Outline of a sustainable and efficient bioenergy policy framework

Report on a Bioenergy policy workshop held during the European Biomass Conference and Exhibition in Copenhagen, 16 May 2018

The aim of the workshop was to discuss sustainability performance metrics and effective bioenergy policy framework that can help meet climate, renewable energy and rural development

goals while stimulating investments in sustainable bioenergy pathways. Presentations were provided by IEA, FAO, IRENA, WUR and Ethanol Europe.

Some highlights:

• More robust sustainability criteria are needed to ensure that renewable energy policy can enhance environmental, economic and social performance of the energy system. Opportunities to develop negative carbon emission practices, as well as carbon abatement cost, social benefits and rural jobs created, should be included in the evaluation.
• Bioenergy / biofuels are neither inherently good or bad, just like many other elements of society. A system should be developed to evaluate performance metrics of bioenergy and other energy options. Accordingly, participants argued that performance based renewable energy policy is needed. Carbon abatement cost and social cost and benefits, including rural jobs created and maintained, are performance metrics that should be used.

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