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sustainability criteria agreed on in an international forum. Currently, through the
Bioenergy and Food Security Project, FAO is studying principles, criteria, and
guidelines for biofuel use, with an emphasis on reducing trade barriers, reaching
agreement on international sustainability criteria (standards), and capacity development in developing countries from an international perspective.
At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), 20 UN organizations formed the UN-Energy program with the aim of securing consistency in
UN organizations’ multidisciplinary response. Regarding bioenergy, which includes
biofuels, UN-Energy has identified key areas for implementing the sustainable use
of biofuels and energy at the international level. Specifically, UN-Energy points to
the need for monitoring and assessment of the impact of bioenergy development on
agriculture, industry, health, environment, and trade and for sustainable cropping
and use of energy crops conforming to the mechanisms of environment conventions
such as the Framework Convention on Climate Change. UN-Energy further points
to the necessity of technology development for bioenergy use and the establishment
of standards and certification systems in a way that does not obstruct trade, as well
as the need for technology transfer and development. UN-Energy has also identified
items for national policymakers to study in deploying policies for biofuel use
(UN-Energy 2007).
At the G8 Gleneagles Summit 2005, the G8 leaders agreed on the Gleneagles
Plan of Action for climate change, clean energy, and sustainable development and
made the decision to launch the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) to support
wider, more cost-effective biomass and biofuels deployment, particularly in developing countries where the use of biomass is prevalent. Participants in the GBEP
include the G8 countries, developing countries such as Brazil and China, and international organizations such as the FAO and IEA. The GBEP conducts study into
efficient policies for supplying rules and tools for promoting sustainable bioenergy
(biomass and biofuels). Specifically, these efforts are in the following three areas:
developing voluntary standards and indicators that are practical and have a scientific
basis to promote the sustainable development of bioenergy, testing a common methodological framework for measurement of GHG emission reduction from bioenergy
use; and awareness raising to promote information exchange regarding bioenergy.
Every year, the GBEP reports the results of its studies to the G8 and G20. In
particular, the GBEP is aiming to identify criteria and indicators that are consistent
with multilateral trade agreements but intended to be used at the domestic level. In
May 2011, the GBEP reached agreement on a list of indicators to report to the G8
Summit in 2011. The GBEP indicators comprise eight items each in the three areas
of environmental, social, and economic and energy indicators. Environmental indicators include GHG emissions from a life cycle perspective, percentage of water
resources used for harvesting and manufacturing, biodiversity, and changes in land
use. Social indicators include legal instruments for the distribution and ownership
of land for new bioenergy production, the price and supply of food, and changes in
income, job creation, and time spent collecting biomass by women and children.
Economic indicators include productivity, net energy balance, and diversity of
energy supply sources as affected by the supply of biofuels (GBEP 2011).
S. Arai and H. Matsuda
sustainability criteria agreed on in an international forum. Currently, through the
Bioenergy and Food Security Project, FAO is studying principles, criteria, and
guidelines for biofuel use, with an emphasis on reducing trade barriers, reaching
agreement on international sustainability criteria (standards), and capacity development in developing countries from an international perspective.
At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), 20 UN organizations formed the UN-Energy program with the aim of securing consistency in
UN organizations’ multidisciplinary response. Regarding bioenergy, which includes
biofuels, UN-Energy has identified key areas for implementing the sustainable use
of biofuels and energy at the international level. Specifically, UN-Energy points to
the need for monitoring and assessment of the impact of bioenergy development on
agriculture, industry, health, environment, and trade and for sustainable cropping
and use of energy crops conforming to the mechanisms of environment conventions
such as the Framework Convention on Climate Change. UN-Energy further points
to the necessity of technology development for bioenergy use and the establishment
of standards and certification systems in a way that does not obstruct trade, as well
as the need for technology transfer and development. UN-Energy has also identified
items for national policymakers to study in deploying policies for biofuel use
(UN-Energy 2007).
At the G8 Gleneagles Summit 2005, the G8 leaders agreed on the Gleneagles
Plan of Action for climate change, clean energy, and sustainable development and
made the decision to launch the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) to support
wider, more cost-effective biomass and biofuels deployment, particularly in developing countries where the use of biomass is prevalent. Participants in the GBEP
include the G8 countries, developing countries such as Brazil and China, and international organizations such as the FAO and IEA. The GBEP conducts study into
efficient policies for supplying rules and tools for promoting sustainable bioenergy
(biomass and biofuels). Specifically, these efforts are in the following three areas:
developing voluntary standards and indicators that are practical and have a scientific
basis to promote the sustainable development of bioenergy, testing a common methodological framework for measurement of GHG emission reduction from bioenergy
use; and awareness raising to promote information exchange regarding bioenergy.
Every year, the GBEP reports the results of its studies to the G8 and G20. In
particular, the GBEP is aiming to identify criteria and indicators that are consistent
with multilateral trade agreements but intended to be used at the domestic level. In
May 2011, the GBEP reached agreement on a list of indicators to report to the G8
Summit in 2011. The GBEP indicators comprise eight items each in the three areas
of environmental, social, and economic and energy indicators. Environmental indicators include GHG emissions from a life cycle perspective, percentage of water
resources used for harvesting and manufacturing, biodiversity, and changes in land
use. Social indicators include legal instruments for the distribution and ownership
of land for new bioenergy production, the price and supply of food, and changes in
income, job creation, and time spent collecting biomass by women and children.
Economic indicators include productivity, net energy balance, and diversity of
energy supply sources as affected by the supply of biofuels (GBEP 2011).
S. Arai and H. Matsuda