A Global Survey of Stakeholder Views and Experiences for Systems Needed to Effectively and Efficiently Govern Sustainability of Bioenergy

Long‐term strategies for sustainable biomass imports in European bioenergy markets

“…Bioenergy trade barriers are defined as ‘any issue that either directly or indirectly hinders the growth of international trade of biomass commodities for energy end‐use.’ It is difficult to define clearly what (indirect) trade barriers are and what general barriers hamper the use of biomass (irrespective of being traded or used domestically). Based on previous research work and discussion panels with stakeholders and experts, we defined 23 potential biomass trade barriers, categorized in (1) national/regional protectionist policies and trade tariffs, (2) technical standards, (3) logistics, (4) safety and sanitary/phytosanitary requirements, (5) sustainability criteria and certification systems, (6) global classification and trade statistics and (7) public knowledge and public opinion. These were included in the global survey.…”

“…The problem of unsustainable biomass production most likely occurs in countries with weak or failing governance structures (i.e. lack of enforcement and control mechanisms) . Almost 75% of respondents rated differences in sustainability governance of agriculture and forestry policies (legislation and enforcement) by country/region as an important barrier. –Changing sustainability criteria over time have a profound impact on the industry.…”

“…Consequently the incentive of biomass producers to certify their feedstock may be limited. 66% of respondents rated this an important barrier. –Sustainability requirements placed on biomass for energy create an extra administrative burden and cost to these value chains . This gives them an extra disadvantage compared to fossil fuels, which do not have to track their chain of custody or demonstrate their performance in terms of sustainability criteria.…”

“…The basic approach in the research was to assemble the viewpoints of different stakeholder groups and strive towards a consensus regarding how sustainable biomass imports can be part of European bioenergy markets. This work builds further on the previous work of EUBIONET III and IEA Bioenergy, which focused on sustainability governance and trade barriers for biomass. This paper will present the approach followed and will discuss the results of the stakeholder consultations on key principles for sustainable trade, opportunities and risks, barriers for trade, and potential policy options.…”

Sustainability Criteria and Indicators for the Bio-Based Economy in Europe: State of Discussion and Way Forward

“…First, a coherent framework for biomass when used for bioenergy is needed since there is still a lack of coherence on how to address sustainability if biomass is going to be used for biofuels or for heat and/or power. In this, both mandatory and voluntary schemes are relevant due to the different roles they play [12]. Table 1.…”