GBEP reports to the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit 2008

G8 Summits are key moments for the Global Bioenergy Partnership, which was established to implement the commitments taken by the G8 in the 2005 Gleneagles Plan of Action to support "biomass and biofuels deployment, particularly in developing countries where biomass use is prevalent". In 2007 the G8 Heiligendamm Summit invited GBEP “to continue its work on biofuel best practices and take forward the successful and sustainable development of bioenergy”. For this reason, GBEP prepared a report submitted to the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in Japan earlier this month, providing an overview of its current programme of work and activities.

The document detailed how, two years after its establishment and at a time of intense international discussions on bioenergy, GBEP is actively engaged in tackling the fundamental barriers surrounding one of the most promising forms of renewable energy.

GBEP’s work is currently focused around two task forces, which are examining the issues of sustainability and greenhouse-gas emission reductions. At the same time, its activities to raise awareness and facilitate information exchange on bioenergy are on-going.

GBEP has made sustainability a priority issue, leading to the establishment of a Task Force on Sustainability, under the leadership of the UK. Working within the consideration that sustainability includes environmental and economic performance as well as social considerations, the group is working to develop a set of global science-based criteria and indicators as well as examples of experiences and best practices.

A Task Force on GHG Methodologies has also been established, under the leadership of the US. It is analysing the full well-to-wheel lifecycle of transport biofuels and solid biomass with a view to develop a harmonized methodological framework for the use of policy makers and stakeholders when assessing GHG impacts. This is essential if lifecycle assessments are to be compared on an equivalent and consistent basis.

GBEP is planning to finalise the Harmonized methodological framework on GHG emission reductions by March 2009 and the Reference work on criteria and indicators for sustainable development of bioenergy by April 2009. In light of this work on two fronts, GBEP is planning to prepare a substantial report to be presented to the 2009 G8 Summit, to be held in Italy.

Read the full text of the “GBEP Report to the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit 2008” on the GBEP website.

 

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