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

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Event

Transatlantic Program

Transatlantic Farmer-to-Farmer Exchange on Bioenergy and Climate Friendly Farming Practices

TimeLoc

8 August 2007 to 19 August 2007

Brandenburg, Kansas and Missouri

On 9-19 August 2007, a transatlantic Farmer-to-Farmer exchange program brought together 30 farmers, policy makers, scientists, and journalists from the United States and Europe with an agricultural background. The program included field visits to farms and biomass processing facilities in Germany and the U.S. as well as visits to research institutes to see experimental bioenergy cropping, climate friendly agricultural practices and to discuss the link between climate and agricultural policy.Read more

Publication

Article

Bioeconomy

Nachhaltige Biomassenutzung in Europa

Biomass constitutes an important but limited renewable energy source for the future. In this article Timo Kaphengst discusses sustainability aspects of biomass use for bioenergy in the European context. The article is available for download.

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Presentation

Speech

Bioeconomy

The Role of Renewable Energy in a Sustainable Energy Supply – The Example of Bioenergy

TimeLoc

19 June 2007

Berlin

Germany

Stephanie Wunder

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.

Presentation

Speech

Energy

Bioeconomy

Transatlantic Program

Assessing European and U.S. Policies; Biofuels Production, Trade and Sustainability

TimeLoc

25 May 2007

Berlin

Germany

R. Andreas Kraemer

The United States – though the 2005 Energy Policy Act – and the European Union – through the European Energy Policy – created incentives for expanding biofuel production and use. On 25 May 2007, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and DaimlerChrysler convened a conference in Berlin on "Transatlantic Approaches to Biofuels". R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic spoke on Assessing European and U.S. Policies.

Presentation

Panel discussion

Bioeconomy

Energy

Transatlantic Program

Biofuels as Part of a Climate Protection and Economic Growth Strategy – Comparing Scientific and Industrial Perspectives

TimeLoc

25 May 2007

Berlin

Germany

Presentation

Transatlantic Program

Reviewing the Economic, Agricultural, and Trade Policy Impacts of European and U.S. Biofuels Policies

TimeLoc

24 May 2007

Brussels

Belgium

R. Andreas Kraemer

The United States -- though the 2005 Energy Policy Act -- and the European Union -- through the European Energy Policy -- created incentives for expanding biofuel production and use. On 24 May 2007, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) convened a seminar in Brussels on "Transatlantic Approaches to Biofuels" and invited R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute to provide indight to sustainability and trade policy aspects.

Project

Impact of Bioenergy Production on Water Quality and Water Resources

May 2007 to October 2007

The project compiles available scientific information on the likely impact of bioenergy production on water quality and water resources. The results of this project were presented in a background paper entiteled "WFD and Bioenergy production at the EU Level - A review of the possible impact of biomass production from agriculture on water" for the European conference "Water Framework Directive and Agriculture" in Paris, 21-22 September 2007.

The background paper gives a brief introduction to agricultural and bioenergy policy in the EU, followed by an introduction on EuropeanRead more

Project

Bioeconomy

Sustainability

Transport

Sustainability Standards for Biofuels

May 2007 to June 2007

In April 2007 the European Commission (DG Transport and Energy) launched a public consultation on “Biofuel issues in the new legislation on the promotion of renewable energy”. Within this project, the European Environment Agency contracted Ecologic and Alterra to respond to the Commission’s public consultation with regard to how a biofuel sustainability system should be designed to avoid major biodiversity loss from land use change.

In particular, Ecologic responded to the Commission’s public consultation with regard to sustainability criterion 3. This criterion foresees thatRead more

Project

Backgrounds and Effects of EU Bioenergy Policies (AGRINERGY)

May 2007 to October 2008

AGRINERGY (EU Bioenergy Policies and their effects on rural areas and agriculture policies) is a Specific Support Action (SSA) within the Sixth EU Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP6). The project aims to analyse and understand the socio-economic, environmental and societal issues of EU bioenergy policies and their effects on future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and how they fit into the concept of sustainable rural development.

At the Spring meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 8-9 March 2007, the EU heads ofRead more

Publication

Policy Brief

Bioeconomy

EU Environment

European Union Policy on Bioenergy

The European Community has undertaken an ambitious program aimed at improving the sustainability of energy use across Europe. At the heart of this program are efforts by the European Union and its Member States to encourage the use of renewable sources of energy. Bioenergy has become a focal point in efforts to increase the use of renewable energy. This policy brief summarises the development and status quo of the EU bioenergy policy framework and links it to the current debate on sustainability of bioenergy.Read more