Publications
Forest Energy Forum - Issue no. 8
2001
As a modern, sustainable and climate-neutral fuel for producing heat or generating electrical power it is now seen as an opportunity by many industries and governments. Biomass is widely being introduced by public and private sectors in electric power and/or heat generation, because it is often competitive in price with fossil fuels and because it saves foreign exchange.
Forest Energy Forum - Issue no. 9
2001
Woodfuels, and more generally biofuels, are at the core of many critical issues concerning the promotion of sustainable rural development: environmental restoration and climate change mitigation; employment and income generation in rural areas; women's empowerment; and technological change. Improving the current patterns of use and, at the same time, enlarging the contribution of bioenergy to the present world energy mix will require sustained support and an integrated approach.
Report of the regional expert consultation on gender and wood energy in Asia
1995
It is widely recognised that the burden of supplying woodfuels for household use in the region is largely carried by women. These women often suffer from rising woodfuel prices, decreasing woodfuel quality and increased difficulty of access to woodfuels. Many policy changes in pricing of fossil fuels, conservation of forests, and landuse controls also have a disproportionately negative impact on women, especially women from the lower income groups.
Report - Sub-regional training course on women in wood energy development
1996
The Department of Energy Development and Promotion in Thailand is concerned with various aspects of energy, including wood and charcoal, energy conservation, and other issues. In the rapidly developing economy of Thailand, growing energy requirements are posing new challenges, and new options have become available. Modern forms of energy like oil, gas and electricity have become more and more widespread, even in the rural areas.
Gender aspects of fuelwood flows in Sri Lanka - A case study in Kandy district
1999
This manuscript presents the findings of a study conducted in Kandy district, Sri Lanka. Kandy district, according to previous studies, is a woodfuel deficit area. The national scenario constructed during the preparation of the Forestry Sector Master Plan (FSMP) in 1995 shows that the national demand for biofuel is about 9.1 million tonnes whereas the supply is about 9.8 million tonnes. In fact, Kandy district, like many others, reflects the crucial imbalances prevailing locally.
Energy and gender in rural sustainable development
2006
This paper discusses some gender issues and energy linkages within the international sustainable development context and presents recommendations on ways of incorporating gender sensitivity into energy and development policies and planning processes.
Institutional and legal aspects regulating wood wood energy activities in European countries
2000
This paper initially set out to achieve three objectives: First, to find out what policies, strategies and prospects are now in place among European countries that promote the development of biomass systems. Which institution is responsible for what? Specifically, it embarked to ask what institutional framework has been designed at the European level, national level, and regional level to promote biomass energy.
A review of the current state of bioenergy development in G8 + 5 countries
2007
Bioenergy sits at the intersection of three of the world’s great challenges - energy security, climate change, and poverty reduction - and has received an enormous amount of attention in the past few years. Joint work on these issues is vital considering that together, the G8 +5 Countries account for about 55 percent of the world’s population, 70+ percent of global GDP, and about 72 percent of world energy-related and industry CO2 emissions (excluding deforestation).
Forests and energy - Balancing risks and opportunities. Agenda item 8b. Participation in the XIII World Forestry Congress
2009
Interest in bioenergy has increased over the last decade, due to factors such as: high oil prices; concerns about energy security; and commitments to reduce carbon emissions. The use of wood for energy is an important component of the bioenergy sector and includes both the use of wood for heat and power production as well as the use of wood to produce liquid biofuels.
Wood for energy - Forestry topics report no. 1
1982
Fuelwood and charcoal are relatively cheap to produce, compared to fossil fuels, and are derived from a renewable source of energy which can be grown in most countries. Trees offer a range of ecological, agricultural, and social advantages which cannot be paralleled by any other energy source. It is not surprising that today many developed countries are reinvestigating the possibilities of mobilizing more of their forest biomass for energy.
Technical and economic aspects of using wood fuels in rural industries
1987
In this publication, FAO presents an important aspect in the use of wood-based fuels. Fuelwood is well known as a domestic fuel for cooking and heating in both rural and urban areas. However, from several studies carried out in Africa, Asia and Latin America, it has been realized that as well as being used for domestic purposes, fuelwood is also an important fuel in many rural processing industries and village applications.
A decade of wood energy activities within the Nairobi Programme of Action - FAO Forestry Paper 108
1993
At the beginning of the 80's, during the "oil crisis", the use of wood fuels by poor people was seen as the cause of deforestation and desertification. It is now recognized that factors other than the fuelwood and charcoal are the chief causes of the deforestation process such as farming, forest fires and industrial use of forests for which it is not always poor people who are responsible.
Forests, fuel and the future - Wood energy for sustainable development
1995
This report discusses these trends by reference to examples from many countries which suggest viable ways to realise the development potential of wood energy without environmental or social drawbacks. It describes a changing role for wood energy in a changing world where fuelwood and wood-based fuels need no longer be associated with poverty or underdevelopment but could rank among viable modern options open to energy users everywhere.
Regional study on wood energy today and tomorrow in Asia
1997
This report sets out to correct popular misconceptions in the field of wood energy and provides detailed coverage of fuelwood consumption and supply in the Asia-Pacific region. Consumption data are projected forwards and the outlook for specific countries is discussed. The implications for continued wood energy reliance are covered in the light of concern over global warming. Finally recommendations for wood energy development in the region are outlined.
Wood energy planning: building capacities in Asia
1998
In the past years RWEDP focused on regional training activities to develop capacities of its 16 member countries in wood energy data and planning. During this period, RWEDP has compiled, assessed and analyzed secondary data to come up with a base case scenario of the consumption and supply of wood energy for the region and the 16 member countries in the future.
Economic analysis of wood energy systems
2002
The growing interest in woodfuels as an environmentally friendly source of energy is leading to an increased number of initiatives and projects in this field. In fact, EU countries expect to reduce their CO2 emissions by 2010 by 15 percent from the 1990 level. One important contribution to this reduction is expected to come from the utilization of wood fuels.
Forests and energy in developing countries - Forests and Energy Working Paper 2
2007
The energy sector plays a vital role in the world economy. Increased fossil fuel prices, energy security issues and climate change have been the main driving forces to development of alternative and renewable energy sources. As a result of increased population expansion and faster economic growth, energy consumption is growing rapidly in non-Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developmemt (OECD) countries, particularly China and India.
Forests and energy in OECD countries - Forests and Energy Working Paper 1
2007
This report focuses on policies and technologies for the production of bioenergy and liquid biofuels within Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, complementing a second report focusing on non-OECD countries. The report was prepared for the Special Event on Forests and Energy, held at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, on 20 November 2007.
Small scale bioenergy initiatives - Brief description and preliminary lessons on livelihood impacts from case studies in Asia, Latin America and Africa
2009
This study was conducted between September and November 2008 under a joint initiative of FAO and the Policy Innovations Systems for Clean Energy Security (PISCES) Energy Research Programme Consortium funded by DFID. The focus of the study was on the impacts that different types of local level Bioenergy initiatives can have on Rural Livelihoods in different contexts in the developing world.