Jan-Erik%20Petersen,%20EEA

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Analysing environmental aspects of bio-energy
production Workshop in European Parliament,
25/01/2012

• Jan-Erik Petersen, EEA

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Approach to presentation

1. Introduction
2. Environmental issues
3. Final considerations

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Two different bioenergy systems which one is
more sustainable?
Source www.radford.edu
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Land use impact on natural cycles
Carbon cycle
Nutrient cycles (NP)
(Agricultural) land use
Water cycle
Ecosystem resilience
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Environmental issues of energy cropping
(Global) land use change availability
Pathways Energy Cropping Approaches
Bioenergy Environment
Impacts of Cropping practices
Impacts of Conversion processes
Air GHG emissions, carbon sinks, water quality
quantity, soils, biodiversity
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The question of system boundaries
Spatial scale
Belgium
World
Europe
Bio-fuel
Wind power
Energy sectors
Bio-heat
Bio-power
Solar power
Other renew.
Food, fiber, bioplastics etc
Soils water
GHG balance
Biodiversity landscape
Environm. issues
Global cycles
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What tools do we have?
Weaknesses
Analytical tools

• Indirect land use effects
• Environmental impacts low spatial resolution
• Analysis of economic drivers outlooks
• Assumptions and system boundaries

• Life cycle analysis
• Agro-economic modeling
• Satellite and field observations
• Scenario analysis

gt Need to combine different approaches !
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Resource efficiency of biomass
Diversifi-cation of imports
t CO2 avoided per hectare?
Greenhouse gas reduction
Supply security
Replace as much imported fuel as possible
Bioenergy
t CO2 avoided per euro ?
Environ- mental resources
Costs Employment
crop mix respects soil, water
synergies with nature protection
land use change
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Present CO2-Mitigation cost(approximate values
!)
Estimates of cost-efficiency for different
bioenergy pathways
Surces IEA, Heissenhuber, own calculations
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What public investments to make?
Developing a better basis for (policy) decisions

• Development of suitable global data sets on
  land use and farming systems
• Consider the interactive impact of national
  policies on global resources
• Need to combine various analytical approaches
  consider interactions between different sectors
• Create/maintain sufficient capacity for
  integrated analysis
• Knowledge transfer and extension to producers
  and stakeholders

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Thank you for your attention !

• Jan-Erik.Petersen_at_eea.europa.eu
• www.eea.europa.eu