biomass and biofuels

Biofuels are derived from plant or animal material. Biofuels can contribute to the solution of three civic issues:
• energy security
• rural development
• reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Governments around the world stimulate the use of biofuels, resulting in a significant increase in the demand for biofuel feedstocks: rapeseed, maize, sugarcane, sugar beet, palm oil, wood and other energy crops. Many of these crops are grown in Southern countries where natural conditions are ideal and the cost of land and labor relatively low.

The increasing production of energy crops can boost local prosperity, bringing employment, new markets for smallholders and cooperatives, and regional development. However, the expansion of energy crops has its downside, with the loss of valuable wildlife areas, pollution of soil, water and air, erosion, landright conflicts, slavery and greenhouse gas emissions.

The growing popularity of biofuels magnifies the challenges mankind faces and demands creative solutions and fundamental choices. It raises the question of where the responsibility of individual companies and national governments to do no harm begins and ends.

Aidenvironment sees potential benefits for mankind and nature in the harnessing of bio energy sources. In addition to this ‘do more good approach’, we emphasize the importance of careful development and management to avoid negative impacts: the so-called ‘do no harm approach’. Our consultancy services vary from helping governments develop sustainable policies and NGOs determine their position to advising companies on making strategic choices and devising effective instruments for managing sustainability impacts.

Some of the recent projects we have carried out for our clients are:

• development of feedstock, country and partner identification tools; for major electricity producer
• baseline survey on small-scale wood for energy production in Burundi, Rwanda and DRC; for IFDC
  
• development and execution of an international Sugarcane Ethanol Campaign; for Solidaridad
  
• a quick scan of the possible impacts of biofuel production in the African wetlands; for Wetlands International
  
• sustainability due diligence of biofuels projects in Africa and South America; for major electricity producer
  
• formulation of a plan for the realization of sustainable conditions for a jatropha plantation
  
• assisting the Cramer Commission in defining criteria and indicators for sustainable biomass, aimed at biodiversity, soil, water and air; for SenterNovem