Bioenergy
Inputs
Agricultural residues, sustainable energy crops, forestry by-products and municipal organic waste: the biological raw materials that make bioenergy possible .
Applications
Heat, power, transport fuels and clean cooking: bioenergy's role across the energy system, from rural households to industrial processes .
Sustainable bioenergy can be produced from biomass resources in multi-functional, integrated agrifood systems, along with food, feed and/or bioproducts, from biogenic waste and residue streams, or as a co-product of ecosystem management. It can play a unique role in addressing climate change and supporting just and inclusive energy transitions, particularly in sectors and regions where other decarbonization options are costly or not yet available.
When derived from sustainable biomass resources and produced with energy-efficient and low-emissions technologies, bioenergy can replace fossil fuels without competing with food production or putting pressure on land. Getting those trade-offs right is what makes sustainability assessment central to FAO's approach.
FAO's WORK
FAO supports countries in assessing their sustainable bioenergy potential (through the Bioenergy and Food Security Approach - BEFS) and monitoring the sustainability of existing bioenergy value chains (through the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) Sustainability Indicators for bioenergy - GSIs). The goal is to enable the development of policies that strengthen sustainable bioenergy development by balancing energy access with food security, environmental protection and rural development.
FAO is a founding partner of the GBEP and hosts its secretariat since its establishment in 2006. GBEP is the leading international platform for bioenergy sustainability monitoring, whose 24 voluntary indicators have been applied in more than 15 countries. Complementing this work, FAO's BEFS Rapid Appraisal includes 17 user-friendly tools organized under three modules:
- Country status
- Natural resources
- Energy end-use options
The objective of these tools is to help countries assess bioenergy opportunities in the context of national energy and food security priorities, evaluate available biomass resources, and screen the technical, economic and socio-economic viability of different bioenergy pathways while identifying potential risks and trade-offs.
Related content
- Sustainable bioenergy from agriculture - FAO Energy portal
- Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP)
- Sustainable bioenergy potential from crop, livestock and woody residues in India
- Sustainable bioenergy potential from crop, livestock and woody residues in Rwanda: An integrated bioenergy and food security approach
- Sustainable bioenergy potential in Zambia: An integrated bioenergy and food security assessment
- Advancing clean cooking for climate action: Pathways to higher tier solutions and scaled investment
- Bioethanol for clean cooking: An analysis of its role in energy transition in Africa
- Feasibility assessment of biogas potential in the Solomon Islands
- Feasibility assessment for biogas potential development in The Gambia
- Video: Achieving a better environment in Asia-Pacific through sustainable and circular bioeconomy
- Video: SCALA Programme: private sector engagement in the Solomon Islands
- Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) - sustainability indicators
- Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) Approach
- Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) Rapid Appraisal tools