“Bioenergy for Sustainable Development in Africa” Lessons Learned from COMPETE, Brussels, 24-25 November 2009
(Pangea Quarterly Newsletter) … In 2009, PANGEA staff spent a great deal of time looking at the food vs. fuel controversy and working to find ways to re-frame the discussion into one of food and fuel co-production. The year ahead will see us continuing to focus on the food and fuel debate as we expand into other areas as well. We will be including topics such as the promotion of regional markets for biofuel as well as additional technologies such as biogas and solar.
… The following recommendations for African policymakers are aimed at ensuring sufficient local value creation and retention from bioenergy development to provide African countries with sustainable socio-economic development opportunities for the local population, according to COMPETE. These policy recommendations address: policy development, market development, stakeholder involvement, as well as research and capacity building. …
• African governments should set clear and realistic policy goals and objectives to define the desired development pathways for bioenergy in Africa. It is hereby acknowledged that the desired scale of bioenergy projects influences the choice of policy options. Crucially, the scale and nature of bioenergy developments need to match the needs and context of the communities within which they will be embedded. …
• Policy development should follow a holistic approach linking energy, agriculture, rural development, and industry development. Furthermore, bioenergy policies should address traditional biomass for household applications as well as modern bioenergy solutions for the transport, electricity and heat sectors.
• African governments should clearly define their own social and environmental sustainability requirements and guidelines for investors in bioenergy projects to ensure benefits for the local population. READ MORE
Related posts:
- Bioenergy Markets West Africa, October 27-29, Accra, Ghana
- Speech by Philip New, CEO, BP Biofuels at F.O. Lichts World Ethanol 2009 Conference, Paris, 3 November 2009
- Africa: Land-Grabbing – the Why and the How
- Bioenergy Markets Africa Maputo, Mozambique May 11-13
- State of the States 2009: Renewable Energy Development and the Role of Policy
