Global Atlas: Bioenergy maps in light of sustainability indicators
A group of countries and organisations dedicated to expanding bioenergy in the online Global Atlas for Renewable Energy underlined the need to consider sustainability indicators when interpreting resource maps. The group, led by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as part of the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP), met at IRENA’s offices in Bonn, Germany on 2-3 July.
The discussion focused on the implications of GBEP’s sustainability indicators for the use and interpretation of Global Atlas bioenergy maps.
The Global Atlas is a free online resource-assessment tool developed by IRENA in partnership with countries and technical institutes, in order to inform policy makers and investors about the extent of renewable energy potential at locations around the world. GBEP has developed sustainability indicators for the use of bioenergy, a renewable energy resource with enormous possibilities if it is used the right way.
Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, France, Germany, Indonesia and Japan took part as members of GBEP’s “Activity Group 5”, along with the European Commission, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), IRENA and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Speakers from Utrecht University, in the Netherlands, and South Africa’s University of KwaZulu-Natal also participated in the discussion.
Dolf Gielen, Director of the IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre highlighted the value of the Global Atlas bioenergy component, while Maria Michela Morese, GBEP Executive Secretary, noted her organisation’s key role regarding sustainable bioenergy development.