| At CSD-17 GBEP marks three years since launch with sustainable development event
The meetings of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) provide an important backdrop to GBEP proceedings, not only because of its focus on sustainable bioenergy but also because the partnership was officially launched at the 14th session of the CSD in New York three years ago.
CSD-17, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York in May, therefore provided an opportunity to provide an update on GBEP’s contribution to sustainable bioenergy development and some insights on policy implementation in countries in Africa and southeast Asia. The CSD meeting itself recognised the importance of further research and developing to enhance bioenergy sustainability and the need for scientific and technical co-operation on this front.
The GBEP side event, held on May 14 at the UN Building in New York, was opened by GBEP Chair Corrado Clini, Director General of the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea. He noted how important it is to dedicate effort to improving the sustainability of existing bioenergy production because second-generation biofuel technologies and carbon capture and storage will take a few years to be commercially available.
Following an overview of the debate about bioenergy at an international level, including potential benefits and challenges, from Melinda Kimble, United Nations Foundation’s Senior Vice President, the meeting looked further at the question of pursuing sustainable bioenergy development through international co-operation and in particular through the GBEP.
This topic was addressed by Reno L. Harnish III, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the US Department of State, who highlighted how the GBEP Sustainability Task Force was undertaking a valuable and ambitious task of drawing up sustainability criteria. He also commended the work of the GHG Task Force, encouraging governments and organisations to test its methodological framework to better assess various types of life cycle analysis.
After Kieran Power of the Bioenergy and Renewable Materials Team at the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change provided a more detailed survey of the work of the GBEP Task Force on Sustainability, which he chairs, Martina Otto, Head of Policy Unit, Energy Branch, UNEP, outlined how her organisation is active on bioenergy issues. This includes work on sustainability via the GBEP, development of research and tools to provide governments and the private sector with information and guidance and creating markets and promoting business models that provide development benefits.
An important contribution to the meeting was provided by two perspectives from developing countries that are actively developing and implementing policies on bioenergy: Marcelina Mataveia, Head of the Department of Biomass Energy at Mozambique’s Ministry of Energy and Musdhalifah Machmud from the Indonesian Ministry of Finance.
Presentations from the side event are available for download here.
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