During the joint statement IRENA and international partners emphasize the crucial role of bioenergy in the fight against climate change. By decarbonizing difficult sectors, supporting renewable energy and improving energy resilience, bioenergy is essential to limit global warming. In addition to its role in achieving climate goals, bioenergy also supports development goals by promoting energy security, rural development, employment and poverty reduction.
To limit global warming to 1,5°C, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) predicts that bioenergy will need to nearly triple its share of total final energy consumption (TPEC) by 2050, from the current 7% to more than 18%.
“We must be realistic – our decarbonization targets cannot be achieved without sustainable bioenergy, especially in hard-to-abate sectors. We need bioenergy to reach net zero, and only good governance can ensure its sustainable use and practice,” stated Roland Roesch, Director of IRENA's Innovation and Technology Center.
Awareness and collaboration
To raise awareness about the crucial role of sustainable bioenergy in the global energy transition, IRENA has issued a joint statement together with the Clean Energy Ministerial Biofuture Platform Initiative, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Energy Agency (IEA ), the IEA Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Development Program and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. The statement was drawn up by a Cross-Initiative Coordination Group on Bioenergy and organized by the Global Bioenergy Partnership. It aims to address ongoing debates about the role bioenergy should play in supporting climate and development goals.
Benefits and recommendations
Biomass and its bioenergy derivatives are versatile, storable and usable; they can replace fossil energy and complement variable renewable energy and other low-carbon options in transport, power and heat production, industrial processes and clean cooking, improving resilience in the energy system. In addition to reducing global warming, sustainable bioenergy can contribute to energy security, access to clean energy, rural development, increased agricultural productivity, improved farmer incomes, employment, gender equality, responsible industrial development, poverty reduction and climate mitigation and adaptation strategies .
Through good governance, bioenergy – as part of the broader bioeconomy – can help address risks related to land and resource use, food security, natural ecosystems and carbon stocks, while promoting equity, justice and economic competitiveness. Bioenergy Europe has a series of recommendations prepared for the new leadership of the European Union to unlock the sector's potential and drive forward the energy transition.
Source: Bioenergyeurope.org
