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Eco Investor June 2015 Industry Focus Huge Report on Sustainability of BioenergyA massive 779 page report on Bioenergy & Sustainability: Bridging the Gaps has been published by the SCOPE Bioenergy & Sustainability project in Brazil. It contains contributions from 137 researchers from 82 institutions in 24 countries. In their introduction, the five editors say that the development of modern high efficiency bioenergy technologies has the potential to improve energy security and access while reducing environmental impacts and stimulating low-carbon development. But while bioenergy production is increasing around in the world, it still makes only a small contribution to the energy matrix. Most of the world's bioenergy is derived from burning wood for cooking and heating in developing countries, and while these traditional uses of biomass are low in cost to the users, their technical inefficiency results in considerable health and environmental costs while providing only low quality energy services. "Many countries demonstrate that a much higher efficiency can be obtained in traditional uses commercially with sustainably managed feedstock supplies. Since bioenergy systems often operate at the interface between agriculture and forestry, they are also closely connected to the planning and governance of these sectors and of policy to conserve and manage forests." It says further study is needed to define the best routes to achieve a sustainable energy matrix. The report looks at questions such as: Can modern bioenergy make a significant contribution to our energy matrix with positive contributions to the environment? What are the social, environmental and economic implications of the expansion of bioenergy in the world? How does expansion of bioenergy perform in the context of the food, energy, climate, development and environment nexus? Which are the most significant potential benefits of bioenergy production and use and how can we design implementation platforms and policy frameworks to ensure that such benefits are realized and widely replicated? What are the scientific research needs and technological development requirements needed to fill in the gaps? The report says "Bioenergy derived from plants can play an essential role in satisfying the world's growing energy demand, mitigating climate change, sustainably feeding a growing population, improving socio-economic equity, minimizing ecological disruptions and preserving biodiversity. There is broad consensus that modern bioenergy will be necessary to achieve a low-carbon future. The idea that the large-scale use of bioenergy compromises efforts to meet these challenges is unsupported by the current scientific evidence when bioenergy practices are implemented properly." SCOPE or the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment, is an international non- government organization founded in 1969 to connect experts and institutions around the world. It provides authoritative and independent scientific analyses and assessments of emerging environmental issues that are caused by or impact humans and the environment.
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