Sustainable forests and green energy: Sustainable bioenergy for energy transition towards net zero emissions

May 4, 2022 | 4:00 PM KST - 5:30 PM KST

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Energy lies at the heart of both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. Energy is intricately connected to climate change and almost all SDGs. Biomass, mainly from forests and agriculture sources, represents about 11 percent of global final energy consumption. Energy from woodfuel alone accounts for roughly 40 percent of the world’s renewable energy supply, which is as much as solar, hydroelectric, and wind power combined. So far, most bioenergy is used in developing countries for cooking and heating, with increasing modern uses in both the industrial and household sectors. The sustainable use of bioenergy is one of the key components of the transition to green energy and net zero emissions to achieve the commitments made by many major economies by 2030 and 2050.

Objectives

To explore, debate and enhance understanding of the following issues, as a basis for a call for action:

1. The future role of forests in contributing to access to basic energy services and to energy transition in developing countries, including LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS that depend heavily on fuelwood and/or charcoal for household cooking.
2. Sustainable forest management and modern bioenergy, including the challenges and potential of the role of bioenergy in climate change mitigation and in increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
3. Balancing the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of a changing and potentially increased role for forests in the energy transition.
4. Pathways and actions recommended to enhance the role of bioenergy in achieving the goals of 'Sustainable Energy for All' by 2030, SDG 7, as well as 'net-zero emissions' by 2050. 

Speakers