GBEP Newsletter n.5 - 23 December 2008

	GBEP focuses on sustainability and climate change at Poznan The United Nations climate change conference in Poznan, Poland (1-12 December 2008), provided an opportunity to outline progress being made on the Global Bioenergy Partnership’s programme of work and discuss its contribution to key debates such as sustainable development and climate change mitigation. Click here for full article

	Sustainable feedstock critical to second-generation biofuel success, IEA finds With hard questions being asked about the sustainability of current bioenergy technologies, so-called second-generation biofuels are being heralded as a major solution to future demand for non-fossil transport fuels. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has examined progress being made towards new bioenergy technologies, concluding that sourcing sufficient, sustainable feedstock will be critical to their success in the long term. Click here for full article

	UNCTAD warns of global effect of local decisions on biofuels Biofuels are at a “crossroads”, says the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in a new report mapping the global implications of actions by individual countries in order to help bioenergy development turn into a win-win solution for the environment and rural development. Click here for full article

	Methodological framework established to ease comparisons of bioenergy GHG emissions The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Methodologies Task Force of the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) has made rapid progress designing a common methodological framework for lifecycle analysis (LCA) of GHG emissions associated with biofuel production, conversion and use. Meanwhile, its Task Force on Sustainability is due to continue the delicate but crucial task of defining bioenergy sustainability criteria and indicators. Click here for full article

	Policy reviews needed to reap biofuel benefits, FAO says Biofuel policies and subsidies need to be urgently reviewed to preserve the goal of world food security, protect poor farmers, promote broad-based rural development and ensure environmental sustainability, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in its annual publication “The State of Food and Agriculture – Biofuels: prospects, risks and opportunities”. Click here for full article

	GBEP studying new focus on innovation and sustainability The Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) is exploring the possibility of making innovation and technology the new focus of its work in 2009 because of the growing interest of the prospects for so-called next-generation biofuels. Click here for full article

	Brazil model may be exported as biofuel trade expands Brazil’s experience can be considered a model in terms of biofuels development strategy, Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) told the International Conference on Biofuels, held in Sao Paulo on November 17-21. Click here for full article

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