing countries out of poverty. The agrofuels boom, it ...

Sep 2008
Agrofuels and the myth of the marginal lands

Terms such as “marginal lands” have entered not just the scientific but the wider political debate on agrofuels.Before considering what should be grown on marginal land, we need to define “marginal”. Land that might appear ...

Sep 2008
Promotion and use of biofuels in the United Kingdom during 2007

This report addresses the UK's obligation to report to the European Commission by 1 July 2008 on the effectiveness of the UK Government’s support for biofuels during the calendar year 2007, as required by Article ...

Sep 2008
Risk governance guidelines for bioenergy policies – Policy Brief and Executive summary

The International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) is an independent foundation based in Switzerland whose purpose is to identify and propose recommendations for the governance of emerging global risks.It appears to IRGC that, in at least ...

Sep 2008
Call for an immediate moratorium on EU incentives for agrofuels, EU imports of agrofuels and EU agroenergy monocultures

The undersigned call for an immediate moratorium on EU incentives for agrofuels and agroenergy from large-scale monocultures including tree plantations and a moratorium on EU imports of such agrofuels. This includes the immediate suspension of ...

Sep 2008
Criteria for a sustainable use of bioenergy on a global scale

The German Biokraftstoffquotengesetz, the EU Biofuel Directive and other policy making initiatives lead to promote the production and use of bioenergy, liquid biofuel for transportation in particular. Such an increase requires a reliable verification on ...

Aug 2008
Rising energy prices and the economics of water in agriculture

Rising energy prices will alter water allocation and distribution. Water extraction and conveyance will become more costly and the demand for hydroelectric power will grow. The higher cost of energy will substantially increase the cost ...

Aug 2008
Economic assessment of biofuel support policies

Government support of biofuel production in OECD countries is costly, has a limited impact on reducing greenhouse gases and improving energy security, and has a significant impact on world crop prices, according to a new ...

Jul 2008
Bioenergy and global food situation until 2020/2050

A number of coincidental global driving forces are converging to bring issues of climate change, long-run environmental sustainability of economic growth, and global food security and wellbeing to the forefront of policy thought and political ...

Jul 2008
Biomass, hot issue - Smart choices in difficult times

The use of biobased raw materials for energy and material has been brought into discredit in the past years. The use of bioenergy is repeatedly held responsible for the recent food crisis and for the ...

Jul 2008
The Gallagher review of the indirect effects of biofuels production

UK support for biofuels is based on the premise that biofuels deliver considerable net reductions in GHG emissions compared to fossil fuels. As a secondary benefit, it was hoped a growing biofuels market would create ...

Jul 2008
Review of indirect effects of biofuels - Evaluation of the drivers of land use change - Review of future demand and supply of biofuels to 2020 and their impact on GHG-emissions

A core aim of this study was to examine the indirect effects of biofuels policy, particularly UK and EU policies.The work is divided into a series of separate but connected studies. These studies examined various ...

Jun 2008
Another inconvenient truth - How biofuel policies are deepening poverty and accelerating climate change

The proponents of biofuels argue that they have the solution, or at least a part of it. Ethanol and biodiesel will allow us to continue our love affair with the internal combustion engine, while simultaneously ...

Jun 2008
Approaches and initiatives concerning sustainability criteria for bioenergy – Draft version

At its third meeting the GBEP Technical Working Group (TWG) decided to establish a GBEP Task Force to work towards the development of a voluntary international sustainability framework of principles for bioenergy. The result of ...

Jun 2008
GHG performance jatropha biodiesel

Under the RTFO and EC-proposal, obligated parties can use conservative default values as well as real values for the GHG-performance. Defaults are set conservative to stimulate parties to report actual data on their GHG-performance. Defaults ...

Jun 2008
The global potential of bioenergy on abandoned agricultural lands

Converting forest lands into bioenergy agriculture could accelerate climate change by emitting carbon stored in forests, while converting food agriculture lands into bioenergy agriculture could threaten food security. Both problems are potentially avoided by using ...

Jun 2008
Report from the project: sustainable production of bioenergy from agriculture and forestry in central/eastern Nordic countries

One of the priorities of the Swedish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers 2008 is climate.The project was carried out during December 2007 – June 2008. One aim of the project was to contribute ...

Jun 2008
Key elements of a global deal on climate change

The balance of scientific evidence points clearly to the need for all countries to plan credible emissions reduction policies now, if mankind is to avoid substantial risks to future generations. The impact of global warming ...

Jun 2008
Impact of climate change and bioenergy on nutrition

This paper, prepared for the High Level Conference on World Food Security: The Challenge of Climate Change and Bioenergy (Rome, 3-5 June 2008), explores the implications of climate change and rising bioenergy demand for nutrition. ...

Jun 2008
Review of EU's impact assessment of 10% biofuels on land use change

This report highlights that it can not be concluded based on the Impact Assessments underlying the 10% target that a 10% biofuel target will not cause significant negative consequences resulting from land use change.Furthermore the ...

Jun 2008
Bioenergy and regional development in the Nordic Countries

The aim of the study is to provide a preliminary overview of the potential for the sustainable production of biomass and bioenergy, and an analysis of their possible regional impacts in the Nordic countries.Which Nordic ...

Jun 2008
Biofuels, neither saviour nor scam - The case for a selective strategy

In the broader scope of global biomass utilization, liquid biofuels for transportation are but a tiny fraction of the whole. The majority of organic matter (or biomass) is used for animal feed, food, consumer goods, ...

Jun 2008
Bioenergy and rural development in developing countries: a review of existing studies

Four broad types of studies on rural development and bioenergy technologies are identified. Within these four types, a number of existing studies are identified in this review in the context of developing a research focus ...

Jun 2008
Land use requirements of different EU biofuel scenarios in 2020

This study analysis the amount of land required to produce 10% biofuels for the EU in 2020. The study has been undertaken as part of a larger review commissioned by the UK government on the ...

Jun 2008
Rising food prices: cause for concern

The current spike in food prices needs prompt reaction through various forms of social protection to avert poverty and hunger. Prices are soon likely to fall somewhat, but not to their previous levels. Higher prices ...

Jun 2008
Anticipated and potential improvements in land productivity and increased agricultural inputs with intensification

This study addresses past and feasible future improvements in land productivity world-wide to 2020. It considers the main commodity crops and those yielding biofuel feedstocks. It also considers available information and views on maximum crop ...

May 2008
Biofuel impacts on climate change, the environment and food - Report to the Renewable Fuels Agency

The belief that biofuels can mitigate climate change has driven governments around the world to promote the production of ethanol and biodiesel through policies that guarantee markets and offer incentives to producers and consumers. The ...

May 2008
Agrofuels between sustainability and development - Definitions, analysis and protagonists from the point of view of science and research

Recent press coverage has repeatedly pointed out the fact that world wide oil reserves are facing their inevitable decline. The “World Energy Outlook (WEO) 2007” report published by the International Energy Agency made waves with ...

May 2008
The real cost of agrofuels: impacts on food, forests, peoples and the climate

Agrofuels, which rely on large-scale industrial monocultures, are a cause of global warming, not part of a solution. Promoted as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they are in fact resulting in greater emissions ...

May 2008
Impact of Rising Food Prices - EU 27

Rising food and commodity prices have been the subject of heated political debate among the governing bodies of the European Union (EU). Since 1963, the EU Common Agricultural Policy has been the foundation of the ...

May 2008
The economics of ecosystems & biodiversity – An interim report

Biological diversity represents the natural wealth of the Earth, and provides the basis for life and prosperity for the whole of mankind. However, biodiversity is currently vanishing at an alarming rate, all over the world. ...

May 2008
Bioenergy and agro-biotechnology

Global population is expected to increase from 6.1 billion in 2000 to 7.6 billion in 2020, reaching 9.1 billion in 2050. With this growth in human population, there will be greater pressure on agricultural production, ...

May 2008
Biofuels research in the CGIAR - A perspective from the Science Council

Government policies, motivated by concerns about energy security, high oil prices, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and various vested interests, are driving the latest expansion in the global biofuels industry. This is most evident in Brazil, ...

May 2008
Biofuels in Africa - An assessment of risks and benefits for African wetlands

Wetlands are areas on which water covers the soil or where water is present at or near the surface of that soil.Wetlands are a vital link in the African water cycle. They are a source ...

May 2008
Climate change, bioenergy and land tenure

This document is based on a study carried out for FAO by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED, London) in collaboration with the Natural Resources Institute (University of Greenwich).Despite the wide publicity given ...

May 2008
Fuelling exclusion? The biofuels boom and poor people’s access to land

This study aims to open up discussion of the way in which biofuels are likely to impact on access to land. Many observers and activists have raised concerns that the spread of biofuels may result ...

May 2008
Accelerating clean energy technology research, development, and deployment - Lessons from non-energy sectors

Climate change is receiving considerable and increasing attention worldwide as one of the key challenges for the century ahead. In 2007 several reports have been published that confirm and strengthen the evidence that climate change ...

May 2008
Mozambique biofuels assessment

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the potential for biofuels production in Mozambique and assesses the potential competitiveness of biofuels production in comparison to the cost of imported petroleum-based transportation fuels in the domestic ...

May 2008
Biofuels and sustainable development

Guiding biofuel development to realize its multiple potential benefits while guarding against its multiple risks requires the application of a similarly diverse set of tailored policy interventions, together with integrated efforts to assure that those ...

May 2008
The Conservation, Policy, Education and Science Committee’s (COPESCO) position on the use of agrofuels in Africa

The purpose of this position paper is to explore the means of sustaining both humans and wildlife while producing agrofuels as an alternative energy source in sub-Saharan Africa. Production of agrofuels must be approached in ...

May 2008
Biofuels run the risk of becoming invasive species

Many countries are currently looking at growing high-yielding crops for the production of biofuels as alternatives to traditional fuels (petrol and diesel) to address imminent energy shortages and reduce impacts of climate change. This usually ...

May 2008
Gender and equity issues in liquid biofuels production - Minimizing the risks to maximize the opportunities

The contribution of developing countries to global biofuels production has the potential to grow considerably in the future, giving rise to significant environmental impacts and leading to major socio-economic transformations. At the present time, much ...

Apr 2008
Background report to the OECD Environmental Outlook to 2030 - Overviews, details, and methodology of model-based analysis

This background report provides overviews of the forward-looking analyses carried out for the OECD Environmental Outlook to 2030 (OECD, 2008). The first of these overviews gives the results of three comprehensive policy packages that were ...

Apr 2008
Agrofuels in India, private unlimited

GRAIN is an international non-profit organisation which promotes the sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on people’s control over genetic resources and local knowledge.This document is an extract on Indian agrofuels.Responding enthusiastically to ...

Apr 2008
Rising food prices: a global crisis

Soaring food prices pose problems for three groups. First, the poor whose ability to buy food is undermined. Second, governments of low-income countries facing higher import bills, soaring costs for safety net programmes and political ...

Apr 2008
Oil palm – Position paper

Oil palm plantations have often imposed environmental and social costs due to indiscriminate forest clearing, habitat loss of threatened and endangered species, uncontrolled burning with related haze, and disregard for the rights and interests of ...

Apr 2008
Review of international assessments for the Canadian International Initiative on Agri-environmental Issues

This IISD report is an interpretive analysis of the findings of the three aforementioned assessments. It summarizes the results of each assessment (in the Annex) using agriculture as its reviewing lens and identifies and analyzes ...

Apr 2008
The sustainability of ethanol production from sugarcane

The rapid expansion of ethanol production from sugarcane in Brazil has raised a number of questions regarding its negative consequences and sustainability. Positive impacts are the elimination of lead compounds from gasoline and the reduction ...

Apr 2008
Harvesting harm: agrofuels as a false solution to climate change and poverty - Policy brief on the Inter-American Development Bank Agrofuels Strategy

Agrofuels have been proposed as a solution to global climate change and a potential development opportunity for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is now actively pursuing agrofuels as a clean ...

Apr 2008
A cool approach to biofuels

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is the UK charity working to secure a healthy environment for birds and all wildlife, helping to create a better world for everyone.This RSPB report calls ...

Apr 2008
Biofuels - Topping up the fuel mix – Project Report - 16 projects funded by the Intelligent Energy-Europe programme

Biofuels projects co-funded by the Intelligent Energy-Europe programme (IEE) aim to stimulate action at all levels, throughout the supply chain, across the European Union. The overall aim is to increase the production and use of ...

Apr 2008
Global monitoring report 2008: MDGs and the environment – Agenda for inclusive and sustainable development

This joint report prepared by the World Bank and IMF contains two main parts: monitoring the MDGs and a special focus on climate change.The upward pressure on food prices reflects the increasing use of corn ...

Apr 2008
Biofuel and global biodiversity

The current situation in agricultural commodity markets is unique; rarely in recent decades has the agricultural industry experienced sustained high prices for commodities.This creates a new set of environmental concerns, makes industrial agricultural production economically ...

Apr 2008
Sustainability as a smokescreen - The inadequacy of certifying fuels and feeds

This report provides an overview and assessment of existing or proposed schemes used to manage the risks for agrofuel production in Mercosur countries. In order to do this the report answers the following questions:1. What ...

Apr 2008
Climate change, forest conservation and indigenous people’s rights

According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), eighty per cent of the world’s biodiversity is found in rainforests. Most of these rainforests are the traditional land and territories of Indigenous Peoples, which they either ...

Apr 2008
Land use, bioenergy and agro-biotechnology

In this paper, the WBGU has posed five main framing questions to deal with genetically modified (GM) bioenergy crops:1) To what extent could biotechnology influence global sustainable plant production?;2) To what extent could biotechnology decrease ...

Mar 2008
A sustainable biofuels consensus

In the Rockefeller Foundation Study and Conference Center in Bellagio, Italy, a group of women and men, based in 12 different countries and heavily involved, from different perspectives, with biofuels met during 24-28 March 2008. ...

Mar 2008
The ecological and social tragedy of crop-based biofuel production in the Americas

Biofuels have been promoted as a promising alternative to petroleum. Industry, government and scientific proponents of biofuels claim that they will serve as an alternative to peaking oil, mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas ...

Mar 2008
Biofuels in the European context: facts and uncertainties

Together with other stakeholders, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) has been studying aspects relevant to biofuels in different contexts for a number of years. In order to provide an up-to-date analysis of policy issues and ...

Mar 2008
Accounting for indirect land-use changes in GHG balances of biofuels - Review of current approaches (working paper)

Increased demand for biofuels is expected to produce changes in the present land-use configuration. Furthermore there is a growing concern about the effect of land-use change on biodiversity, food supply, soil and water quality.Biofuels production ...

Mar 2008
Water footprint of bioenergy and other primary energy carriers

This report assesses the water footprint (WF) of bioenergy and other primary energy carriers. It focuses on primary energy carriers and expresses the WF as the amount of water consumed to produce a unit of ...

Mar 2008
Development policy stance on agrofuels – Discussion paper

This document contains a discussion paper of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development on the issue of international development of policy on agrofuels.Over the past few years, agrofuels have increasingly been used ...

Mar 2008
Agrofuels and land distribution: towards a rights based approach to food security

The publicity surrounding the topic of agrofuels has increased rapidly over the last few years. In part, this stems from the fact that the subject is embedded in a broad range of policy areas including ...

Mar 2008
The use of environmental life-cycle analysis for evaluating biofuels

Life-cycle analysis (LCA), the methodology used to assess the impact of producing biofuels on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), may lead to flawed policy implications as it assumes that coefficients could be fixed rather than functions ...

Mar 2008
Generating carbon finance through avoided deforestation and its potential to create climatic, conservation and human development benefits

This paper evaluates the potential of reducing emissions from deforestation (RED) to generate funds through international carbon markets and discusses four key issues that are currently debated by scientists and policy makers.In addition, to what ...

Feb 2008
Sustainability criteria and certification systems for biomass - Final report

The sustainability of biomass for energy and transport fuels has a warm attention in all strata of stakeholders and policy makers. The European Parliament, national initiatives, international working groups and a number of NGO advocate ...

Feb 2008
GHG methodology - Extracted from the annex to the impact assessment for the climate and energy package

This document, extracted from the annex to the impact assessment for the climate and energy package, contains an assessment of methods for calculating estimated greenhouse gas emissions from transport fuels.The Annex sets out the recommended ...

Feb 2008
Empty land? - The social and environmental impact of the Holterberg plantations

According to the authors, the idea to write a paper on the social and environmental impact of the Holterberg plantations, an old monoculture tree plantation in the Netherlands, surged at a strategy meeting organized by ...

Feb 2008
German Biomass Sustainability Ordinance - Commentary paper

In this document, the concept of life cycle analysis as a method of ecological assessment will be explained in detail in chapter 2 in order to introduce the proper discussion of the draft with regard ...

Feb 2008
Making certification work for sustainable development: the case of biofuels

Biofuels, fuels derived from biomass, are among the bioenergy alternatives which are being considered and are currently viewed, if carefully developed, as one of the means of slowing down the process of global warming and ...

Feb 2008
Biofuel expansion: challenges, risks and opportunities for rural poor people

On 2 January 2008, the cost of crude oil crossed US$100 a barrel for the first time, raising global concerns. Continuing near-record oil prices, fears of unaffordable and rapidly depleting sources of fossil fuel and ...

Feb 2008
Sustainability criteria and certification systems for biomass production – Final report

The purpose of this study is to carry out an in-depth analysis of existing biomass production sustainability criteria and certification systems that have been developed and/or proposed by various organizations at European and International level ...

Feb 2008
Life cycle assessment of biomass-to-liquid fuels

This study elaborates a life cycle assessment of using of BTL-fuels (biomass-to-liquid). This type of fuel is produced in synthesis process from e.g. wood, straw or other biomass. The life cycle inventory data of the ...

Feb 2008
How good enough biofuel governance can help rural livelihoods: making sure that biofuel development works for small farmers and communities

The implementation of biofuel schemes can be compared to battles given the diversity and uncertainties of landscape conditions, and of the various and often diverging interests at play. In such contexts, power plays an important ...

Feb 2008
Where will biofuels and biomass feedstocks come from?

When it comes to biofuels we have a few choices and options – we can do it poorly, with short-run approaches with no potential to scale, poor trajectory, and adverse environmental impact, or we can ...

Feb 2008
Local and global consequences of the EU renewable directive for biofuels

On the 23 January 2008, the European Commission released its climate and energy policy package, including European targets for greenhouse gas reductions and shares of renewables for all EU Member States in 2020 (EC, 2008a). ...

Feb 2008
Biofuels, climate change and industrial development: can the tropical South build 2000 biorefineries in the next decade?

This perspective article is concerned with the potential of first-generation biofuels grown and processed in countries of the South to reduce their dependence on oil, to kickstart their industrial development, and at the same time ...

Jan 2008
Opinion: is growing biofuel crops a crime against humanity?

Is there a case to be made against biofuels, and are they really going to lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in Africa who will be forced to starve while their ...

Jan 2008
Cool farming: climate impacts of agriculture and mitigation potential

Agricultural practices have changed dramatically since the time of hunters and gatherers, which initially were related to land use change and changes in management practices like irrigation and tillage. Several historical greenhouse gas (GHG) anomalies ...

Jan 2008
Water implications of biofuels production in the United States

Among the possible challenges to biofuel development that may not have received appropriate attention are its effects on water and related land resources. The central questions are how water use and water quality are expected ...

Jan 2008
Biomass assessment - Assessment of global biomass potentials and their links to food, water, biodiversity, energy demand and economy

This report was commissioned by the Programme Scientific Assessment and Policy Analysis Climate Change (WAB). The report was internally reviewed by the members of the Steering Committee of the Programme Scientific Assessment and Policy Analysis.This ...

Jan 2008
Biofuels and implications for agricultural water use: blue impacts of green energy

Rising energy prices, geopolitics and concerns over the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change are increasing the demand for biofuel production. At present biofuel production is estimated at 35 billion litres, accounting only ...

Jan 2008
The global potential of bioenergy on abandoned agriculture lands

Agricultural land dedicated to bioenergy crops is expanding rapidly (1), with multiple consequences for global climate, ecosystems, and food security. These consequences are closely tied to the land that is used for bioenergy crops. Using ...

Jan 2008
Climate change - Induced water stress and its impact on natural and managed ecosystems

Climate change will affect water availability differently in Europe – likely a large decrease in Southern Europe, while an increase in the North. However, the largest increases will be felt where very few people actually ...

Jan 2008
Sustainable biofuels: prospects and challenges

There are three main drivers, at the national, regional and global levels, for the development of bioenergy and biofuels. These are: climate change, energy security and rural development. The political motivation to support biofuels arises ...

Jan 2008
Carbon and sustainability reporting within the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation - Summary

This document contains a summary of the recent Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) of the UK Government.The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation is one of the Government’s main policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from road ...

Jan 2008
It ain’t easy being green: why biofuels may not be the answer

Given the push toward “green” technologies and the apparent environmental benefits, biofuels have gained a great deal of popularity, particularly among governments.For instance, the United States government has targeted a 20% reduction in the use ...

Jan 2008
Are biofuels sustainable? - First report of session 2007–08

The inquiry ”Are biofuels sustainable?” has been launched on 25 July 2007 with the aim that the inquiry should:• examine the role biofuels might play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving fuel security;• explore ...

Jan 2008
National policies and strategies on bioenergy in Africa - Case study: the Gambia

The Republic of The Gambia is the smallest country in West Africa. With the exception of the Atlantic Ocean, The Gambia is totally enveloped by Senegal. Fuel wood is the dominant energy resource, accounting for ...

Jan 2008
White paper on internationally compatible biofuel standards

This White Paper was drafted by an international task force consisting of experts on biofuels standards from the standardization bodies of the Tripartite Agreement amongst Brazil, the European Union and the USA. The executive summary ...

Dec 2007
Biofuels trade and sustainable development: an analysis of South African bioethanol

Decoupling economic activity from the consumption of fossil fuels is a prerequisite for sustained economic growth, if not survival. In the face of this challenge biofuels are once again being posited as a source of ...

Dec 2007
Biofuels trade and sustainable development: the case of Ecuador’s palm oil biodiesel

The debate on the advantages and disadvantages of biofuels production began by questioning the conditions in which biofuels were being produced in some countries.Its effects on the environment and on worker rights, its economic impacts, ...

Dec 2007
Charcoal: the reality. A study of charcoal consumption, trade and production in Malawi

Natural resource management experts, government and its development partners have debated the charcoal trade for some time, but until now, there has been little solid evidence on the scale and scope of the subject. Lacking ...

Dec 2007
Biofuels trade and sustainable development: the case of Costa Rica

The significant rise in oil prices and uncertainty about the future behaviour of this product has given viability to alternative sources of energy which were not profitable in the past or did not have the ...

Dec 2007
Forecasting indirect land use effects of transportation projects

One purpose of this report is to better inform current practice with useful research findings. Another is to guide practitioners about what approach to use when current guidebooks provide insufficient direction. The most appropriate choice ...

Dec 2007
Estimating the environmentally compatible bioenergy potential from agriculture

In 2005/2006 the European Environment Agency carried out a modelling exercise to estimate the bioenergy potential in the agriculture, forest and waste sectors that could be considered 'environmentally compatible' (EEA, 2006b).  It supplements the technical ...

Dec 2007
Fueling disaster - A community food security perspective on agrofuels

Faced with dwindling fuel reserves and the intensifying impacts of climate change, the interdependency of our food and energy systems is more apparent than ever.This report addresses the agrofuels debate from a fresh perspective: that ...

Dec 2007
Biofuels trade and sustainable development: the case of Pakistan

The preamble provides both a backdrop and a context for this study. Essentially a scoping exercise, the objectives of this study are to:a) assess the production potential of energy crops in Pakistan;b) evaluate the foreign ...

Dec 2007
The environmental certification of biofuels – Discussion paper

Assessing the actual environmental impacts of increased bioenergy and in particular, biofuel usage, will depend on the scale and mix of technology options employed and on the location. The fundamental factors that govern biomass productivity ...

Dec 2007
The multilateral trade and investment context for biofuels: issues and challenges

This paper looks at the multilateral trade and investment context for biofuels, particularly the agricultural crops that are being converted into liquid fuel on a commercial scale – ethanol and biodiesel. It summarizes some of ...

Nov 2007
SARD and bioenergy

This series is produced by the SARD Initiative, a multi-stakeholder framework established to support the transition to people-centred sustainable agriculture and rural development. It is led by civil society, supported by governments and inter-governmental agencies ...

Nov 2007
The biofuels controversy

The coming of age of biofuels is happening against the background of growing awareness of the urgent need for changing the present unsustainable pattern of energy use, characterized by a profligate (mis)use of abundant and ...

Nov 2007
Sustainable biodiesel feedstock. Jatropha: a strategic option

This position paper by KnowGenix, in line with JatrophaWorld 2008, discusses the sustainability of non-food crops such as Jatropha against the backdrop of current biofuel policies and initiatives in developing regions. It looks at the ...

Nov 2007
Energy and fuelwood

Woody biomass is widely utilised as feedstock for heat, electricity and cogeneration plants. In future it could also be sought by developers of biofuel processing plants, biorefineries and hydrogen production plants, but will compete with ...

Nov 2007
The Swan labelling of fuel - Background document on the ecolabelling of fuel

This document provides background for the requirements proposed by Nordic Ecolabelling in its Consultation Document.The document discusses Nordic Ecolabelling’s motives in developing criteria for the ecolabelling of fuels. It also provides a general introduction to ...

Nov 2007
Swan labelling of fuel

In a life cycle perspective, a Swan-labelled fuel generates lower emissions of greenhouse gases. Moreover, compared with conventional fossil fuels, a Swan-labelled fuel does not cause to an increased risk of cancer or increased energy ...

Nov 2007
Biofuel feedstocks: the risk of future invasions

In an effort to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, expand domestic energy production, and maintain economic growth, public and private investments are being used to pursue dedicated feedstock crops for biofuel production. Unlike food crops grown ...

Nov 2007
A review of the current state of bioenergy development in G8 +5 Countries

This report is part of the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP)’s ongoing efforts to monitor the status of bioenergy development in member countries and create a basis for future discussion of sustainability criteria and possible guidelines ...

Nov 2007
Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - Technical summary

The main aim of this report is to assess options for mitigating climate change. Several aspects link climate change with development issues. This report explores these links in detail, and illustrates where climate change and ...

Nov 2007
Are biofuels renewable energy sources?

The objective of this study is to discuss biofuels renewability in a quantitative point of view. A comprehensive review of the energy balance literature and emergy assessment of biofuels production were carried out at the ...

Oct 2007
Water implications of biofuels production in the United States

National interests in greater energy independence, concurrent with favorable market forces, have driven increased production of corn-based ethanol in the United States and research into the next generation of biofuels. The trend is changing the ...

Oct 2007
Biomass, food & sustainability: is there a dilemma?

In January 2007, thousands of demonstrators marched through Mexico City in protest at a rise in the price of the maize flour used for tortillas. Many believed the higher price was caused by American demand ...

Oct 2007
Indicators of sustainable development: guidelines and methodologies

Indicators perform many functions. They can lead to better decisions and more effective actions by simplifying, clarifying and making aggregated information available to policy makers. They can help incorporate physical and social science knowledge into ...

Oct 2007
Biofuels: is the cure worse than the disease?

This document was prepared at the initiative of the Chair of the Round Table on Sustainable Development at the OECDBiofuels have been championed as an energy source that can increase security of supply, reduce vehicle ...

Sep 2007
Paving the way for agrofuels - EU policy, sustainability criteria and climate calculations

Agrofuels and other types and uses of bio-energy need strong public support (including targets, subsidies and tax breaks) in order to gain market share. These incentives are being justified on the grounds that agrofuels bring ...

Sep 2007
Considering trade policies for liquid biofuels

Bioenergy is playing an increasingly important role as an alternative and renewable source of energy. Bioenergy includes solid biomass, biogas, and liquid biofuels. Combustion of biomass residues for heat and power generation is commercially viable ...

Sep 2007
Recent trends in the law and policy of bioenergy production, promotion and use

This paper aims to stimulate discussion on the elements of appropriate national legal frameworks for bioenergy, particularly in developing countries. It provides legislators and policy-makers with a tool to assist in identifying areas of law ...

Sep 2007
Global scenarios for biofuels: impacts and implications

Given the number and high level of uncertainties regarding future biofuel supply, demand, and technologies, the paper examines three alternative scenarios: a conventional scenario, which focuses on rapid global growth in biofuel production under conventional ...

Sep 2007
Bioenergy and the sustainability transition: from local resource to global commodity

The looming threat of climate change and the invaluable role of energy in development have complicated the global transition to sustainable energy while also increasing the urgency of the transition. Bioenergy has a key role ...

Aug 2007
Conserving and preserving: soil management and tillage

Crops cannot be produced without disturbing the soil in some way. Tillage is the farmer’s way of preparing the ground for planting by breaking up and smoothing the soil. Tillage also helps control weeds and ...

Aug 2007
Wood-energy supply/demand scenarios in the context of poverty mapping - A WISDOM case study in the Southeast Asia for the years 2000 and 2015

Current (2000) and projected (2015) woodfuel consumption patterns and supply potentials in continental Southeast Asia are analysed and mapped applying the Woodfuel Integrated Supply/Demand Overview Mapping (WISDOM) methodology. The author explains that the scope of ...

Aug 2007
Forecasting the magnitude of sustainable biofeedstock supplies: the challenges and the rewards

Forecasting the magnitude of sustainable biofeedstock supplies is challenging because of 1) myriad potential feedstock types and their management; 2) the need to account for the spatial variation of both the supplies and their environmental ...

Aug 2007
Biofuels development in Africa: illusion or sustainable alternative?

This brochure was written by ENDA-TM to analyse the international dynamics and the role of Africa around biofuels development. The international energy community has recently seen an increased interest in biofuels. These alternative energies are ...

Jul 2007
UNCTAD BioTrade Initiative - BioTrade principles and criteria

The objective of the UNCTAD BioTrade Initiative (BTI) is to contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity through the promotion of trade and investment in BioTrade products and services in line with the ...

Jul 2007
The new scramble for Africa

Africa, with its large land area and cheap labour, is an obvious target for agrofuel developers. As one European agrofuel lobby group likes to point out, just 15 African countries – nicknamed the “green Opec” ...

Jul 2007
Biodiversity, rights and livelihood – Agrofuels special issue

In this article, a closer look is taken at the way corporations are using the stampede into agrofuels to extend their takeover of world farming. An unparalleled process of mergers, takeovers and alliances is tightening ...

Jul 2007
Agrofuels in Africa: the impacts on land, food and forests - Case Studies from Benin, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia

Africa is at a crossroads of trying to reconcile the conservation of its vast cultural and natural heritage with the many and increasing needs of a growing population. Powerful external forces continue to divert the ...

Jul 2007
Successful energy policy interventions in Africa

Although the performance of the energy sector in Africa as a whole is perceived as being below expectations, a number of successful policy interventions have been implemented in the region. Notable successful policy interventions include:• ...

Jul 2007
The environmental certification of biofuels

Bioenergy, including biofuels, could become a substantial tool for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, locally and globally, possibly providing a large fraction of global primary energy supply by 2020. Exactly how large that share will be ...

Jul 2007
The rush to ethanol: not all biofuels are created equal - Analysis and recommendations for U.S. biofuels policy

Corn-based ethanol has emerged as a leading contender to reduce dependence on fossil fuel–based gasoline. At first glance, corn-based ethanol seems simple, even patriotic: take the sugar from corn that U.S. farmers grow, and ferment ...

Jul 2007
The social impacts of certified timber plantations in South Africa and the implications thereof for agrofuel crops

South Africa’s land, water and environmental resources are undervalued in comparison to those in consumer countries, and the purchase or consumptive use of South African resources therefore makes for very profitable dealings for multinational corporations. ...

Jun 2007
Environmentally-sound rural economic growth: policy implications and options for bioenergy and sustainable agriculture development

There is growing concern that environmental degradation in the Asian and Pacific region is pervasive, accelerating and unabated, putting people's health and livelihoods at risk. These environmental consequences disproportionately impact the rural poor who depend ...

Jun 2007
Growth and responsibility in the world economy

Developed at Heiligendamm during the G8 Summit 2007, this document outlines the key commitments of the G8 countries on climate change, clean energy and sustainable development issues, including:G8 agenda for global growth and stability;Systemic stability ...

Jun 2007
Towards a harmonised sustainable biomass certification scheme

This paper is part of a series of sustainability papers commissioned by WWF, FSC, the Dutch and the UK Governments.The report describes the Meta-Standard approach, employed to assure the sustainability of bioenergy . The general ...

Jun 2007
Towards a sustainable biomass strategy – Discussion paper

The paper reviews the current knowledge on the use of biomass for non-food purposes, it discusses its environmental sustainability implication, and describes the needs for further research, thus enabling a more balanced policy approach. The ...

Jun 2007
Oil palm and other commercial tree plantations, monocropping: impacts on indigenous peoples’ land tenure and resource management systems and livelihoods

This paper draws on important reports by various United Nations (UN) organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as from visits of members of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to countries where large-scale ...

May 2007
Measures for the promotion of biodiesel

PREMIA (June 2004 – May 2007) is a project funded by the European Commission through the Sixth Framework Programme. PREMIA aims at supporting the European Commission’s ongoing work on alternative fuels. It provides input into ...

May 2007
Life cycle assessment of energy products: environmental assessment of biofuels – Executive summary

The objective of this study is to evaluate the environmental impact of the entire production chain of fuels made from biomass used in Switzerland. Firstly the study supplies an analysis of the possible environmental impacts ...

May 2007
REEEP looks at complexity of producing biofuels in South Africa

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), one of the leading non-profit organizations promoting clean energy in the developing world, is studying the potential and problems associated with biofuels in South Africa. Simon Wilson ...

May 2007
Liquid biofuels in transport: conclusions and recommendations of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) to the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

As a result of renewed and growing interest in biofuels as a renewable energy source to substitute petroleum-derived products in the transport sector, the GEF received a number of project proposals to support biofuels in ...

May 2007
UK biomass strategy

This strategy brings together current government policies on biomass for industry, energy and transport and provides a framework for the development of biomass as a whole. It recognises that the EU and wider international policies ...

May 2007
Environmental benefits and consequences of biofuels development in the United States

This brief was written in the context of the January 2007 State-of-the-Union address delivered by former American President Bush, in which the Bush Administration proposed expanding biofuel development and production to reduce gasoline use by ...

May 2007
From meals to wheels: the social & ecological catastrophe of agrofuels

With concerns over energy security and global warming mounting, governments and industries have begun a headlong plunge towards the development of alternative energy sources including the use of plant biomass to make ethanol (from sugar ...

May 2007
Sustainability reporting within the RTFO: framework report

This paper has been produced by Ecofys for and in consultation with the Department for Transport. It has undergone a peer review process involving a project Advisory Group and other stakeholders. It sets out the ...

May 2007
New and emerging issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity - Biodiversity and liquid biofuel production

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) is mandated to identify new and emerging issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. In a meeting held by teleconference on 22 ...

Apr 2007
Sustainable bioenergy: a framework for decision makers

This paper on sustainable bioenergy was drafted collectively by UN-Energy members , which include all of the United Nations agencies, programmes, and organizations working in the area of energy, reflecting their insights and expertise.The paper ...

Apr 2007
Biofuel production and the threat to South Africa's food security

Biofuels production is increasing inexorably all over the world, driven by the rise in oil prices and the threat of climate change. This in turn is pushing up the price of food, especially of those ...

Apr 2007
Biofuel issues in the new legislation on the promotion of renewable energy

The European Commission takes into account the views of stakeholders as expressed in 2006 consultation exercises on heating and cooling and biofuels and the recent consultation exercise on administrative obstacles to the increased use of ...

Apr 2007
Greenhouse gas impacts of expanded renewable and alternative fuels use

The increased use of renewable and alternative fuels can result in significant reductions in the use of petroleum-based fuels. By displacing petroleum fuels, many, although not all, of these fuels can provide reductions in greenhouse ...

Apr 2007
Biomass energy transition in rural China: policy options and co-benefits

It has been widely accepted that providing adequate, clean and affordable energy to rural residents is essential for eradicating poverty, improving human welfare, and raising living standards worldwide. Sustainable energy in rural development, with wide ...

Mar 2007
Pro-poor biofuels outlook for Asia and Africa: ICRISAT’s perspective – A working paper

The topic of biofuels has drawn increased interest worldwide in the wake of steeply-climbing fossil fuel prices in 2005-06. In late 2006/early 2007 prices began to subside, but are unlikely to return to their former ...

Mar 2007
Testing framework for sustainable biomass

This report describes the testing framework for sustainable biomass, as it has been worked out by the project group“Sustainable production of biomass” set up by the Dutch government. To ensure that biomass as a source ...

Mar 2007
Biofuels, agriculture and poverty reduction

Despite these concerns, alarm over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, rising oil prices and new biofuels targets in the North mean that development stakeholders are interested in the role of the agricultural sector in biofuels production.This ...

Mar 2007
Water quality and environmental dimensions in biofuel production

Human uses of freshwater resources and energy demand are increasing rapidly as the world population rises. Alternative energy using biomass feedstocks to reduce dependence on oil imports would entail conversion of millions of hectares of ...

Feb 2007
Energy indicators for sustainable development - Country studies on Brazil, Cuba, Lithuania, Mexico, Russian Federation, Slovakia and Thailand

These energy indicators were formulated in line with sustainable development goals and were designed to complement the indicators on sustainable development developed by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Work on developing indicators on ...

Feb 2007
Biomass, livelihoods and international trade - Challenges and opportunities for the EU and Southern Africa

This report is an outcome of a workshop held on 29-30 April 2005, in London, entitled, “Biomass, Sustainable Livelihoods, and International Trade: Challenges and Opportunities for the EU and southern Africa.” The workshop focused on ...

Feb 2007
Linkages between energy and water management for agriculture in developing countries

This paper summarizes and draws conclusions from papers and discussions of the International conference at ICRISAT Campus (Hyderabad, India, 29-30 January 2007) organized by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Food and Agriculture Organization ...

Jan 2007
Bioenergy: facts and figures

This document issued by the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) Secretariat illustrates “the basics” of bioenergy.GBEP is committed to promoting bioenergy for sustainable development. Bioenergy is a sustainable energy source only if its entire production chain ...

Jan 2007
Potential impacts of biofuels expansion on natural resources - A case study of the Ogallala aquifer region

Renewable fuels whose use and production result in a net decrease in greenhouse gas emissions are one of the best opportunities to address global warming. However, biofuels may not live up to their promise as ...

Jan 2007
Biofuels and their environmental performance

The development of biofuel pathways is closely associated with targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transport sector.Well-to-wheel assessments indicate that the use of automotive fuels of vegetable origin yield have ...

Jan 2007
Some insights in the effect of growing bioenergy demand on global food security and natural resources

Growing crops for biofuels is often criticized because of its direct competition for land for food production. The recent price increases on world food markets are partly a result of this competition. For instance, cereals ...

Jan 2007
International trade in biofuels: Good for development? And good for environment?

Biofuels are heating up debates and energising activities on many policy fronts. On the surface, they offer significant opportunities to pursue environment and development goals both globally and domestically. There are both synergies and trade-offs ...

Jan 2007
Good practice guidelines

Modern biomass, and the resulting useful forms of bioenergy produced from it, are anticipated by many advocates to provide a significant contribution to the global primary energy supply of many IEA member countries during the ...

Jan 2007
IDA at Work: Energy - Improving services for the poor

Energy services are vital for economic development and improvements in the standard of living for the world’s poor. Agriculture, industry, commerce and household access to energy underpin growth in productivity.This booklet describes how the International ...

Jan 2007
Opportunities and risks arising from the use of bioenergy for food security in Latin America

This document, which was prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) and the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, seeks to discuss some important aspects of the debate on the ...

Jan 2007
Biomass – A sleeping giant?

Biomass is currently attracting a great deal of interest – although the debate also has its controversial aspects. Biomass is considered to be a very promising option for several reasons: to secure raw material supplies ...

Jan 2007
Overview of recent developments in sustainable biomass certification - Draft for comments

Copernicus Institute for Sustainable DevelopmentEnvironment and Natural Resources Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsOeko-InstitutThe objective of this paper is to give a comprehensive outline of initiatives on biomass certification from different viewpoints ...

Dec 2006
Biofuels: promises and constraints

Concerns about energy supply, national security, climate change, and economic development crowd the public policy agendas of most countries around the world and dominate international dialogues. Political instability in many oil exporting countries threatens the ...

Dec 2006
Case study sugar cane ethanol from Brazil - Sustainability of ethanol from Brazil in the context of demanded biofuels imports by The Netherlands

Brazil is internationally recognized as a leader in production and efficiency in the sugar and alcohol sector, but this leadership is not as developed in the social, environmental and governing capability of the sector.Today the ...

Dec 2006
Environmental effects of bioenergy

As concerns about climate change and energy security rise, bioenergy is often proposed as a renewable energy source that can be cost-effectively scaled up to a level that would allow it to contribute significantly to ...

Dec 2006
Developing bioenergy: economic and social issues

Modern biomass energy services have the potential to make a significant contribution to a new energy paradigm. The world currently consumes about 400 EJ (exajoules) of energy per year but generates the equivalent of about ...

Dec 2006
Developing bioenergy: a win-win approach that can serve the poor and the environment

The promise of bioenergy is that it may help cope with rising energy prices, address environmental concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, and offer new income and employment to farmers and rural areas. In principle, there ...

Dec 2006
Brazil’s experience with bioenergy

Brazil is the world’s largest producer of ethanol, a biofuel used mainly in automobiles as an additive or alternative to gasoline. In the mid-1970s the country undertook a major program to produce ethanol, and since ...

Dec 2006
Bioenergy and the poor

Biomass is a primary source of energy for close to 2.4 billion people in developing countries. Easily available to many of the world’s poor, biomass provides vital and affordable energy for cooking and space heating. ...

Dec 2006
Bioenergy and agriculture: promises and challenges

This document contains an overview of main promises and challenges of bioenergy that in recent years has drawn attention as a sustainable energy source that may help cope with rising energy prices, address environmental concerns ...

Dec 2006
Guide to produce a succinct description of a Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) Good Practice

Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) is the goal of Agenda 21, Chapter 14, adopted by the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.The SARD Initiative seeks to build the capacity of poor rural ...

Dec 2006
Notes from the Sustainable Biofuels Stakeholder Meeting of November 28th

A multi-stakeholder meeting on Sustainable Biofuels was held at the EPFL in Lausanne on 28 November 2006 to investigate the potential for developing internationally accepted and implementable standards for sustainable biofuels. This document summarizes the ...

Nov 2006
Sustainable international bioenergy trade: securing supply and demand - Technology report

This document summarizes the main results and the direct input from all the Task 40 members, and addresses bioenergy trade from the current Task 40 member countries’ point of view.The aim of this technology report ...

Nov 2006
Who does the biofuel business benefit?

The biofuel business will help to position the biotechnology industry, to recycle the oil and automobile industry and to expand the profits of industries marketing biofuels. This does not imply that all that has been ...

Nov 2006
Linking trade, climate change and energy

Reversing global warming requires citizen action and corporate responsibility, public and private investment and the implementation of effective regulatory regimes. While in the past, the economy vs. environment debate has hampered progress on the environment, ...

Nov 2006
The EU strategy on biofuels: from field to fuel

This report considers whether the EU Biofuels Directive is proving effective as a means of increasing the biofuels content of road transport energy.Development of biofuels in the EU can both reduce carbon dioxide emissions and ...

Nov 2006
Fuel-cycle assessment of selected bioethanol production pathways in the United States

This work was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The report was prepared by Argonne National Laboratory to present the results of an analysis conducted, in part, ...

Nov 2006
Sustainability standards for bioenergy

This report begins in Section 1 with an introduction to key bioenergy issues, summarizing “drivers”, global potential, the key issues of sustainable biomass and standards.Section 2 gives a brief description of key potential problems and ...

Nov 2006
Achieving sustainable production of agricultural biomass for biorefinery feedstock

Demand for alternative feedstocks for fuels, chemicals and a range of commercial products has grown dramatically in the early years of the 21st century, driven by the high price of crude oil, government policy to ...

Nov 2006
Specific environmental effects of trade liberalization: sugar

This paper is the second in a series assessing the sustainability of any agricultural production increases that result from trade liberalization achieved through a conclusion to the WTO Doha Development Round of negotiations on agriculture. ...

Oct 2006
WTO disciplines and biofuels: opportunities and constraints in the creation of a global marketplace

Producing fuel from agricultural crops has already raised questions about the impacts on the supply of food and land. What has received less attention is the shift that would result in the location of feedstock ...

Oct 2006
CDM and biofuels - Can the CDM assist biofuel production and deployment?

The Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol provides an opportunity to direct financing to projects in developing countries that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The current portfolio of over 800 projects includes several different renewable ...

Oct 2006
Biomass for food or fuel: Is there a dilemma?

After centuries of daily struggle for food, it takes our breath away that today a farmer is able to single-handedly cultivate hundreds of hectares to produce sufficient food to feed thousands of families at the ...

Sep 2006
Biofuels production, trade and sustainable development: emerging issues

This paper seeks to provide a preliminary identification of the main sustainable development issues involved in the debate around production and trade in biofuels.The paper is organised as follows.Chapter 2 provides a brief description of ...

Sep 2006
Sustainability of Brazilian bioethanol

The main objectives and scope of the study are:1. Determination of Dutch sustainability demands for bio-ethanol, including stakeholder consultation in the Netherlands (NGO’s, industry).2. Assessment of the current ecological, economic and social impacts of ethanol ...

Aug 2006
Biofuels as a future source of energy for women in rural settlements in South Africa

Gender issues continue to play a vital role in the development of policy for energy. Energy poverty creates a set of social problems that impact on the home and its occupants, with differing degrees depending ...

Aug 2006
Brazil: a country profile on sustainable energy development

The primary objective of this study is to develop the first country profile in relation to sustainable energy development. It represents the first attempt of the IAEA to produce a comprehensive, systematic and forward looking ...

Aug 2006
Draft environmental standards for biofuels

Demand for biofuels derived from oilseeds and starch/sugar crops is expected to grow rapidly over the next 10-20 years as a result of a combination of high fossil fuel prices and concerted policies promoting biofuels ...

Jul 2006
Global Energy Security - St. Petersburg plan of action

Developed at St. Petersburg in 2006, this document outlines key commitments of the G8 Countries on energy security, including:Increasing transparency, predictability and stability of global energy markets;Improving the investment climate in the energy sector;Enhancing energy ...

Jul 2006
Criteria for sustainable biomass production – Final Report

The project group “Sustainable Production of Biomass” has been commissioned by the Interdepartmental Programme Management Energy Transition to formulate sustainability criteria for the production and processing of biomass for energy, fuels and chemistry. In this ...

Jul 2006
Energy and gender in rural sustainable development

FAO’s Committee on Agriculture has identified the great potential of bioenergy for supporting new rural infrastructure and employment opportunities, and has also recognized that an integrated multidisciplinary approach is needed for its new Bioenergy Programme ...

Jul 2006
The real biofuel cycles

This paper analyzes energy efficiency of the industrial corn-ethanol cycle and brackets energy efficiency of the switchgrass-cellulosic ethanol cycle. In particular, it critically reviews the Report by Farrell et al., Ethanol Can Contribute to Energy ...

Jul 2006
Environmental, economic, and energetic costs and benefits of biodiesel and ethanol biofuels

Negative environmental consequences of fossil fuels and concerns about petroleum supplies have spurred the search for renewable transportation biofuels. To be a viable alternative, a biofuel should provide a net energy gain, have environmental benefits, ...

Jul 2006
Biofuels for transportation: global potential and implications for sustainable agriculture and energy in the 21st century

The report Biofuels for Transportation: Global Potential and Implications for Sustainable Agriculture and Energy in the 21st Century, realized by the Worldwatch Institute for the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), ...

Jun 2006
Promotion and use of biofuels in the United Kingdom - UK report to European Commission under Article 4 of the Biofuels Directive

This report fulfils the UK’s obligation to the report to the European Commission by 1 July 2006 on the effectiveness of UK Government support for biofuels during the calendar year 2005, as required by Article ...

Jun 2006
Biofuels in Europe – perspectives and policy approaches

This document contains a presentation by meó Consulting Team during the International Conference on “Biofuels for Transportation – Global Potential and Implications for Sustainable Agriculture, Energy, and Security in the 21st Century” that was held ...

Jun 2006
Biofuels in the European Union - A vision for 2030 and beyond

The expected growth of the biofuels market and the development of new transformation pathways make it timely to investigate new integrated refining schemes. The co-production of fuels, heat & power and co-products in integrated biorefineries ...

May 2006
Land management planning at the forest service: opportunities for collaboration

Land management is all too often a subject of intense conflict. In a situation in which many people have strong ties to the land, a number of players will get involved in the policymaking process, ...

May 2006
Steps toward a sustainable energy future

This document represents the position paper of the Citizens United for Renewable Energy and Sustainability (CURES) Network for the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)  February 2006.In response to key challenges posed by the participants ...

May 2006
Biomass energy and bioenergy trade: historic developments in Brazil and current opportunities

Brazil has tradition and a significant potential on biomass production. The historical importance of biomass energy in Brazil is due to a set of factors, including (i) the size of the country and the availability ...

Apr 2006
Integration of environment into EU agriculture policy — The IRENA indicator-based assessment report

This report aims to provide a fair reflection of the progress, the achievements and obstacles in the integration of environmental concerns into EU agriculture policy, based on indicators developed in the IRENA operation. It also ...

Mar 2006
An EU strategy for biofuels

In the EU, transport is responsible for an estimated 21% of all greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to global warming, and the percentage is rising. In order to meet sustainability goals, in particular the ...

Feb 2006
Biofuel and biotech: a sustainable energy solution

Just 150 years ago, 90 percent of U.S. energy was supplied by renewable sources. Today, renewables constitute a mere six percent of energy consumption in a U.S. economy that is heavily dependent on a finite ...

Feb 2006
Agricultural market impacts of future growth in the production of biofuels

The main objective of this study is to determine what impact future biofuel developments can have on agricultural commodity markets through a quantitative assessment of several scenarios based on the use of an agricultural trade ...

Feb 2006
Brazilian agroenergy plan 2006-2011

The position of the federal government as regards the future supply of energy from renewable sources has gone beyond a merely public administration issue and has become a State matter because of its comprehensiveness and ...

Jan 2006
The emerging biofuels market: regulatory, trade and development implications

The era of "easy" energy is over. Governments, intergovernmental organizations, corporations, NGOs and even individuals are asking themselves a number of questions that are crucial for the sustainable development prospects of all countries. How do ...

Jan 2006
Potential challenges and risks of bioenergy production for developing countries

Following pioneer Brazil, the world is seeing a dazzling growth in bioenergy production derived from plants and other biomass. China has an ambitious programme of its own and several African countries have set their sights ...

Jan 2006
Towards better practice in smallholder palm oil production

Smallholder oil palm production has the potential to secure mutually beneficial outcomes for large and small producers and processors, enhance social and environmental sustainability at the landscape scale, ease land disputes between smallholders and large ...

Jan 2006
Towards a Southern African NGO position on biofuels (brochure)

Southern Africa is a region of great poverty interspersed with pockets of wealth. The South African economy is one of those pockets but contained within the nation are millions of people living without access to ...

Jan 2006
Potential for biofuels for transport in developing countries

This report is by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP), a joint programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank, to help developing countries assess the potential of biofuels in ...

Oct 2005
WISDOM – East Africa. Woodfuel Integrated Supply/Demand Overview Mapping (WISDOM) Methodology. Spatial woodfuel production and consumption analysis of selected African countries

In this article the author analyses wood energy and the poverty situation in ten countries of East and Central Africa: Rwanda, Kenya, Egypt, Burundi, DR Congo, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The study intends ...

Aug 2005
Biodiesel initiatives in Germany

Regarding the production and usage of biodiesel in Germany the ifeu – Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg was charged by VITO, Belgium, to create a survey, within the European project PREMIA 2005 is ...

May 2005
Revised ITTO criteria and indicators for the sustainable management of tropical forests

The purpose of the ITTO C&I is to provide member countries with a tool for monitoring, assessing and reporting changes and trends in forest conditions and management systems at the national and FMU levels. By ...

May 2005
Advancing bioenergy for sustainable development - Guideline for policymakers and investors (Joint UNDP/World Bank)

This report is part of Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP)’s work programme on the development of renewable energy resources.It provides a broad review of the issues that a policymaker or project developer may face ...

Apr 2005
Energy indicators for sustainable development: guidelines and methodologies

This publication is the product of an international initiative to define a set of Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development (EISD) and corresponding methodologies and guidelines. The successful completion of this work is the result of ...

Mar 2005
Criteria for assessing environmental, economic, and social aspects of biofuels in developing countries

Preliminary work on the potential of energy crops in developing countries (DCs) indicates an order of magnitude similar to the total transport fuel use of the EU-25 and the USA.If and to what extent this ...

Feb 2005
Gleneagles plan of action - climate change, clean energy and sustainable development

Developed at Gleneagles 2005, this document outlines key commitments of the G8 countries on climate change, clean energy and sustainable development issues, including: Transforming the way we use energy;Powering a cleaner future;Promoting research and development;Financing the ...

Jan 2005
BIOMITRE Technical Manual

The BIOMITRE software tool has been developed through an accompanying measure, referred to as "BIOmass-based Climate Change MITigation through Renewable Energy" or the BIOMITRE Project. The project was designed to allow production of a software ...

Nov 2004
Policy initiative schemes and benefits of biofuel promotion in Germany - Current status of legislation and production

This presentation was delivered by Mr. Bockey on the occasion of the “Conference on biofuels. Challenges for Asian future”, that took place in the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, on 30 and 31 August ...

Aug 2004
The clean development mechanism (CDM) an international perspective and implications for the LAC region

This paper addresses an analysis of international CDM experiences and its potential contribution to the LAC region.The Paper begins with a section describing the CDM and the rules governing its use. This is followed by ...

Aug 2004
Reducing rural poverty through increased access to energy services - A review of the multifunctional platform project in Mali

The relationship between energy services and development outcomes is complex and influenced by many factors: social, economic, and environmental conditions and capacity at individual, institutional, local, and national levels. An improved understanding about the factors ...

Apr 2004
Biofuel for transport

While biofuels production costs are fairly easy to measure, the benefits are difficult to quantify. But this does not necessarily mean that the benefits are not substantial. Increasing the use of biofuels can improve energy ...

Apr 2004
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol - A corporate accounting and reporting standard

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative is a multi-stakeholder partnership of businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments, and others convened by the World Resources Institute (WRI), a U.S.-based environmental NGO, and the World Business Council for Sustainable ...

Mar 2004
Ecologically optimized extension of renewable energy utilization in Germany

The targeted climate protection objectives require that in the long term, renewables should become the principal source of energy supply with a share of about 50 percent by around the middle of the 21st century. ...

Jan 2004
Socio-economic analysis of bioenergy systems: a focus on employment

Energy is both an engine of development and a source of many of the economic and environmental problems we face today. Clean and affordable energy services are not only essential for a sustainable society but ...

Dec 2003
Energy and biodiversity: understanding complex relationships, OECD Workshop on Biomass and Agriculture

People concerned about energy issues seldom give adequate attention to biodiversity, and those concerned with biodiversity give inadequate consideration to the implications of energy policy for their issues. However, virtually all of the factors leading ...

Jun 2003
Principles governing the long-run risks, benefits, and costs of agricultural biotechnology

The global debate over how agriculture and food systems can better meet people’s needs is passionate and often muddled. It is easy to get lost in the complex interactions between the many forces that shape ...

Apr 2003
Sugarcane production, processing and marketing in Tanzania

Sugarcane is one of the most important food and commercial crops of Tanzania. Its production is concentrated mainly in three regions: Morogoro, Kagera and Kilimanjaro.Most of the sugar produced in the country is for home ...

May 1998
« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 ... 45 All
home