“We will cooperate on deployment and dissemination of zero or low carbon emission and renewable technologies, including sustainable bioenergy, to enable a transition towards low-emission power systems.”

 

This is a quote from the G20 Rome Leaders’ Declaration. It is not only a testament to the dedication of the GBEP Partners and Observers who, each year, bring the importance of bioenergy to the attention of the Summit, but also the visibility that bioenergy has gained as a low-carbon technology in recent years. We have reached a critical tipping point in our fight against climate change, and require not only long-term goals but also short term action.

 

Sustainable bioenergy will have an increasing role in carbon mitigation strategies and low-carbon economies. As recognized at the most recent UNFCCC COP26, modern bioenergy represents one of the many solutions that need to be deployed to limit global warming to 1.5°c. Credible projections give bioenergy an important role in future low-carbon scenarios; according to the IEA roadmap released in 2021, by 2050, bioenergy will need to supply 102 EJ of energy to meet net zero targets, up from 63 EJ in 2020. Modern bioenergy will be important for replacing fossil fuels and traditional bioenergy, whilst also being combined with carbon capture and storage.

 

However, sustainable biomass will need to be supplied in the context of a bio-based economy, where fossil fuels for energy, products and chemicals are replaced by renewable biomass alternatives. The complexity of the governance of the bioeconomy is an important issue, where multiple actors play roles at different levels. GBEP is actively contributing to the discussion around these governance issues.