Brussels, Belgium 2010
Greenhouse gas emissions from bioenergy systems: impacts of timing, issues of responsibility
Brussels, Belgium, March 8th – 10th, 2010
Jointly organised by
Task 38 – Greenhouse Gas Balances of Biomass and Bioenergy Systems
Scope and objectives of the conference
The IEA Bioenergy Task38 conference on Greenhouse gas emissions from bioenergy systems: impacts of timing, issues of responsibility consists of two days of presentation and discussion on issues including
- How can indirect land use change due to bioenergy be quantified and managed?
- What is the impact of timing of GHG emissions from land use change, and emission reductions and sequestration associated with bioenergy systems?
- Who should take responsibility for GHG emissions due to land use change associated with bioenergy?
- Can policy mechanisms be used to recognize impacts of timing, and issues of responsibility?
The goals of the conference were:
- Share knowledge and increase understanding of the impacts of timing and issues of responsibility for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from bioenergy systems.
- Draft a summary document including recommendations, that will be circulated broadly, and presented to the IEA Bioenergy Executive Committee.
- Convey the key points and recommendations in a briefing paper for policy-makers, to inform negotiations toward the post-2012 climate change agreement.
- Enhance an informal alliance of researchers interested in these topics, currently known as the “Graz Group”, that will continue to discuss these issues and work together to draft journal papers and briefing papers for policy-makers
Final workshop summary (PDF-file 97kB)
Program
Session 1: Introduction, background, methodological issues
Keynote address: Adding when to the what, where, if and why of biofuels’ indirect climate effects – and adding others to the list of usual suspects. – Michael O´Hare, University of California at Berkeley, USA
Presentation
Is bioenergy carbon neutral? An overview of the work of IEA Bioenergy Task 38 on GHG balances of biomass and bioenergy systems. – Annette Cowie, IEA Bioenergy Task 38 Management, National Centre for Rural Greenhouse Gas Research, Australia
Presentation
Session 2: Issues of Responsibility
The net-benefit of bioenergy for climate change mitigation. – Alexander Popp, Potsdam-Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany
Presentation
Better use of biomass for energy. IEA RETD / IEA Bioenergy Position Paper. – Uwe Fritsche, Oeko Institute, Germany
Presentation
Preserving the world’s tropical forests: A price on carbon may not do. – Martin Persson, Chalmers University, Sweden
Presentation
Global Bioenergy Partnership: Version zero of the methodological framework for GHG LCA of bioenergy. – Horst Fehrenbach, Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung IFEU, Germany
Presentation
The EU Renewable Energy Directive and its implementation, including addressing indirect land use change. – Catherine Bowyer, Institute for European Environmental Policy, United Kingdom
Methodological issues on GHG emission calculations. – Paul Hodson, European Commission, DG TREN, Brussels
Presentation
Intensification of agriculture for bioenergy: Impacts on GHG emissions and biodiversity. – Jan Ros, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Netherlands
Presentation
Opportunities and complications in the transition towards a sustainable bio-based economy. – Leen Gorissen, VITO, Belgium
Presentation
Sustainable biomass imports – Challenges for GHG LCA methodology implementation within an operational verification procedure. – Chrystelle Verhoest, Laborelec, Belgium
Presentation
Session 3: Impacts of timing
Invited address: Reassessing optimal climate-change mitigation strategies through more explicit consideration of the role of time in impact assessments. – Miko Kirschbaum, Landcare Research, New Zealand
Presentation
On the timing of greenhouse gas emissions. – Neil Bird, IEA Bioenergy Task 38 Management, Joanneum Research, Austria
Presentation
CO2 perturbation and associated global warming potentials following emissions from biofuel based on wood. – Glen Peters, Center for International Climate and Environmental Research, Norway
Presentation
Radiative forcing effects of forest fertilization and biomass substitution. – Roger Sathre, Leif Gustavsson, Mid Sweden University, Sweden
Presentation
Improved time accounting in the estimation of GHG emissions from indirect land use change. – Jesper Hedal Kløverpris, Novozymes A/S, Denmark
Presentation
Future Bioenergy and Sustainable Land Use. The vision of the German Advisory Council on Global Change. – Michael Sterner, Fraunhofer IWES, University of Kassel, Germany
Presentation
Excursion Wednesday, 10 March 2010
The full day study tour took participants to
- the bioethanol plant Biowanze in Wanze (http://www.biowanze.be) and
- the pellet power plant Les Awirs in Liège
(http://www.electrabel.be/sustainable_development_corp/act_today_initiatives.aspx)
List of Participants
Click on thumbnails to enlarge pictures
