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Bio-energy:
Systems sustainability assessment
Prof Alan Brent
Tel: +27 21 808 9530
Fax: +27 21 808 4245
Cell: +27 82 468 5110
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.crses.sun.ac.za
http://www.sustainabilityinstitute.net
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Internal combustion engine Electric engine
Vehicle wheels drivenCrude oil product replaced
Gasoline Diesel
Purification &
Compression
Natural gas
Coal
BiomassSolar energy source
Bio-oilSugar, starch Cellulosic
Nuclear energy source
Fuel cell Battery
Crude oil
LPGFermentation
Esterification
Gasification
Synthesis
Combustion
Electricity
Hydrolysis
Ethanol
Hydrogen
Biogas
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Current perspectives - UNEP International Panel for
Sustainable Resource Management
“Biofuels have attracted growing attention of policy, industry and
research. The number of scientific publications devoted to biofuelsis growing exponentially, and the number of reviews is increasing
rapidly. For decision makers it has become a hard job to find robust
reference material and solid guidance. Uncertainty on the overall
assessment has been growing with the findings of the possible
benefits and risks of biofuels.”
“….. progress requires an advanced approach which goes beyond
the production and use of biofuels, and considers all competing
applications of biomass, including food, fibres and fuels. A widened
systems perspective is adopted….”
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Current perspectives - UNEP International Panel for
Sustainable Resource Management
“Biofuels have attracted growing attention of policy, industry and
research. The number of scientific publications devoted to biofuelsis growing exponentially, and the number of reviews is increasing
rapidly. For decision makers it has become a hard job to find robust
reference material and solid guidance. Uncertainty on the overall
assessment has been growing with the findings of the possible
benefits and risks of biofuels.”
“….. progress requires an advanced approach which goes beyond
the production and use of biofuels, and considers all competing
applications of biomass, including food, fibres and fuels. A widened
systems perspective is adopted….”
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Biofuel production
(2000 to 2013)
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Wood pellet production
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International trade
(biodiesel in 2007)
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Biofuels: there are more than 2!
Fuel ethanol & FAME biodiesel
Also 1st generation:• Biogas, charcoal, ethanol gel
2nd generation:
• Cellulosic ethanol, algal biodiesel
• Methanol, butanol, DME
• BtL fuels, hydrogen
3rd generation
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Types of biofuels
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Types of biofuels
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Types of biofuels
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Two phases of the (bioenergy) technology life-cycle
Idea generationPre-feasibility /
Feasibility
StudyDevelopment
Piloting
Hardware / Business
Design
Implementation
Operation
ProductPhase out
Market
uptake
A s s e s s m e n
t
R&D
gate
R&D
gate
R&D
gate
R&D
gate
Business
gate
Business
gate
Business
gate
R e s e a r c
h
S c a
l e - u p
I d e a
Technology
Assessment
TechnologyTransfer
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Wider than conventional biofuels life cycles
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The bioenergy value chain
Bioenergy market /
end-user
Bioenergy
distribution
Bioenergy
transformation
Bioenergy
conversion
Feedstock
processing
Feedstockproduction
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Feedstock processing
Biomass/energyfeedstock
Processed
feedstock
Handling• Drying
• Milling
• Dehusking
Harvesting
Collection
Transportation
Storage
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Bioenergy conversion
Processed
feedstock
Transportation to conversion facility
Mechanical
conversion
Thermal
conversion
Biological
conversion
Vegetable oil
Biogas
Bioethanol
HeatFuel gas
Bio-oil
CharPyrolysis
Gasification
Combustion
Digestion
Fermentation
Mechanical
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Bioenergy transformation
Heat
Char
Boiler
Co-firing
Engine
Turbine
Conversion
Fuel cell
Synthesis
Heat
Electricity
Transport fuels
Fertilisers
Chemicals
Charcoal
Bio-oil
Fuel gas
Vegetable oil
Biogas
Bioethanol
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Bioenergy distribution to market
Heat
Electricity
Transport fuels
Fertilisers
Chemicals
Charcoal
Household use
Motor vehicles
Cleaning products
Agricultural products
Industrial use
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Complex interaction of techno-economic system with other
systems (spatial scale)
Bioenergy market /end-user
Bioenergy
distribution
Bioenergytransformation
Bioenergy
conversion
Feedstockprocessing
Feedstock
production
Bioenergy market /end-user
Bioenergy
distribution
Bioenergytransformation
Bioenergy
conversion
Feedstockprocessing
Feedstock
production
Energy
Water
Other resources
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The technological system is embedded
Technology
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Complex interaction of techno-economic system with other
systems (temporal scale)
Bioenergy market /
end-user
Bioenergy
distribution
Bioenergy
transformation
Bioenergy
conversion
Feedstock
processing
Feedstock
production
Bioenergy market /
end-user
Bioenergy
distribution
Bioenergy
transformation
Bioenergy
conversion
Feedstock
processing
Feedstock
production
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Relationship of different life cycles
Project / technology development life cycles – drivers of change
Asset life cycles – optimise internal operations
Product life cycles – profit generation of operations
Pre-feasibility Feasibility Development Executing &
testing
Project
launch & PIR
Pre-manufacture
Operation &manufacture
Productusage
Productdisposal
Detailed
design
Commission Operation &
Maintenance
De-
commission
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Detailed
design
Commission Operation &
Maintenance
De-
commission
Pre-
feasibility
Feasibility Develop Execute &
testing
Launch
Product
usage
Product
disposal
Pre-manufacture
Project life cycle
Product life cycle
Asset
life cycle
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Classification of bioenergy projects matrix
Scale of the project
Rural electrification
Local biogas provision
Ethanol gel production
Mine providing ownpower
Outgrower schemes
Providing large refineries
Bothaville bioethanol
Brazil/USA bioethanolD1 Jatropha
Cogen
Small growers (1 to 10s ha) Commercial farms (100s to 1000s ha)
L o
c a
l
s u s
t a i n a
b i l i t y
P r o v i s
i o n o
f
o u t s
i d e
m a r
k e
t
M a r k e
t / p r i m a r y e n
d - u s e r
Cell A Cell B
Cell C Cell D
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Cell A: Small growers /
Local sustainability
India example of rural electrification project
• Video
African examples of local biofuel/gas provision
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Cell B: Commercial farms /
Local sustainability
Ethanol gel production
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Cell B: Commercial farms /
Local sustainability
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Cell C: Small growers /
Provision of outside market
Outgrower schemes
Providing large refineries
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Cell D: Commercial farms /
Provision of outside market
Brazil/ USA and other bioethanol programmes
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Cell D: Commercial farms /
Provision of outside market
Electricity cogeneration
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Current perspectives - UNEP International Panel for
Sustainable Resource Management
“Biofuels have attracted growing attention of policy, industry and
research. The number of scientific publications devoted to biofuelsis growing exponentially, and the number of reviews is increasing
rapidly. For decision makers it has become a hard job to find robust
reference material and solid guidance. Uncertainty on the overall
assessment has been growing with the findings of the possible
benefits and risks of biofuels.”
“….. progress requires an advanced approach which goes beyond
the production and use of biofuels, and considers all competing
applications of biomass, including food, fibres and fuels. A widened
systems perspective is adopted….”
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The biomass utilisation network superstructure
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Decisions to be made
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Sustainability management tools –
Acronyms
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
Environmental Accounting Life cycle tools
• Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Life Cycle Management (LCM)
• Life Cycle Assessment or Analysis (LCA)
• Life Cycle Engineering (LCE)
Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA)
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Social Impact Assessment (SIA)
Environmental Audititing (EA)
Environmental Labelling (EL)
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Incorporating the tools in the life cycle of a typical internal
project
Phaseout &
Disposal/
Recycling
Conceptual
design
Preliminary
& Detailed
Design &
Development
Life cycle thinking focussed on the project
Operational
Use & System
Support
Production
&
Construction
Integrated Environmental Management
Environmental Management System
Environmental Auditing
1, 2 5, 6
3, 4
2
7
2
1: Life cycle Costing
2: Environmental Risk Assessment3: Life Cycle Assessment
4: Life Cycle Engineering
5: Environmental Impact Assessment
6: Social Impact Assessment
7: Environmental Labelling
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Environmental accounting
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Goals of Life Cycle Engineering
Life Cycle Assessment
Goal
Environmental
Decision
support
E l i h lif l f d
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Evaluating the life cycle of a product or process system
Life cycle
phases
Impactanalyses
Life cycle
steps
Life cycle
inventory
Output
Input
Output
Input
Output
Input
Output
Input
Output
Input
Environmental aspects Economic aspects
Emissions Waste
Resources
Production
of inter-
mediates
Production
of main
product
Raw
material
extraction
Utilisation
Recycling,
recovery,
deposition
End-of-life
phaseUse phaseProduction phase
Lif l t f t i l d t
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Life cycle stages of a typical product
Raw material
acquisition
Material
manufacture
Product
manufacture
Product
use
Product
disposal
T r a n s p o r t a t
i o n
P r o
d u c
t
r e m a n u
f a c
t u r e
P r o
d u c
t
r e u s e
M a
t e r i a
l s
r e c y c l e
Energy
Raw
materials
Waste
Emissions
F t f LCA f d t
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Four stages of a LCA for a product
Define
Scope
Inventory
Analysis
Impact
Analysis
Improvement
AnalysisRERP Manufacture
1 2 3
4
M i t d li bilit f t diti l LCA
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Main asset and liability of a traditional LCA
Asset: Quantitatively assess a range of environmental impacts
attributable to a specific product. Liability: Subjective basis or usage of subjective data, gives
subjective results for routine analyses of products due to:
• Limitations in the data collection and analysis of the inventory stage.
• Variations in the temporal scale, spatial scale and locale, and
assignment procedure of values to different environmental impacts.
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Bi f l t f th bi i t
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Wood residuesWoody biomass crops
Sugar crops
Bio-oils
Fuel
gas
gasification
HeatmethaneAnimal manures
Organic wastesGreen crops
Anaerobic
digestionGasoline
Methanol
Diesel
Ligno-cellulose
Flash
pyrolysis
Steam
explosionDirect combustion
steam
Electricity
Pre-hydrolysis
+ Hydrolysis
(acid /enzyme)Fermentation/Distillation Ethanol
Oil crops Transesterification
Biofuels as part of the bioenergy picture
(Sims)
B k d t th ( l i l) t i bilit l i f
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Background to the (ecological) sustainability analysis of
biofuel systems
An evolving story
In 2005, more than 400 published LCAs• On biodiesel (soybean, rapeseed)
• Fuel ethanol (from cane, maize, grapes)
• Export of electricity from processing plant
Reviews attempting to consolidate
• For example, Quirin et al., 2005; von Blottnitz & Curran, 2007
2008: Systematic accounting errors!
• Fargione et al ., Searchinger et al., both in Science
Careful with comparisons!
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Careful with comparisons!
But more km/GJ for diesel than for gasoline! Such a comparison says nothing about co-products
Fuel crops l/ha GJ fuel/ha
Soybean 296 9.9
Sunflower 363 12.1
Canola 523 17.4
Jatropha 1364 45.4
Maize 1092 23.0Sugar cane 4469 94.2
Cassava 8333 175.6
Sweet sorghum 1152 24.3
The bioenergy life cycle
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The bioenergy life cycle
Environmental sustainability concerns needing
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Environmental sustainability concerns needing
investigation
Energy balance
Carbon benefits Water requirements
Impacts of processing
Poor results for nitrous oxide emissions
• Kaltschmitt et al, 1996; Sheehan et al., 1998
The potential of bio ethanol to reduce dependence on
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The potential of bio-ethanol to reduce dependence on
conventional fossil fuels
Reported issues
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Reported issues
Reported issues
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Reported issues
“… These LCAs typically report that bio-ethanol results in reductions in
resource use and global warming; however, impacts on acidification,
human toxicity and ecological toxicity, occurring mainly during the
growing and processing of biomass, were more often unfavourable than
favourable. It is in this area that further work is needed.”
Reported issues
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Reported issues
Reported issues
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Reported issues
Reported issues
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Reported issues
Rainfall patterns in South Africa
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Rainfall patterns in South Africa
(FAO, 2005)
Social benefits and risk of biofuels
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Social benefits and risk of biofuels
Competition for land with food & fibre production
Who benefits from increased/redirected fuel spend to agriculture?
• Established farmers and agribusiness, or/and the rural poor, landless
people, successful land claimants etc.?
Should the poor grow low-value energy crops?
Energisation benefits
• Especially on waste-based biofuels Crude oil reserves extended
• Intergenerational benefit
Sustainable development needs for
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Sustainable development needs for
developed vs. developing countries
For developed countries
• (OECD, 2003) For lower to upper middle income countries
• (World Bank, 2002)
For low to middle income countries
• (UN CSD, 2006)
For four sub-systems
• Economic
• Environmental
• Social
• Institutional
Sustainable development needs in the context of
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Sustainable development needs in the context of
developing countries
Millennium Development Goals (UN, 2005)
• Targeted at halving the numbers of impoverished populations in alldeveloping countries
Challenge is to energise the MDGs (UNDP, 2007)• Access to energy (for the poor)
• Provision of health care
• Provision of nutrition
• Etc.
Supporting policy / strategy context
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Supporting policy / strategy context
South African National R&D Strategy (DST, 2002)
• For sustainable development to take place, rural and urban communities
should have access to innovations that accelerate development and
provide new and effective solutions compared to those utilised
previously
Supporting policy / strategy context
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Supporting policy / strategy context
South African Energy R&D strategy (DST and DME, 2006)
• The challenge is to develop fully the available energy resources and to
promote innovative, competitive, equitable and sustainable energy
systems for various economic and social sectors across South Africa
and the continent
– Also supports the objectives of NEPAD (2005)
Supporting policy / strategy context
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Supporting policy / strategy context
South African Biofuels Industrial Strategy (DME, 2007 & 2013)
• The aim is to achieve a biofuels average market penetration of 2% of
liquid road transport fuels, i.e. petrol and diesel
– Exploit the biomass resources potential of the country
– Mandatory blending has been gazetted in 2012
• The biofuels target will contribute up to 50% of the national renewable
energy target of 10 000 GWh (DME, 2003)
• Solutions to sustainability problems may be achieved through the use of
new technology that reduces pollution and, in some instances, provides
development opportunities – Require dynamic policy instruments and incentives that proactively create
the necessary conducive environment for the new technologies envisaged
Current projects in South Africa
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Current projects in South Africa
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Recent market developments
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Recent market developments
Exporting / importing biofuels
• Developing country resources push to developed country pull
Government subsidies
• Renewable Energy Finance and Subsidy Office (REFSO) of DME which
can provide capital subsidies for entrepreneurs intending to provide
renewable energy services• UNEP/GEF Cogeneration for Africa project based in Nairobi which can
provide technical assistance to investors intending to go into
cogeneration
International financial incentives• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
– Of the Kyoto Protocol
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Sustainability vision for bioenergy
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y gy
(for further discussion on Friday)
In the context of existing policies and strategies
In the context of this R&D effort
Identify, implement and support a balanced portfolio of bioenergy
options, at national, provincial, and municipal levels, that result in
localised social-ecological advantages that outweigh micro-, meso-and macro disadvantages
Why sustainability for business management?
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y y g
Development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs1
Adopting business strategies and activities
that meet the needs of the business and its
stakeholders today while protecting, sustainingand enhancing the human and natural
resources that will be needed in the future2
S
u s
t a i n a
b l e d e
v e
l o p m e n
t
Business management
incorporation
Economic
considerations
Social
considerations
Environmental
considerations
Future trends in the responsibility of industry
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p y y
Today
Industry's
Responsibility
Tomorrow
Yesterday
Product
Manufacturing
Product
Use
Product
Retirement
T e c h n o l o g y
C o s t s
O r g a n i z a t i o n
E n v i r o n m e n t P r o t e c t i o n
P e r f o r m a n c e
E n d u r a n c e
E c o n o m i c E f
f i c i e n c y
E n v i r o n m e n t
P r o t e c t i o n
R e m a n u f a c t u r i n g
R e p r o c e s s i n g
L e s s I n c i n e r a t i o n
L e s s L a n d f i l l
D i s p o s a l
Present Challenges:
Product
Take Back
Regulations,
Recycling,
Work place
Future Challenges:
Life Cycle
Assessment
Obligations,
Recyclability (waste)
and
Climate ProtectionDeclarations
Work place (new age)
Drivers for the incorporation of sustainability in business
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p y
practices – Sasol
To incorporateSustainability/
Align processes to principles of
Sustainable Development
PressureLicense to Operate
•Introduction of sustainable development
into government policies
•Civil society expectations
Push
License to Exist
•
Investors looking forevidence of good
corporate governance and
effective management of
risk (e.g. Dow Jones SI)
•Employees
License to Sell
Pull •International trade
agreements
•Customers expecting
proof
Support
•Responsible Care Principles
•Sound Corporate Governance
To incorporateSustainability/
Align processes to principles of
Sustainable Development
PressureLicense to Operate
•Introduction of sustainable development
into government policies
•Civil society expectations
Push
License to Exist
•
Investors looking forevidence of good
corporate governance and
effective management of
risk (e.g. Dow Jones SI)
•Employees
License to Sell
Pull •International trade
agreements
•Customers expecting
proof
Support
•Responsible Care Principles
•Sound Corporate Governance
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Sub-criteria of social sustainability
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y
External
population
Stakeholder
participation
Macro social
performance
Internal human
resources
Employment
stability
Employment
practices
Health and
safety
Capacity
development
External human
capital
Productive
capital
Community
capital
Information
provision
Stakeholder
influence
Socio-
economic
Socio-
environmental
Social
sustainability
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WWF – 2006
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UNEP – 2009
Life-cycle-wide environmental impacts of biofuels
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Land use, land availability, and land-use conflicts
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Clarification of land ownership
Land ownership should be equitable, and land-tenure conflicts should be
avoided. This requires clearly defined, documented and legally established
tenure use rights. To avoid leakage effects, poor people should not be
excluded from the land. Customary land-use rights and disputes should be
identified. A conflict register might be useful in this context.
Land use, land availability, and land-use conflicts
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Avoiding negative impacts from bioenergy-driven changes in land
use
If land-use policies and their implementation in a given country or region
are effective in preventing negative impacts from land-use changes, then
bioenergy development should be concentrated on available arable land.
If a country or region has ineffective (or no) land-use policies, negative
impacts of“
shifts”
in land-use due to bioenergy development are possible,
and bioenergy crop development must be restricted to areas that are not in
competition with other uses.
Land use, land availability, and land-use conflicts
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Priority for food supply and food security
Food security is a basic human need which should not be compromised by
bioenergy development, i.e. cultivating energy crops to the disadvantage of
food crops should be avoided.
Decisions on bioenergy production nevertheless have regional impacts,
with the result that a regional risk assessment is needed which analyzes
the potential impact of biomass production on the local and regional food
supply.
Loss of biodiversity and deforestation
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No additional negative biodiversity impacts
Areas to be protected:
• High-nature-value areas (e.g. intact close-to-nature ecosystems, natural
habitats, primary and virgin forests), land needed to maintain critical
population levels of species in natural surroundings, and relevant
migration corridors must be excluded from bioenergy cropping areas.
• Adequate buffer zones must be maintained for habitats of rare, threatened
or endangered species, as well as for land adjacent to areas needing
protection.
Loss of biodiversity and deforestation
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No additional negative biodiversity impacts
Production practices:
• Management plans and farming operations must ensure the protection of
high-nature-value farming systems (e.g. on grass land or small patterned
traditional farming systems) as well as nature-oriented forestry.
• To preserve genetic diversity, a minimum number of crop species and
varieties, as well as structural diversity within the bioenergy cropping
area must be demonstrated in management plans.
• As a precautionary measure, the use of genetically modified organisms
(GMO) as bioenergy crops should be excluded, since they could have
adverse environmental impacts.
• Appropriate fire-protection strategies are needed, and the use of fire toclear or prepare land for production should only be permitted if it is
known to be the preferred ecological option.
• Alien species should only be cultivated under conditions of careful
control and monitoring; effects on wildlife species should be blocked.
Greenhouse-gas emissions
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Minimization of greenhouse-gas emissions
• A maximum life-cycle GHG balance of bioenergy cultivation of 30 kg/GJ
must be demonstrated. This limit represents a 67% reduction on the life-
cycle GHG emissions from (unprocessed) crude-oil combustion.
• The processing of bioenergy crops – especially to biofuels – must
demonstrate a minimum conversion efficiency of 67%, taking into
account by-products for which proof of use must be given. A maximum
direct GHG emission factor of 60 kg/GJ input should apply for the
process energy.
• On the other hand, a simplified approach to GHG accounting should be
developed for the small-scale farming of bioenergy crops using rural-
systems to avoid excessive compliance costs.
Greenhouse-gas emissions savings of biofuels compared
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to fossil fuels
Soil erosion and other forms of soil degradation
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Minimization of soil erosion and degradation
• The exclusion (or significant restriction) of bioenergy crops requiring
intense tilling and below-surface harvesting (e.g. sugar beets);
• Maximum (soil-specific) slope limits for bioenergy crop cultivation;
• Maximum extraction rates for agricultural and forestry residues (specific
for soil and crop/crop rotation).
• Acceptable removal levels for agro- and forestry residues, so that humus
and organic C soil content is not negatively affected.
• Use of farming and harvesting practices that reduce erosion risks and
adverse soil compaction (irrigation schemes, harvesting equipment).
• Irrigation schemes to prevent salinization.
• Exclusion of crops and cropping systems for which such schemes are
not applicable (specific to soil type and semi-dry/dry regions).
• A qualitative standard on the toxicity and biodegradability of
agrochemicals is needed (e.g. a positive list of chemicals and user
guidelines)
• Non-chemical pest treatment and organic fertilizers are preferred.
Water use and water contamination
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Minimization of water use and avoidance of water contamination
• Optimized farming systems requiring low water input should be used, e.g.
agro-forestry systems in dry regions.
• Critical irrigation needs in semi-dry and dry regions should be avoided by
applying water management plans (long-term strategies and
implementation program) providing a sustainable and efficient water
supply for irrigation.
• The quality and availability of surface and ground water must be
maintained, avoiding the negative impacts of agrochemical use (by timing
and quantity of application).
• No untreated sewage water for irrigation.
• Re-use of treated waste-water must be part of the agricultural
management system.
Air pollution
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Carefully consider other pollutants
Results of a Swiss LCA
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Socio-economic problems and standards
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Improvement of labour conditions and worker rights
The supply systems for bioenergy – i.e. the cultivation of bioenergy crops,
the collection of biogenic residues and wastes and their respective
downstream processing – must comply with ILO standards on
workers safety, workers rights, wage policies, child labor, seasonal
workers
conditions, and working hours during harvest time.
Socio-economic problems and standards
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Ensuring a share of proceeds
A standard on income distribution and poverty-reduction issues (share of
proceeds) seems necessary, although this can only be discussed in
detail with respect to regional and local conditions and project specifics.
Decision-tree
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Sustainable Development Planning and Management:
Renewable Energy Policy Lecture 5
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Renewable Energy Policy – Lecture 5
Discussion