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Sustainable Biomass: Background, Principles and Tools

www.aidenvironment.org. Sustainable Biomass: Background, Principles and Tools. The (Dutch) ‘policy system for stimulating biomass’ Starting points Different levels for principles: ethics, efficiency, do no harm, do more good, governance context Risks and opportunities

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Sustainable Biomass: Background, Principles and Tools

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  1. www.aidenvironment.org Sustainable Biomass:Background, Principles and Tools • The (Dutch) ‘policy system for stimulating biomass’ • Starting points • Different levels for principles: ethics, efficiency, do no harm, do more good, governance context • Risks and opportunities • Instruments and policy tools • Strategic advices

  2. www.aidenvironment.org The policy system • History: Kyoto • Resistance: energy saving, sustainable sources • But also: waste management problems • And: European agricultural policies (GER, FRA) • General attitude = “biomass is good” • Many existing instruments = a policy system

  3. www.aidenvironment.org Starting points • SP 1: It is about SUSTAINABILITY • My first question: WHY SHOULD WE REGULATE THE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS FOR BIOMASS? IS THE SITUATION COMPARABLE WITH THE PALM OIL SECTOR? • Answer is ‘no’. This is no free market. • Better comparison: public procurement. • SP 2: The baseline should be sustainability (not as a future goal).

  4. www.aidenvironment.org Level: ethics • With biomass import we replace nutritients and water from South to North • Export biomass - possible competition with food • Export biomass - possible competition with local (sustainable) energy production • ==> These are top political issues (water, food, energy) • General principle: Principles need to be integrated in climate policy including energy saving and consumption pattern • Bad example: Recent Dutch policy

  5. www.aidenvironment.org Level: efficiency • It does not help if GHG-balance is not positive - what are we doing if we cannot guarantee this???? • (Important) Uncertainties exist, especially during production. • Principle: Biomass chain 60-80% less GHG than fossil chain. • Cascade-thinking: material use is always (?) more efficient than direct burning. • Principle: No competition with material use. • Principle: Cost efficiency.

  6. www.aidenvironment.org Chances, opportunities • Theory: the Green Kuznets-curve. Applicable? • Positive socio-economic impacts are possible • Labour • Income • Development • Positive environmental impacts are possible • Better use of ‘degraded’ land

  7. www.aidenvironment.org Risks • Context: What is a commodity chain? ==> Do not underestimate these risks. • Context: Conversion proces • Land rights, food safety, migration, poverty • Dependency, market position, vulnerability • Competition about land • Deforestation • In general, conversion of valuable land • Waterquality and watermanagement • GMOs

  8. www.aidenvironment.org Level: Biomass imports= 3 types of principles (1) • 1. Do no harm principles • To prevent extreme and irreversale harm. Reactive. • Mostly on site-level. Most principles and criteria are well known. • Examples: • Land rights and tenure rights (Crit. FPIC) • No direct or indirect (!) impact on biodiversity on ecosystem level • Production system makes sustainable use of soil, water • No GMOs

  9. www.aidenvironment.org Level: Biomass imports= 3 types of principles (2) • 2. Do more good principles • Often different scale: meso-level. • Land-use planning • Human rights • Socio-economic system • Less experience. More political.

  10. www.aidenvironment.org (2) • Examples: • Within certain period positive impacts for socio-economic development in production region, especially most vulnerable people; • Active stimulating of processing industry in the region; • Income is being used for social infrastructure or natural environment; • Ecological quality in region increases through use of possibly ‘degraded’ land.

  11. www.aidenvironment.org Level: Biomass imports= 3 types of principles (3) • 3. Enabling governance context principles • Concerning the institutional environment in production country. • Good governance • Guarantee that production fulfills national laws • Existing and working land-use planning • Good legal position of local communities and indigenous people • International treaties

  12. www.aidenvironment.org Principles are useless without implentation • Ojective: The Dutch policy gives the guarantee that all biomass stimulated by or integrated in the ‘policy system’ is produced according to the principles for sustainable biomass. • Certification! Certification? • Certification is well applicable on site level • Less on meso or macro level • Thus, some principles do fit less in certification • Other options?

  13. www.aidenvironment.org Other options (1) • 2. Product-land combinations • Tailor-made per region/country/product • Can be bi-lateral agreement • Can be passive • Necessary: expertise, (caution)

  14. www.aidenvironment.org Other options (3) • 3. Regional approach • No risk • No opportunities • Creates time • Also very useful

  15. www.aidenvironment.org Conclusions • Sustainable biomass is possible, but does not happen by itself • Risks are real • Opportunities need to be created • Meta complex !! • Only part of instruments are in place in short term • What do we want?

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