Bioenergy, land use change and climate change mitigation

Dec 2010

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 aspects, and involves a wide set of issues and many contrasting viewpoints.
This report concerns one much-debated issue – bioenergy and associated land use change (LUC), and how the climate change mitigation from use of bioenergy can be influenced by greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) arising from LUC. Both biofuels for transport and biomass use for heat and power are considered. Also considered are present and prospective fossil fuel substitution patterns, including for example, the substitution of fossil transport fuels such as coal-based Fischer-Tropsch diesel.
An investigation of how LUC can influence carbon (C) flows and the net GHG reduction benefits of bioenergy requires consideration of:
• GHG emissions from the bioenergy chain, and
• changes in GHG emissions due to the displacement of fossil-based energy and other products with bioenergy and co-products from its production.
The quantification of GHG emissions is treated concisely in this report by synthesising up-to-date original research and literature reviews. Readers are referred to other publications for more in-depth information concerning methodology and uncertainties in quantifications of GHG emissions.
In addition to the GHG implications of LUC for bioenergy there are other important considerations – such as biodiversity, hydrology, and socio-economics. However, these are not covered in detail in this report. The report does not consider aquatic biomass.

By: IEA Bioenergy

 
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