G8 statements highlight importance of GBEP work on bioenergy sustainability
The importance of the role of the Global Bioenergy Partnership was underscored by this month’s G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in Japan, especially in the light of the attention it dedicated to the issues of climate change, the environment and food security. The Summit in effect renewed the GBEP’s mandate, inviting it to pursue its programme of work towards the sustainable development of bioenergy.

The leaders of the world’s most industrialised countries issued a statement on environment and climate change that highlighted, among other points, how renewable energy will play an important role in tackling climate change and reducing dependency on fossil fuels.

“We underscore the importance of sustainable biofuel production and use,” the statement said. “The same should apply for the broader use of biomass for fuel, heat and electricity.”

The G8 leaders affirmed: “We support the work of the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) and invite it to work with other relevant stakeholders to develop science-based benchmarks and indicators for biofuel production and use”. The G8 statement added: “We are committed to continuing research and development of second generation biofuel technologies”.

This focus on biofuel benchmarks and new technologies reflects the attention that is now being given to sustainability issues and the promotion of “virtuous” bioenergy, with the biggest net benefits in economic, environmental and social terms.

This question also surfaced in the G8’s discussions of food security and poverty, which emphasised the need to stimulate world food production and boost investment in agriculture. The G8 leaders said they would ensure that biofuel-related policies are compatible with food security and encourage the commercialisation of second-generation biofuels, which come from non-plant materials and inedible biomass.

“In this regard, we will work together with other relevant stakeholders to develop science-based benchmarks and indicators for biofuel production and use,” the declaration on food security noted.

This commitment clearly mirrors the work of the two GBEP task forces, on sustainability and measuring reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. The result of the deliberations of the task forces, which will feed into a new GBEP report, are scheduled to be ready for presentation to the next G8 Summit, due to be held in mid-2009 in Italy.

The G8 Summit’s declarations, including those on climate change and food security, are posted on the summit’s website

 

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