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The Role of Sustainability Requirements in International Bioenergy Markets

  • Luc PelkmansEmail author
  • Liesbet Goovaerts
  • Chun Sheng Goh
  • Martin Junginger
  • Jinke van Dam
  • Inge Stupak
  • C. Tattersall Smith
  • Helena Chum
  • Oskar Englund
  • Göran Berndes
  • Annette Cowie
  • Evelyne Thiffault
  • Uwe Fritsche
  • Daniela Thrän
Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Lecture Notes in Energy book series (LNEN, volume 17)

Abstract

As the main driver for bioenergy is to enable society to transform to more sustainable fuel and energy production systems, it is important to safeguard that bioenergy deployment happens within certain sustainability constraints. There is currently a high number of initiatives, including binding regulations and several voluntary sustainability standards for biomass, bioenergy and/or biofuels. Within IEA Bioenergy studies were performed to monitor the actual implementation process of sustainability regulations and certification, evaluate how stakeholders are affected and envisage the anticipated impact on worldwide markets and trade. On the basis of these studies, recommendations were made on how sustainability requirements could actually support further bioenergy deployment. Markets would gain from more harmonization and cross-compliance. A common language is needed as ‘sustainability’ of biomass involves different policy arenas and legal settings. Policy pathways should be clear and predictable, and future revisions of sustainability requirements should be open and transparent. Sustainability assurance systems (both through binding regulations and voluntary certification) should take into account how markets work, in relation to different biomass applications (avoiding discrimination among end-uses and users). It should also take into account the way investment decisions are taken, administrative requirements for smallholders, and the position of developing countries.

Keywords

Supply Chain Certification Scheme Forest Stewardship Council Renewable Fuel Sustainability Criterion 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Luc Pelkmans
    • 1
    Email author
  • Liesbet Goovaerts
    • 2
  • Chun Sheng Goh
    • 3
  • Martin Junginger
    • 3
  • Jinke van Dam
    • 4
  • Inge Stupak
    • 5
  • C. Tattersall Smith
    • 6
  • Helena Chum
    • 7
  • Oskar Englund
    • 8
  • Göran Berndes
    • 8
  • Annette Cowie
    • 9
  • Evelyne Thiffault
    • 10
  • Uwe Fritsche
    • 11
  • Daniela Thrän
    • 12
  1. 1.Project Manager Biomass & Bioenergy, Unit Separation and Conversion Processes, VITO NVMolBelgium
  2. 2.Unit Separation and Conversion Processes, VITO NVMolBelgium
  3. 3.Faculty of Geosciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable DevelopmentUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
  4. 4.SQ ConsultUtrechtThe Netherlands
  5. 5.Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN), Faculty of ScienceUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
  6. 6.Faculty of ForestryUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
  7. 7.Thermochemical Process R&D and Biorefinery AnalysisNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryGoldenUSA
  8. 8.Physical Resource TheoryChalmers University of TechnologyGothenburgSweden
  9. 9.Rural Climate SolutionsUniversity of New EnglandArmidaleAustralia
  10. 10.Canadian Forest Service – Laurentian Forestry Centre, Natural Resources CanadaSucc.Sainte-FoyCanada
  11. 11.International Institute for Sustainability Analysis and Strategy (IINAS)DarmstadtGermany
  12. 12.Department of Bioenergy SystemsGerman Biomass Research Center (DBFZ)LeipzigGermany

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