Bioeconomy | Ecologic Institute: Science and Policy for a Sustainable World

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Project

Global Land Use and Sustainability (GLOBALANDS)

September 2011 to June 2014

August 2012 to June 2015

The pressure on land and natural resources is increasing worldwide. While there are many sectoral policies tackling different environmental problems, land use is not regulated in an integrated and overarching way. The discussion on sustainable biofuels and biomass highlights the continued lack of an effective and innovative framework to deal with complex land-use issues. The aim of the GLOBALANDS project is to identify existing land use policies and develop possible governance tools towards a more resource efficient and sustainable global land use.Read more

Presentation

Freshwater Impacts of Proposed Biofuel Policy in Germany

TimeLoc

6 July 2012

Suzhou

China

Andrew Ayres

On 6 July 2012, Andrew Ayres of Ecologic Institute presented a paper on water management and expanded biofuel use at the Fourth International Conference on Applied Energy in Suzhou, China. The paper, entitled "Germany’s Water Footprint of Transport Fuels," details how the water footprint indicator can be used to estimate the water resource use necessary to produce fuels in Germany under the requirements of the EU Biofuels Directive. The presentation is available for download.

At the conference, Andrew Ayres explained how previous estimates of the water footprint of Germany’sRead more

Publication

The Social Dimension of EU Biofuel Policy

In the early 2000s, biofuels were seen as a panacea for several environmental and economic challenges. In more recent years, however, their promotion has faded substantially. With the ongoing expansion of biofuel production worldwide, serious doubts have been raised about their sustainability and potential to reach environmental targets. This Ecologic Brief provides an assessment of the extent to which social aspects of biofuel production are addressed in current EU policies. It also explores possible ways of enhancing, reshaping, or extending existing policies in order to ensure the sustainable production of biofuels. The Ecologic Brief is available for download.Read more

Publication

Report

Bioeconomy

International Development

Impact of EU Bioenergy Policy on Developing Countries

In order to meet its renewable energy targets by 2020, the EU is likely to increase its demand for biomass, not only for biofuel crops but also for woody biomass. A significant portion of this biomass will likely come from developing countries, particularly those in West and Central Africa, as well as Latin American countries. This demand can have significant negative impacts in these developing regions, including environmental degradation and threats to food security. In this brief for the European Parliament, researchers at Ecologic Institute (Stefanie Wunder, Timo Kaphengst, Krista Timeus and Kristine Berzins) analyze some of those main impacts, focusing particularly on woody biomass. The study is available for download.Read more

Presentation

Speech

Bioeconomy

International Development

Impact of EU Bioenergy Policy on Developing Countries

TimeLoc

25 January 2012

Brussels

Belgium

Stephanie Wunder

In order to meet its renewable energy targets by 2020, the EU is likely to increase its demand for biomass, not only for biofuel crops but also for woody biomass. A significant portion of this biomass will likely come from developing countries. In a briefing for the European Parliament Ecologic Institute analyzed some of the main impacts of the EU bioenergy policy on developing countries, focusing particularly on woody biomass. Stephanie Wunder, Senior Fellow and Coordinator Bioenergy and Agriculture at the Ecologic Institute presented the findings of the briefing in the Committee onRead more

Project

SÖF

Bioeconomy

The Social Dimension of EU Biofuel Policy

December 2011 to February 2012

Since the adoption of the EU Renewable Energies Directive in 2009 the sustainability of biofuels has been an issue of ongoing discussions among scientists, civil society and policy-makers. While environmental concerns usually dominate the debates, the study produced in this project focuses on the social impacts of the EU biofuels production. Of particular interest in this context is the role of sustainability criteria and certification schemes in EU biofuel policy and to which extent they can ensure a sustainable use of biofuels.

In 2009, theRead more

Project

Bioeconomy

International Development

Impact of EU Bioenergy Policy on Developing Countries

November 2011 to January 2012

In order to meet its renewable energy targets by 2020, the EU is likely to increase its demand for biomass, not only for biofuel crops but also for woody biomass. A significant portion of this biomass will likely come from developing countries, particularly those in West and Central Africa, as well as Latin American countries. This demand can have significant negative impacts in these developing regions, including environmental degradation and threats to food security. In this brief for the European Parliament, researchers at Ecologic Institute analyze some of those main impacts, focusingRead more

Project

Global Land Use and Sustainability (GLOBALANDS)

September 2011 to June 2014

August 2012 to June 2015

Presentation

Lecture

Bioeconomy

Education

Biomass in the Regulation Trap? The Complexity of a Sustainable Use of Bioenergy

TimeLoc

23 August 2011

Potsdam

Germany

Timo Kaphengst

From 22 to 26 August 2011 the Vereinigung für ökologische Wirtschaftsforschung (VÖW) organized a summerschool on "Sustainable Production Chains" together with the Humboldt University of Berlin. Part of the diverse programme for PhD and master students was a seminar held at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering Potsdam-Bornim (ATB) on renewable energies with a special focus on bioenergy and biomass from agro-forest systems. In his presentation Timo Kaphengst, Coordinator for Biodiversity and Forest at Ecologic Institute, highlighted different sustainability challenges within the biomass production chain and presented current policy responses on EU and German level. The presentation can be downloaded.Read more

Publication

International Development

Prospects for Sustainable Bioenergy Production in Selected Former Communist Countries

A new publication in the journal "Ecological Indicators" by Tanja Srebotnjak, from Ecologic Institute, and Peter Hardi, from the Central European University in Hungary, examines the potentials for sustainable bioenergy production in Bulgaria, Romania and the former Soviet republics in Central Asia. The study draws on official statistics and modeling results and concludes that bioenergy potentials are highest in Bulgaria, Romania, and Kazakhstan but depend on several factors including crop choice, climatic conditions, availability of suitable land, and the institutional and legal infrastructure.Read more