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Around the world, many countries are increasing efforts to promote biomass production for industrial uses including biofuels and bio-products such as chemicals and bio-plastic. Against a backdrop of lively public debate on sustainability, bioenergy wields both positive and negative impacts upon a variety of environmental and socio-economic issues. These include property rights, labor conditions, social welfare, economic wealth, poverty reduction and more. This book discusses the issues and impacts of bioenergy, taking into account the local and regional framework under which bioenergy is produced, touching upon educational level, cultural aspects, the history and economies of the producing countries and an array of policies including environmental and social targets. The book surveys and analyzes global bioenergy production from a number of perspectives. The authors illustrate the complexity of interrelated topics in the bioenergy value chain, ranging from agriculture to conversion processes, as well as from social implications to environmental effects. It goes on to offer insight on future challenges associated with the expected boom of a global bio-based economy, which contributes to the paradigm shift from a fossil-based to a biomass and renewable energy-based economy. The expert contributors include researchers, investors, policy makers, representatives from NGOs and other stakeholders, from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. Their contributions build upon the results of the Global-Bio-Pact project on "Global Assessment of Biomass and Bio-product Impacts on Socio-economics and Sustainability," which was supported by the European Commission in its 7th Framework Program for Research and Technological Development, conducted from February 2010 to January 2013. The book benefits policy makers, scientists and NGO staffers working in the fields of agriculture, forestry, biotechnology and energy

The Carbon Labelling project implemented several labelling measures in Europe focused on transportation products and services with low CO2 emissions. The project promoted biodiesel, low-viscosity lubricants and 'low carbon' freight services. This first European carbon labelling initiative supported the discussion about measures for the greenhouse gas reduction (GHG) targets of the European Union and the role of biofuels to mitigate GHG emissions. Carbon life cycle numbers were calculated with GHG models from leading European research institutes. The identified carbon reduction numbers were used for pilot labelling initiatives via the label "CO2Star" developed by a professional advertising agency. The label and consumer information websites provided information to consumers about environmental and economic benefits of the labelled biofuels, lubricants and freight services. For instance, the German fuel distributor Q1 implemented a carbon labelling pilot programme for biodiesel (B 100) and lubricants at its fuel stations, while Dutch horticulture freight companies implemented the carbon label to promote "low carbon" freight services.

This report describes how countries and regions are successfully putting into practice the principles of Smart Specialisation, drawing lessons for TRACER partner regions. Smart Specialisation suggests that the most effective way to deliver innovation, and ultimately regional or national economic development, is to concentrate public and private interventions and resources on a limited number of priorities, based on national/regional strengths. The three case study regions explored in detail in this report – South Limburg (Netherlands), Asturias (Spain) and North-Rhine Westphalia (Germany) - share a history in coal mining, while being diverse in terms of their geographies, transition stages and sectors of specialisation. However, within these different contexts, Smart Specialisation strategies have played a key role in the innovation focus of such regions and in their transition out of coal, partly using the competitive advantages they may have in the production and transportation of energy sources. Besides their Smart Specialisation strategies, the mining history, wider transition policies, challenges and change-enabling conditions show how (former) coal regions have been handling economic diversification and structural adaptation. Together, the longitudinal historical processes and current innovation strategies that shape these regions may be an important resource for S3 and wider transition policies in coal-intensive regions elsewhere. Finally, the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan has been the research and innovation pillar of the EU's energy and climate policy since 2007, coordinating low-carbon research and innovation activities in EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. The SET Plan helps structure European and national research programmes and triggers substantial investments on common priorities in low-carbon technologies. The implementation of SET Plan Implementation Plans is currently not directly linked with existing R&I strategies for the transition in coal intensive ...

Abstract Low‐cost sustainable biomass availability in the European Union may not be able to meet increasing demand; exploring the option of importing biomass is therefore imperative for the years to come. This article assesses sustainable biomass export potential from Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, Ukraine, and the United States by applying a number of sustainability criteria. Only biomass types with the highest potential are selected, to take advantage of economies of scale, e.g. pulpwood, wood waste, and residues in the United States, and agricultural residues in Ukraine. This study found that, except for the United States, pellet markets in the sourcing regions are largely undeveloped. The export potential depends strongly on pellet mill capacity and assumed growth rates in the pellet industry. Results show that the United States, Ukraine, Indonesia, and Brazil offer the highest biomass export potential. In the Business As Usual 2030 scenario, up to 204 PJ could potentially be mobilized; in the High Export scenario this could increase to 1423 PJ, with 89% of the potential being available for costs ranging from 6.4 to 15 €/GJ. These potentials meet the European Commission requirements for a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions set in the Renewable Energy Directive. The total export potentials do not reflect the net possible import potentials to the European Union, as biomass could be imported to other countries where there is a demand for it, where less strict sustainability requirements are applied, and which are proximate to the sourcing regions, notably South Korea, Japan, and China. © 2018 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley Sons, Ltd.