• Research
  • Africa
  • Americas
  • Asia
  • Energy, Environment and Development
    • About the programme
    • Current projects
      • Promoting Climate Security
      • Enabling Energy Security
      • Strengthening Sustainable Development Solutions
    • Research events
    • Press releases
    • Staff
    • Audio and transcripts
    • The World Today articles
    • International Affairs articles
    • Reports and Papers
    • Books
  • Europe
  • International Economics
  • International Law
  • International Security
  • Middle East
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • Global Trends - Food Supply Project

Biofuels and Sustainable Development

Biofuels - fuels from plant materials - are being promoted as a way of tackling climate change and energy security. Recent debate has challenged the appropriateness of biofuels, however, because of uncertainty about the their contribution to greenhouse gas emission reductions and growing controversy over their possible unintended consequences, such as their impact on global biodiversity or their contribution (real or perceived) to rising global food prices.

Chatham House has convened several meetings to facilitate discussion among representatives of academia, business and governments on what has become a major focus for global energy security. The most recent was a meeting organised along with the Brazilian Embassy on 8 October 2008. Speakers included the Minister Andre Correa do Lago, Director of the Department of Energy in the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations, and representatives from ICONE, Wageningen University, ODI, NIPE/UNICAMP, EEF, ProForest and the University of Sao Paolo.

On 14-15 April 2008 Chatham House hosted a roundtable workshop on biofuels policy. The purpose of the workshop was to facilitate discussion around practical policy options that address the complexities of biofuels and support an appropriate role for biofuels in a low-carbon energy future. The workshop considered the world outlook for liquid fuels, driven in large part by surface transport, and the potential contribution that biofuels could make to the global fuel mix, taking into account the different biofuels technologies, their relative contribution to global targets for greenhouse-gas abatement and their often complex interactions with other global priorities, notably food production and biodiversity conservation.

Recent Papers

• The Potential Contribution of Biofuels to Sustainable Development and a Low-Carbon Future
  Programme Paper, Thomas Legge, October 2008

• A Practical Approach for Ensuring Biofuels are a Positive Contributor to a Low-Carbon Future
  Background Paper, April 2008

Recent Meetings

• Biofuels and Sustainability: Brazilian Perspectives
  8 October 2008
  
  
• A Practical Approach for Ensuring Biofuels are a Positive Contributor to a Low-Carbon Future
  14-15 April 2008

Contact

Lucy Ellinas, Energy, Environment and Development Programme
Tel: +44 (0)20 7314 3639
Email Lucy Ellinas >>