Leveraging biomass and biofuels may provide a unique opportunity for developing countries to join the energy race.
In a global first, the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) announced today that its 17 participating countries had agreed on a set of 24 voluntary sustainability indicators that would aid countries in developing bioenergy.
GBEP is a partnership of public, private and civil stakeholders that was designed to meet the challenges outlined by the 2005 G8 Gleneagles Plan of Action, which promised to “promote the continued development and commercialization of renewable energy” by launching a Global Bioenergy Partnership committed to promoting the production of bioenergy (see attached document).
Its members now include 23 countries and 13 international organizations. A further 22 countries and 9 international organizations are participating GBEP Observers.
GBEP’s outlined science and sustainability-based principles include greenhouse gas emissions, biological diversity, national food supply and demand, access to energy, economic development and energy security.
Derived from plant, animal and human waste, biomass is a resource that is prevalent in all countries and has the capability to power electrical appliances, cars and fireplaces.
“Modern bioenergy encompasses many technologies that have the potential to not only promote sustainable development, but also help meet two important needs in the developing world be enhancing food and energy security,” said Daniel Chune, the US State Department’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State on Oceans, International Environment and Scientific Affairs.
Although Chune was optimistic about the possibility of simultaneously producing food and bioenergy, one of the challenges of producing crop-based fuels is the potential for knock-on impacts in food pricing.
“It’s crucial that producing energy from biomass does not compete with food production: energy crops should be in addition to, and not substitute, food crops,” said Italy Ministry for Environmental Land Sea’s Director General and GBEP Chair, Corrado Clini.
Bioenergy development could have an enormous impact on developing countries where access to electricity is still limited. GBEP leaders hope that it will allow for energy development in a manner that will protect local food supply and ecosystems.
“The indicators will offer a valuable tool to inform decision making and monitor contributions of bioenergy to sustainable development,” said Sweden Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communication’s Deputy Director and Chair of GBEP Task Force on Sustainability, Sven-Olov Ericson.
The agreed-upon indicators will be presented at the G8 summit meeting in France on May 26-27.
