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Can biofuels be sustainable? Lydia Press

Can biofuels be sustainable? Lydia Press. Can biofuels be sustainable? Introduction. The role of biofuels Key sustainability issues MDG links Sustainability standards Implementation - policy instruments - the RSPO - other institutions Conclusion.

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Can biofuels be sustainable? Lydia Press

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  1. Can biofuels be sustainable? Lydia Press

  2. Can biofuels be sustainable?Introduction The role of biofuels Key sustainability issues MDG links Sustainability standards Implementation - policy instruments - the RSPO - other institutions Conclusion

  3. Can biofuels be sustainable?The role of biofuels • Climate change mitigation • Carbon-neutral • Palm oil, jatropha, sugar cane… • Diversification of energy supplies • Global production has doubled in the last five years and will likely double again in the next four - UN Energy 2007

  4. Can biofuels be sustainable?Key sustainability issues Current EU and US policies do not mandate that biofuels should achieve any carbon saving - and this is often the case.

  5. Can biofuels be sustainable?Key sustainability issues Additional implications: • Agro-industrial development and employment • Structure of agriculture (land use) • Food security - availability - access - stability - utilisation • Government budget • Trade, foreign exchange balances and energy security

  6. Can biofuels be sustainable?UNMDG links • MDG 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability - Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources • MDG 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

  7. Can biofuels be sustainable?WWF Sustainability Standards • Land ownership should be equitable and land-tenure conflicts should be avoided • Negative land use impacts must be avoided • Food security is a basic human need which should not be compromised by bioenergy development • High-nature-value areas, land required to maintain populations, migration corridors and buffer zones must be protected for biodiversity conservation

  8. Can biofuels be sustainable?WWF Sustainability Standards • Maximum life-cycle GHG balance of 30 kg/GJ must be demonstrated, and minimum processing efficiency of 67% • Standards to minimize soil erosion and degradation • Minimization of water use and avoidance of water contamination • Supply systems must comply with ILO workers rights and standards on income distribution and poverty reduction requirements

  9. Can biofuels be sustainable?Implementation of standards Categories of technology-policy instruments: • Carbon pricing • Financing knowledge infrastructure • Direct support for R&D • Leading, stimulating and catalyzing knowledge dissemination • Facilitating laws and regulations, standards, economic instruments or legislation Policy can be implemented at the international, regional (EU) and national levels.

  10. Can biofuels be sustainable?International Policy • MEAs or integration of standards in existing international agreements (e.g. ISO)Problems - International agreements take a long time and are often not complied with or enforced. • GATT/WTO Principles must be taken into account to avoid green protectionism - the Agreement of Technical Barriers to Trade is relevant for standardization issues.

  11. Can biofuels be sustainable?European Policy • The EC has no explicit competence in the field of energy policy, however several competences established by the ECT enable regulation. • Two options: a separate new law on biomass standards or integration into existing legislation on biomass, e.g. Directive 2003/30/EC on the promotion of the use of biofuels or other renewable fuels for transport Import regulations on biomass, e.g. Council Regulation (EC) No. 2501/2001

  12. Can biofuels be sustainable?National Policy • As for EU level, although there is considerable debate as to which of these is more effective.Consensus - European legislation should introduce minimum standards and an ‘opt-up’ clause can be included. • Parallel to market regulation instruments, transparent production standards and corresponding labeling requirements must be introduced

  13. Can biofuels be sustainable?Policy instrument examples • Feed-in tariffs, e.g. Germany • Tax-exemption/reduction for biofuels • Quotas • Import regulations Importantly, conditions on biomass standards need to be combined with these. In addition to policy we need knowledge of the resource base, technologies, stakeholders and capacities, and economics of production and consumption.

  14. Can biofuels be sustainable?Certification - the RSPO The RSPO is an association of organisations with a governance structure that ensures fair representation of all stakeholders throughout the entire supply chain of sustainable palm oil.

  15. Can biofuels be sustainable?Certification - the RSPO • It aspires to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil through co-operation within the supply chain and open dialogue with its stakeholders. • Certification Scheme for Sustainable Palm Oil launched in November 2007 • Currently approving four certification bodies. • The market is expected to see availability of RSPO certified Sustainable Palm Oil in the first half of 2008.

  16. Can biofuels be sustainable?OtherInstitutions • FAO - IBEP - a framework for bioenergy cooperation • FAO - GBEP - promotion of multistakeholder cooperation, bioenergy trade and biofuel sustainability • UNCTAD - The BioFuels Initiative • Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP) - energy action plans

  17. Can biofuels be sustainable?Concluding Remarks (1) • At least 4 distinct policy domains are shaping development of the liquid biofuels sector: energy, environment, agriculture and trade. • Policy makers need to understand the interactions between these, requiring integrated policy analysis. • Bioenergy can give rise to trade-offs between different policy goals. • Land use, agriculture, energy, rural development, transport, finance, biodiversity, GHG emissions  bioenergy in its proper environmental context and agricultural scale.

  18. Can biofuels be sustainable?Concluding Remarks (2) • A legally binding system is needed for implementation of sustainability standards • Each level (international to local) of policy should be consistent with other levels • Stakeholder involvement from both civil society and industry is crucial to overall acceptance of sustainability standards

  19. THANK YOU!! • FAO, 2006. Introducing the International Bioenergy Platform (IBEP). Rome: UN FAO. • Fritsche, U.W., Hünecke, K., Hermann, A., Schlze, F. and Wiegman, K. 2006. Sustainability Standards for Bioenergy. Frankfurt am Maim: WWF Germany. • The Royal Society, 2008. Sustainable Biofuels: prospects and challenges. London: The Royal Society. • UN-Energy, 2007. Sustainable Bioenergy: A Framework for Decision Makers. Geneva: United Nations. • Black, R. 2008. Biofuels 'are not a magic bullet’. BBC News Online. 14 January. URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7187361.stm [consulted 17 January 2008]. • Harrabin, R. 2007. Biofuels bonanza facing 'crash’. BBC News Online. 15 November. URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7096819.stm [Consulted 17 January 2008].

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