Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP)
[last updated May 7, 2008 9:38 AM]

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General Information
Partnership website(s)
Expected Timeframe
May 2006 - May 2016
Partners
Governments:
  • Government of Italy - (Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea);
  • Government of Brazil - (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
  • Government of Canada - (Natural Resources Canada);
  • Government of China - (National Development and Reform Commission - NDRC);
  • Government of France - (Prime Minister's Office; Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery);
  • Government of Germany - (BMU/ Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety; BMELV/ Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection);
  • Government of Japan - (Ministry of Foreign Affairs);
  • Government of Mexico - (Department of Energy);
  • Government of Netherlands - (Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment);
  • Government of Russian Federation - (Ministry of Education and Science; Federal Agency on Science and Innovations);
  • Government of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs - DEFRA);
  • Government of United States of America - (U.S. Department of State; US Department of Energy; US Department of Agriculture Rural Development).
Major Groups:
  • European Biomass Industry Association (EUBIA), Brussels, (Belgium)
  • World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE), Brussels, (Belgium)
  • United Nations Foundation (UNF), Washington D.C., (United States of America)
UN System:
  • United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome (Italy)
  • United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Vienna, (Austria)
  • United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Paris, (France)
  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva, (Switzerland)
  • United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), New York, (United States of America)
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), New York (United States of America)
Other intergovernmental organizations:
  • International Energy Agency (IEA), Paris, (France)
Other:
    		 
    Thematic Focus
    Primary Themes:
    • Energy for sustainable development
    • Agriculture
    		 Secondary Themes:
    • Desertification
    • Protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development
    • Institutional framework for sustainable development
    • Rural development
    • Sustainable development in a globalizing world
    • Means of Implementation (Trade, Finance, Technology, Transfer, etc.)
    • Climate change
    • Land
    • Waste management
    • Transport
    • Forests
    • Industrial development
    • Poverty eradication
    • Biodiversity
    • Air pollution / Atmosphere
    • Biotechnology
    Geographic Coverage
    Geographic Scope: Global
    Country(ies) where the partnership is being implemented:
    Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russian Federation, South Africa, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America
    National Focal Points
    This partnership has not made any contact with the national focal points for sustainable development in the countries involved
    Goals and Objectives
    Summary of the partnership's goals and objectives
    The purpose of the Global Bioenergy Partnership is to provide a mechanism for Partners to organize, coordinate and implement targeted international research, development, demonstration and commercial activities related to production, delivery, conversion and use of biomass for energy, with a particular focus on developing countries. GBEP also provides a forum for implementing effective policy frameworks, identifying ways and means to support investments, and removing barriers to collaborative project development and implementation.
    The Partnership's main objectives are to:
    1. Create a global high-level policy dialogue on bioenergy, support national and regional bioenergy policy-making and market development, and facilitate international cooperation.
    2. Favour more efficient and sustainable uses of biomass and develop project activities in the bioenergy field.
    3. Foster the exchange of information, knowledge skills and technologies by identifying and promote potential areas of bilateral and multilateral collaboration.
    4. Facilitate bioenergy integration into energy markets by tackling specific barriers in the supply chain.
    5. Act as a cross-cutting initiative, working in synergy with other relevant activities, avoiding duplications.
    Targets and Progress
    Partnership targets
    The Partnership builds its activities on three strategic pillars: Energy Security - Food Security - Sustainable Development.
    The Partnership agreed on key priorities for the immediate programme of work:
    - Undertake the GBEP Report "A Review of the Current State of Bioenergy Development in G8 +5 Countries" (released on November 2007), which provides a platform for future GBEP's work towards the sustainable development of bioenergy.
    - Facilitate the sustainable development of bioenergy and collaboration on bioenergy field projects.
    - Formulate a harmonized methodological framework on GHG emission reduction measurement from the use of biofuels for transportation and for the use of solid biomass.
    - Raise awareness and facilitate information exchange on bioenergy.
    Progress against targets
    1. Undertake the GBEP Report – Developed under the guidance of FAO, it was released on 13 November 2007. It gives an overview of current bioenergy development in G8 +5 countries, with a view to help identify common ground in policy priorities and opportunities for international cooperation as well as provide guidance on what still needs to be done for sustainable development of bioenergy. Furthermore, it is aimed at providing a platform for future work of GBEP towards a sustainable development of bioenergy.
    2. Facilitate the sustainable development of bioenergy and collaboration on bioenergy field projects – GBEP is planning to establish a Task Force on sustainable bioenergy, to be led by the UK. The Task Force will promote shared understanding with a view to developing a voluntary and flexible approach on sustainable bioenergy. This work will provide a reference for all interested stakeholders and in the formulation of national policies and international cooperation programmes.
    3. Formulate a harmonized methodological framework on GHG emission reduction measurement from the use of biofuels for transportation and from the use of solid biomass – GBEP established a Task Force led by USA in October 2007. The Task Force has the main objective to analyse the full well-to-wheel lifecycle of transport biofuels and solid biomass, and to develop a harmonized methodological framework for the use of policy makers and stakeholders when assessing GHG impacts.
    4. Raise awareness and facilitate information exchange on bioenergy – It seeks to increase the understanding of pertinent issues related to bioenergy development. Partners agreed on priority tools for awareness raising: the GBEP website; leaflet; participation in relevant international conferences and meetings; organization of specific GBEP events; media communication campaign at international level.

    Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
    Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
    Relationship to International Agreements on Sustainable Development
    How the partnership contributes to the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
    The Global Bioenergy Partnership provides a mechanism for Partners to organize, coordinate and implement targeted international research, development, demonstration and commercial activities related to production, delivery, conversion and use of biomass for energy, with a particular focus on developing countries. GBEP also provides a forum for implementing effective policy frameworks, identifying ways and means to support investments, and removing barriers to collaborative project development and implementation.

    In particular, GBEP aims to make a unique contribution to the sustainable development of bioenergy through its focus and membership:
    - A specific focus on bioenergy as a key renewable energy source.
    - Better coordination on bioenergy both across sectors and between public, private and civil society parties.
    - Facilitating the engagement of the private sector.
    - Focus on developing countries, where biomass use is prevalent, and facilitate an exchange of experiences and technologies not only North-South, but also South-South and South-North.
    - Raising visibility of bioenergy opportunities and issues at the international level and including bioenergy in relevant development initiatives.
    - Reflecting and supporting the strong political commitment to promote bioenergy.

    Relevant Sections of Agenda 21
    Combating poverty; Changing consumption patterns; Promoting sustainable human settlement development; Integrating environment and development in decision-making; Integrated approach to the planning and management of land resources; Transfer of environmentally sound technology, cooperation and capacity-building; Promoting education, public awareness and training; National mechanisms and international cooperation for capacity-building in developing countries
    Relevant Sections of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
    Poverty eradication ; Changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production ; Protection and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development
    Coordination and Implementation
    Coordination Mechanism of the Partnership
    The Steering Committee governs the overall framework, policies, procedures and activities of the Partnership. It will provide strategic guidance to the Partnership and periodically review the program of collaborative activities undertaken by the Partnership, including a review of the organizational structure if necessary, and provide direction and instructions for actions to the Secretariat. The Committee should meet at least once a year, at times and places to be determined by its appointed representatives. Decisions on accepting new partners are taken by the Steering Committee. GBEP welcomes new partners who wish to contribute to the joint programme of work.
    Italy and Mexico are Chair and Co-Chair respectively for the first biennium.
    The Technical Working Group (TWG) is a group composed of the Technical Focal Points and other partner representatives at operational level. The TWG meet as required and/or as requested by the Steering Committee.
    Further sub-committees may be established in accordance with decisions by the Steering Committee.
    The GBEP Secretariat, hosted at FAO Headquarters in Rome with the support of Italy, is the principal coordinator of the Partnership communications and activities.
    Implementation Mechanism of the Partnership
    The Partnership will achieve its goals by supporting a wide range of activities related with its programme of work. In addition to awareness raising and networking activities through participation in relevant events, concrete collaborative activities will be defined according to the thematic focus areas in the programme of work. The Partnership will foster collaboration among partners, but also importantly between GBEP partners and other actors, especially decision-makers in developing countries.
    Resources
    Funding Currently Available
    Amount in US$: Over $1million for the first biennium
    Source(s): Government
    The Italian Ministry for the Environment Land and Sea is financially supporting the Secretariat of the Global Bioenergy Partnership hosted at FAO Headquarters in Rome.
    Non-financial resources available
    Type(s): Computers - Office space - Staff
    Source(s): IGO
    The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) - Environment, Climate Change and Bioenergy Division
    Funding Sought
    Required Amount in US$:
    Source(s) already approached:
    Non-financial resources sought
    Requirement(s):
    Source(s) approached and details:
    Additional Information
    Additional Relevant Information
    Currently, there is no additional relevant information.