sustainable biomass: background, principles and tools

Sustainable Biomass:Background, Principles and Tools

1. The (Dutch) ‘policy system for stimulating biomass’

2. Starting points

3. Different levels for principles: ethics, efficiency, do no harm, do more good, governance context

4. Risks and opportunities

5. Instruments and policy tools

6. Strategic advices

www.aidenvironment.org

The policy system

1. History: Kyoto

2. Resistance: energy saving, sustainable sources

3. But also: waste management problems

4. And: European agricultural policies (GER, FRA)

5. General attitude = “biomass is good”

6. Many existing instruments = a policy system


Starting points

1. SP 1: It is about SUSTAINABILITY

2. My first question: WHY SHOULD WE REGULATE THE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS FOR BIOMASS? IS THE SITUATION COMPARABLE WITH THE PALM OIL SECTOR?

3. Answer is ‘no’. This is no free market.

4. Better comparison: public procurement.

5. SP 2: The baseline should be sustainability (not as a future goal).


Level: ethics

1. With biomass import we replace nutritients and water from South to North

2. Export biomass - possible competition with food

3. Export biomass - possible competition with local (sustainable) energy production

4. ==> These are top political issues (water, food, energy)

5. General principle: Principles need to be integrated in climate policy including energy saving and consumption pattern

6. Bad example: Recent Dutch policy


Level: efficiency

1. It does not help if GHG-balance is not positive - what are we doing if we cannot guarantee this????

2. (Important) Uncertainties exist, especially during production.

3. Principle: Biomass chain 60-80% less GHG than fossil chain.

4. Cascade-thinking: material use is always (?) more efficient than direct burning.

5. Principle: No competition with material use.

6. Principle: Cost efficiency.


Chances, opportunities

1. Theory: the Green Kuznets-curve. Applicable?

2. Positive socio-economic impacts are possible

1. Labour2. Income3. Development

• Positive environmental impacts are possible

• Better use of ‘degraded’ land


Risks

1. Context: What is a commodity chain? ==> Do not underestimate these risks.

2. Context: Conversion proces

1. Land rights, food safety, migration, poverty2. Dependency, market position, vulnerability3. Competition about land

4. Deforestation5. In general, conversion of valuable land6. Waterquality and watermanagement7. GMOs


Level: Biomass imports= 3 types of principles (1)

1. 1. Do no harm principles

2. To prevent extreme and irreversale harm. Reactive.

3. Mostly on site-level. Most principles and criteria are well known.

4. Examples:

1. Land rights and tenure rights (Crit. FPIC)2. No direct or indirect (!) impact on biodiversity on ecosystem

level3. Production system makes sustainable use of soil, water4. No GMOs



1. 2. Do more good principles

2. Often different scale: meso-level.

1. Land-use planning2. Human rights3. Socio-economic system

3. Less experience. More political.


(2)

1. Examples:

1. Within certain period positive impacts for socio-economic development in production region, especially most vulnerable people;

2. Active stimulating of processing industry in the region;3. Income is being used for social infrastructure or natural

environment;4. Ecological quality in region increases through use of possibly

‘degraded’ land.



1. 3. Enabling governance context principles

2. Concerning the institutional environment in production country.

3. Good governance

4. Guarantee that production fulfills national laws

5. Existing and working land-use planning

6. Good legal position of local communities and indigenous people

7. International treaties


Principles are useless without implentation

1. 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.

2. Certification! Certification?

1. Certification is well applicable on site level2. Less on meso or macro level3. Thus, some principles do fit less in certification

3. Other options?


Other options (1)

1. 2. Product-land combinations

2. Tailor-made per region/country/product

3. Can be bi-lateral agreement

4. Can be passive

5. Necessary: expertise, (caution)


Other options (3)

1. 3. Regional approach

2. No risk

3. No opportunities

4. Creates time

5. Also very useful


Conclusions

1. Sustainable biomass is possible, but does not happen by itself

2. Risks are real

3. Opportunities need to be created

4. Meta complex !!

5. Only part of instruments are in place in short term

6. What do we want?


sustainable biomass: background, principles and tools

Documents