The World Bioenergy Association (WBA) is inviting stakeholders across the international bioenergy sector to come together to discuss sustainability best practices and has published a paper exploring the Glasgow Declaration on Sustainable Bioenergy and key sustainability issues.
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The new paper, “Transparency, trust and best practice of responsible biomass use”, published by the World Bioenergy Association, explores the Glasgow Declaration on Sustainable Bioenergy, some of the nuances of the public debate on sustainability, and the importance of getting bioenergy right.
Bioenergy has a vital role to play in tackling the climate crisis, but only when it is done in a sustainable way.
The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) landmark Net Zero Emissions report calls for modern, sustainably-sourced bioenergy to meet almost 20 percent of global energy needs by 2050.
The bioenergy sector must therefore make it clear to all stakeholders, whether policymakers, regulators, the third sector, or the public that the sector is committed to high standards in every aspect of sustainability.
The paper also acknowledges the need for precision in public debate, which it says has become polarised in some parts of the world.
For bioenergy to contribute to climate change mitigation, it must be sustainable. That means working together to improve trust, understanding, and best practices. Bioenergy is an essential tool for delivering net zero emissions, but only when delivered under the right conditions. As the bioenergy sector expands around the world, we have launched the Glasgow Declaration on Sustainable Bioenergy as a starting framework for advancing sustainability best practices and enabling a more nuanced debate on what those right conditions look like, said Dr Christian Rakos, President of WBA.
Build on Glasgow Declaration
Launched at COP26, the Glasgow Declaration on Sustainable Bioenergy sets out 16 high-level sustainability principles for responsible biomass use.
The aim of the principles is to create a simplified framework version of regulations and requirements needed in sustainable bioenergy, to enable a more nuanced debate about what makes the right conditions for sustainability through regulation, certification, and best practice.
Drax is committed to ensuring the biomass we source delivers positive outcomes for the climate, nature, and for the communities in which we operate. As part of this commitment, Drax is proud to support the Glasgow Declaration on Sustainable Bioenergy as a dialogue for improving understanding and best practices in biomass sourcing globally. We look forward to engaging further with stakeholders both within and outside of the industry with the aim of embedding the Declaration’s principles into meaningful and consistent standards and regulations around bioenergy use, said Dr Alan Knight, Group Director of Sustainability at Drax.
Industry players and stakeholders are now invited to use the Glasgow Declaration as a starting framework to discuss and develop sustainability best practices in dialogue within and beyond the global industry.
As the bioenergy sector expands, the paper states, “we all have a responsibility to ensure sustainability is at the heart of any biomass use.”
Sustainability is at the core of Graanul Invest’s approach to business and the use of biomass. Bioenergy is key to tackling climate change but must be aligned with clear principles of transparency, compliance, and best practice. The ongoing development of a global bioeconomy will be a key part of a transition to a sustainable future but will require collaboration across a wide range of sectors. The Glasgow Declaration on Sustainable Bioenergy is an important initiative to drive and expand ambition on sustainability and best practice as we move towards a Net Zero world, ended Mihkel Jugaste, Chief Sustainability Officer at Graanul Invest.
