SCOPE Biofuels:Rapid Assessment Process Workshop22 – 25 September, Gummersbach/Germany

Bioenergy: risks and opportunities

Martina OttoHead Policy Unit, Energy Branch

United Nations Environment Programme

Drivers Challenges

Energy Security Development Climate Change Biodiversity Food

‘change land use as little as possible’

water

‘involve communities as much as

possible’

‘produceas much as

possible’

crop and pathway choices

integrated assessment to achieve a balance

Biodiversity

Climate change

•Conversion of high carbon storage value lands•Destruction of under ground carbon storage

•GHG reductions (crop choices / pathways / utilisation of bi-products)

•Conversion of high conservation value areas•Large scale / monocultures•Invasive species•Biotech•Intensive ag.

Food

•Investment into conservation•Conservation ag

•Increased local food production (intercropping, crop rotation, improvement of land/reclaiming waste land, ag practices)•Increased income / access to markets

•Conversion of land used for food production•Availability and prices, particularly of stable food

Water•Overuse of water resources, impacting ecosystems and competing with other uses•Contamination

•Better penetration of water•Improved access to water

•Expropriation•Exploitation

•Increased incomes•Access to energy and other services

Development

Risks Opportunities

Biofuels are not good or bad per se …

… all depends on planning and implementation both on the macro and project levels, and involves trade offs

• land use choices• crop and pathway choices • ag practices• business models incl. scale of operations• …

Tools for decision-makers, both in governments and in industry to ensure maximising benefits and minimizing risks• resource efficiency (energy needs for cooking,

lighting, heating, for transport, for productive use; biomass use for food, feed, fibre, fuel; efficiency improvements)

• direct and indirect LUC and their impacts on CC, biodiversity and food security (assessments and projections; project level impacts – burden of proof with the project developer; macro level impacts – mapping / planning)

• LCA for different crops and pathways (common impact indicators)

• technologies (impact assessments incl 2nd generation; efficiency/cost; N-S, S-N, S-S cooperation and technology transfer)

• cost (externalities; co-benefits)

Political context• Biofuel targets (in some cases already linked to

sustainability safeguards)• Strong calls for ground rules : G8 – GBEP; CBD;

UNFCCC; UN SG Task Team on the Global Food Crisis – CFA ; UN Energy

Risk management / Assessments• IRGC• UNEP Due Diligence Guidelines for the finance sector• SCOPE RAP• GEF targeted research project (UNEP, FAO, UNIDO); STAP• UNEP Resource Panel• FAO – BFS and BIAS • IEA Tasks • Compete

Standard setting processes• RSB• commodity-based initiatives• national initiatives• ISO