Besides the potential benefits of biomass, there is increasing public awareness of the more problematic aspects, including a possible increase in the intensity of agriculture and further destruction of the rainforest. In her lecture, Stephanie Schlegel outlined the opportunities for and the risks of renewable energy expansion with emphasis on the current debate surrounding the bioenergy boom. In addition, she led a discussion with the audience about which instruments are useful for creating the bioenergy boom sustainably and the requirements for policy and consumers.

The lecture was held as part of the conference series “Introduction to Sustainable Development” at the Institute for Social Sciences at Humboldt University in Berlin. The event was organized by the Initiative for Sustainable Development, a voluntary organization comprised of dedicated students and alumni. The organization offers those interested in the theme of sustainability several methods to develop further collective thought. The presentation [pdf, 40 KB, German] by Stephanie Schlegel is available for download.