Bioenergy currently accounts for two-thirds of all global renewable energy consumption, including renewable electricity and renewable energy sources for heating, cooling and transport. Half of this consumption is in the form of traditional cooking and heating, mainly in developing countries. Although this practice is often inefficient or unsustainable, 2,4 billion people worldwide do not have access to cleaner alternatives for cooking. Modern applications of bioenergy can provide electricity generation, heating in buildings, transportation fuels or industrial uses. They can also play a major role in the energy transition, especially in sectors with limited renewable alternatives.
Although bioenergy offers several benefits, it can also have negative environmental, social and economic impacts, such as biodiversity loss, food insecurity and deforestation. Minimizing these potential negative impacts requires a strong policy framework that is tailored to the local context. Policy measures are also urgently needed to remove the various political, financial, technical and supply chain-related barriers that continue to hinder bioenergy deployment.
This IRENA report provides an overview of the challenges and related policy measures needed to scale up the deployment of key bioenergy applications. It assesses potential sustainability aspects and emphasizes the importance of a policy framework that includes sustainability-based objectives and long-term planning; cross-sectoral coordination for bioenergy; sustainability governance supported by regulations and certification schemes; as well as the integration of bioenergy policymaking with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report also provides policy recommendations for removing barriers to the use of bioenergy for clean cooking, building heating, electricity production and both industrial and transportation applications.
Source: Irena.org
