Global Energy Partnership
The
Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP – www.globalbioenergy.org) provides a
mechanism for Partners to organize, coordinate and implement targeted
international research, development, demonstration and commercial activities
related to production, delivery, conversion and use of biomass for energy, with
a focus on developing countries. Founded in 2006, GBEP now includes 23 Partner
countries and 13 Partner international organizations. Partner countries are
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Fiji, France, Germany, Ghana,
Italy, Japan, Mauritania, Mexico, Netherlands, Paraguay, Russian Federation, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, United Rep of Tanzania,
United Kingdom, and United States of America. GBEP is supported by a
secretariat hosted at FAO Headquarters in Rome.
In December 2011, GBEP published The Global Bioenergy Partnership Sustainability Indicators for
Bioenergy. This report presents 24 indicators of sustainability regarding
the production and use of modern bioenergy, broadly defined. The indicators
are: (1) Life -cycle GHG emissions, (2)
Soil quality, (3) Harvest levels of wood resources, (4) Emissions of non-GHG
air pollutants including air toxics, (5) Water use and efficiency, (6) Water
quality, (7) Biological diversity in the landscape, (8) Land use and land-use
change related to bioenergy feedstock production, (9) Allocation and tenure of
land for new bioenergy production, (10) Price and supply of a national food
basket, (11) Change in income, (12) Jobs in the bioenergy sector, (13) Change
in unpaid time spent by women and children collecting biomass, (14) Bioenergy
used to expand access to modern energy services, (15) Change in mortality and
burden of disease attributable to indoor smoke, (16) Incidence of occupation
injury, illness and fatalities, (17) Productivity, (18) Net energy balance,
(19) Gross value added, (20) Change in consumption of fossil fuels and
traditional use of biomass, (21) Training and re-qualification of the
workforce, (22) Energy diversity, (23) Infrastructure and logistics for
distribution of bioenergy, and (24) Capacity and flexibility of use of
bioenergy.
Following are excerpts from the report’s Executive Summary.
“The production and use of bioenergy is growing in many parts
of the world as countries seek to diversify their energy sources in a manner
that helps promote economic development, energy security and environmental
quality. Modern bioenergy can provide multiple benefits, including promoting
rural economic development, increasing household income, mitigating climate
change, and providing access to modern energy services. On the other hand,
bioenergy can also be associated with risks, such as biodiversity loss,
deforestation, additional pressure on water resources, and increased demand for
agricultural inputs, land, and commodities. The evaluation of the benefits and
challenges of bioenergy production and use should reflect the national
context.”
“The GBEP indicators are unique in that they are a product of
the only multilateral initiative that has built consensus on the sustainable
production and use of bioenergy among a wide range of national governments and
international organizations. The indicators are meant to guide analysis at the
domestic level and to inform decision-making that encourages the sustainable production and use of bioenergy
as a means towards meeting national goals of sustainable development. Measured
over time, the indicators will show progress towards or away from a nationally
defined sustainable development path. The indicators are value-neutral, do not
feature directions, thresholds or limits and do not
constitute a standard, nor are they legally binding. The indicators are
intended to inform policy-making and facilitate the sustainable development of
bioenergy, and shall not be applied so as to limit trade in bioenergy in a
manner inconsistent with multilateral trade obligations.”