In 2004 ITABIA drafted, on behalf of the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea (MATTM), a comprehensive report on “Biomass for Energy Production and the Environment”, which not only provided statistical data on biomass energy use in 2003, but also outlined the principles, concepts, perspectives and directions of the sector, with a systemic and holistic view of bioenergy. MATTM, in the framework of the “Sustainable Energy for Europe 2005-2008 (SEE)” campaign, has once again commissioned ITABIA with the drafting of an updated report as of 2008.
The 2008 REPORT, if compared to others national recent studies, takes into consideration the following additional aspects: description of the main sustainability criteria and indicators for the definition of “best practicies”; monitoring pocedures for the technical, economical, and environmental assessment of bioenergy projects; recommendations and strategies for the viability and uptake of bioenergy chains.
The ongoing lively debate, taking place at all levels, about the varied and complex world of biomasses and their energy use has shown that there are conflicting trends, such as:
1) the drive to globalize programmes, resources, markets, which clashes with many local operational situations that lack adequate means, show little interest in interchange and are thus more “closed in” in the “short-range”;
2) the intention to make bioenergy a significant budget item in energy and environment budgets, which is often hindered and nullified by opinion movements and harsh and indiscriminate popular opposition that is against any widening of horizons;
3) the setting of ambitious programmes and goals at supranational level, while energy/environment plans are parcelled out locally and show little conformity with general objectives.
National and international institutions are thus undertaking actions to create a more rational and coordinated framework for the sector, by setting up and developing cooperation networks, methods of communication, goals for the next decade and binding directives.

By: ITABIA

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