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Due to the growing market relevance of biofuels and the increasing use of agricultural feedstock for their production, the discussion about sustainability has gained in importance.
Sustainable production is a precondition for further increasing bioenergy production and use. The use of biomass for fuel, heat or power production represents a large potential for climate protection, diversification of the energy matrix, and can lead to reduction of the import dependency.
However, the advantages of bioenergy should never be obtained at the expense of the environment and the population in the producer countries. High biodiversity or high carbon density areas should not be converted into agricultural land for biomass production that is then used for bioenergy purposes.
It is important to guarantee that the GHG balance of the use of biomass and biofuels is positive. Also, the application of non-efficient conversion processes with high GHG emissions should be avoided. Ultimately, public acceptance of bioenergy and further support by politics depends on these issues.
In Germany this subject has become especially urgent and relevant due to Germany’s biofuels quota law. In Europe, the subject was brought to evidence through the proposal for the renewable energy directive and the fuel quality directive.
Germany’s biofuel quota law stipulates that energy products are only to be recognized as biofuels if the production of the used biomass fulfils certain requirements of sustainable cultivation, protection of natural habitats or if the energy product shows a certain CO2 reduction potential. The European Commission proposes a similar approach and intents to introduce a system for sustainability assurance.
In the meantime, in Germany, a sustainability regulation was passed by the Cabinet in the framework of the integrated energy and climate package on December 5th, 2007. The European Commission wants standard requirements for biofuels sustainability in Europe to strengthen the common market and considers only national regulations as not reasonable. For that reason, the European Commission holds the notification of the German regulation towards the biofuels quota in which only sustainable biofuels shall be accounted for. Currently, attempts to establish a common European regulation for sustainability assurance are running under high pressure. Also in other countries – for example in Brazil or in the U.S. – an intensive sustainability discussion is taking place.
Taking account of this background, sustainability certification of bioenergy and biomass is considered the key alternative to avoid the use of non-sustainable biomass and to promote the use of sustainable bioenergy.