This on-going project aims to prepare risk governance guidelines for bioenergy policies, for the production of electricity, heat and transport fuel from biomass. It addresses the key challenges that policy makers face when developing and implementing policies and regulations that address new demands for an expanded production of bioenergy. The project hopes to enable societies to benefit from emerging bioenergy technologies while minimizing the negative consequences of their associated risks.
A few of the key elements :
Our project focuses on bioenergy, and not only on biofuels. We wish to include aspects related to the trade-offs between biomass used for food vs. energy and, within energy, biomass used for heat and electricity vs. fuel.
Our project will focus on science and technology, drawing on science-based research and combining it with the understanding of experts in the public and private sectors to develop fact-based risk governance recommendations for policy makers.
By integrating the different dimensions of technology, economy, trade, security and sustainability, the project will focus on the global governance processes that could be put in place at the various levels of decision and practice : local/regional, national and international.
There is no "one size fits all solution" and we intend to deliver a product that will allow decision makers in different contexts (economic, social and geographic) to recognize the policy implications of these differences. The conceptual tools and practical advice that we wish to provide will be relevant to different settings.
Complementarity with other projects - the work done within this IRGC project is intended to contribute to larger efforts. For example, IUCN – The World Conservation Union – expects that its own work on biofuels and, more broadly, bioenergy will benefit from the IRGC project’s findings and recommendations.
The project is being overseen by an Advisory Board that debates the preparatory findings, provides new knowledge to the project and draws concluding recommendations for decision makers.
| For more information please see the IRGC Concept note on bioenergy |
The project was run in two steps :
an expert meeting, in the form of a workshop, was convened in September 2007, to identify the critical issues related to using biomass for heat, electricity and liquid fuel, and draw draft governance guidelines for the production and use of bioenergy. For additional information, please click on First Workshop Summary Statement or, for a more comprehensive review, on First Workshop Summary.
a second expert meeting was organised on 25th and 26th February 2008. Participants were invited to finalise the risk governance guidelines and draw up options for policy-making. More detailed information can be obtained by clicking on Second Workshop Summary.
IRGC is currently in the process of concluding this major project aimed at identifying ways to deal with the risks associated with modern bioenergy while also maximising the opportunities that sustainable bioenergy can offer.
Click on IRGC’s latest message on Risk Governance Guidelines for Bioenergy Policies for additional project information.
Final findings and recommendations will be published in an IRGC Policy Brief in August 2008.
Click here to request a copy