Bioenergy & Sustainability: bridging the gaps

Abstract

Over the past two years 137 experts from 24 countries and 82 institutions have collaborated to analyze a range of issues related to the sustainability of bioenergy production and use. The resulting report called "Bioenergy & Sustainability: Bridging the Gaps" was coordinated by scientists linked to FAPESP's Research Programs on Bioenergy (BIOEN), Global Climate Change (RPGCC), and Biodiversity (BIOTA), and was supported by FAPESP and the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), an international nongovernmental organization. The report, that references over 2,000 studies, provides a wide-ranging analysis of the current bioenergy landscape, technology, production financing systems and markets, and the potential for sustainable growth of bioenergy use, in parallel with a critical review of its impacts. The authors consider how bioenergy expansion impacts existing energy systems, food production, environmental and climate security, and sustainable development in both developed and developing regions. They then present their science-based recommendations for policy formulation and for the deployment of a range of bioenergy use options such as liquid biofuels, bioelectricity, biogas and bio-based chemicals, amongst others, in different regions of the world. The report is divided into five sections. The introduction is followed by an executive summary with technical data and bioenergy numbers offering a comprehensive survey of current biomass production and land use, conversion technologies, future demands and social and environmental benefits. The third section presents the 4 cross-cutting themes discussed at the December 2013 workshop held at UNESCO in Paris, France, organized by SCOPE: energy security, food security, environmental and climate security, sustainable development and innovation, and filling in the knowledge gaps for sustainable expansion of bioenergy. The fourth section consists of commissioned background chapters, the state of the art discussed by experts from a spectrum of disciplines to form the basis for the conclusions and recommendations and cross-cutting themes presented in the previous section. Topics cover land use, sources of biomass for bioenergy, integration with agriculture and forestry, water and soil, greenhouse gas emissions, and the impact of biofuels on biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as social and economic issues. Section V lists countries and regions cited in the report and keywords of the document. (AU)