bioenergy systems sustainability assessment

8/11/2019 Bioenergy Systems Sustainability Assessment

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bioenergy-systems-sustainability-assessment 1/89

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Bio-energy:

Systems sustainability assessment

Prof Alan Brent

Tel: +27 21 808 9530

Fax: +27 21 808 4245

Cell: +27 82 468 5110

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: http://www.crses.sun.ac.za

http://www.sustainabilityinstitute.net



2

Internal combustion engine Electric engine

Vehicle wheels drivenCrude oil product replaced

Gasoline Diesel

Purification &

Compression

Natural gas

Coal

BiomassSolar energy source

Bio-oilSugar, starch Cellulosic

Nuclear energy source

Fuel cell Battery

Crude oil

LPGFermentation

Esterification

Gasification

Synthesis

Combustion

Electricity

Hydrolysis

Ethanol

Hydrogen

Biogas



3



4

Current perspectives - UNEP International Panel for

Sustainable Resource Management

“Biofuels have attracted growing attention of policy, industry and

research. The number of scientific publications devoted to biofuelsis growing exponentially, and the number of reviews is increasing

rapidly. For decision makers it has become a hard job to find robust

reference material and solid guidance. Uncertainty on the overall

assessment has been growing with the findings of the possible

benefits and risks of biofuels.”

“….. progress requires an advanced approach which goes beyond

the production and use of biofuels, and considers all competing

applications of biomass, including food, fibres and fuels. A widened

systems perspective is adopted….”



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6

Biofuel production

(2000 to 2013)



Wood pellet production

7



8

International trade

(biodiesel in 2007)



9

Biofuels: there are more than 2!

Fuel ethanol & FAME biodiesel

Also 1st generation:• Biogas, charcoal, ethanol gel

2nd generation:

• Cellulosic ethanol, algal biodiesel

• Methanol, butanol, DME

• BtL fuels, hydrogen

3rd generation



1

Types of biofuels



11

Types of biofuels



12

Types of biofuels



13

Two phases of the (bioenergy) technology life-cycle

Idea generationPre-feasibility /

Feasibility

StudyDevelopment

Piloting

Hardware / Business

Design

Implementation

Operation

ProductPhase out

Market

uptake

A s s e s s m e n

t

R&D

gate

R&D

gate

R&D

gate

R&D

gate

Business

gate

Business

gate

Business

gate

R e s e a r c

h

S c a

l e - u p

I d e a

Technology

Assessment

TechnologyTransfer



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Wider than conventional biofuels life cycles



15

The bioenergy value chain

Bioenergy market /

end-user

Bioenergy

distribution

Bioenergy

transformation

Bioenergy

conversion

Feedstock

processing

Feedstockproduction



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Feedstock processing

Biomass/energyfeedstock

Processed

feedstock

Handling• Drying

• Milling

• Dehusking

Harvesting

Collection

Transportation

Storage



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Bioenergy conversion

Processed

feedstock

Transportation to conversion facility

Mechanical

conversion

Thermal

conversion

Biological

conversion

Vegetable oil

Biogas

Bioethanol

HeatFuel gas

Bio-oil

CharPyrolysis

Gasification

Combustion

Digestion

Fermentation

Mechanical



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Bioenergy transformation

Heat

Char

Boiler

Co-firing

Engine

Turbine

Conversion

Fuel cell

Synthesis

Heat

Electricity

Transport fuels

Fertilisers

Chemicals

Charcoal

Bio-oil

Fuel gas

Vegetable oil

Biogas

Bioethanol



2

Bioenergy distribution to market

Heat

Electricity

Transport fuels

Fertilisers

Chemicals

Charcoal

Household use

Motor vehicles

Cleaning products

Agricultural products

Industrial use



21

Complex interaction of techno-economic system with other

systems (spatial scale)

Bioenergy market /end-user

Bioenergy

distribution

Bioenergytransformation

Bioenergy

conversion

Feedstockprocessing

Feedstock

production

Bioenergy market /end-user

Bioenergy

distribution

Bioenergytransformation

Bioenergy

conversion

Feedstockprocessing

Feedstock

production

Energy

Water

Other resources



22

The technological system is embedded

Technology



23

Complex interaction of techno-economic system with other

systems (temporal scale)

Bioenergy market /

end-user

Bioenergy

distribution

Bioenergy

transformation

Bioenergy

conversion

Feedstock

processing

Feedstock

production

Bioenergy market /

end-user

Bioenergy

distribution

Bioenergy

transformation

Bioenergy

conversion

Feedstock

processing

Feedstock

production



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Relationship of different life cycles

Project / technology development life cycles – drivers of change

Asset life cycles – optimise internal operations

Product life cycles – profit generation of operations

Pre-feasibility Feasibility Development Executing &

testing

Project

launch & PIR

Pre-manufacture

Operation &manufacture

Productusage

Productdisposal

Detailed

design

Commission Operation &

Maintenance

De-

commission



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Detailed

design

Commission Operation &

Maintenance

De-

commission

Pre-

feasibility

Feasibility Develop Execute &

testing

Launch

Product

usage

Product

disposal

Pre-manufacture

Project life cycle

Product life cycle

Asset

life cycle



26

Classification of bioenergy projects matrix

Scale of the project

Rural electrification

Local biogas provision

Ethanol gel production

Mine providing ownpower

Outgrower schemes

Providing large refineries

Bothaville bioethanol

Brazil/USA bioethanolD1 Jatropha

Cogen

Small growers (1 to 10s ha) Commercial farms (100s to 1000s ha)

L o

c a

l

s u s

t a i n a

b i l i t y

P r o v i s

i o n o

f

o u t s

i d e

m a r

k e

t

M a r k e

t / p r i m a r y e n

d - u s e r

Cell A Cell B

Cell C Cell D



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Cell A: Small growers /

Local sustainability

India example of rural electrification project

• Video

African examples of local biofuel/gas provision



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Cell B: Commercial farms /


Ethanol gel production



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Cell B: Commercial farms /




3

Cell C: Small growers /

Provision of outside market

Outgrower schemes

Providing large refineries



31

Cell D: Commercial farms /


Brazil/ USA and other bioethanol programmes



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Cell D: Commercial farms /


Electricity cogeneration



33















34

The biomass utilisation network superstructure



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Decisions to be made



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Sustainability management tools –

Acronyms

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

Environmental Accounting Life cycle tools

• Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Life Cycle Management (LCM)

• Life Cycle Assessment or Analysis (LCA)

• Life Cycle Engineering (LCE)

Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Social Impact Assessment (SIA)

Environmental Audititing (EA)

Environmental Labelling (EL)



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Incorporating the tools in the life cycle of a typical internal

project

Phaseout &

Disposal/

Recycling

Conceptual

design

Preliminary

& Detailed

Design &

Development

Life cycle thinking focussed on the project

Operational

Use & System

Support

Production

&

Construction

Integrated Environmental Management

Environmental Management System

Environmental Auditing

1, 2 5, 6

3, 4

2

7

2

1: Life cycle Costing

2: Environmental Risk Assessment3: Life Cycle Assessment

4: Life Cycle Engineering

5: Environmental Impact Assessment

6: Social Impact Assessment

7: Environmental Labelling

Strategic Environmental Assessment

Environmental accounting



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Goals of Life Cycle Engineering

Life Cycle Assessment

Goal

Environmental

Decision

support

E l i h lif l f d



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Evaluating the life cycle of a product or process system

Life cycle

phases

Impactanalyses

Life cycle

steps

Life cycle

inventory

Output

Input

Output

Input

Output

Input

Output

Input

Output

Input

Environmental aspects Economic aspects

Emissions Waste

Resources

Production

of inter-

mediates

Production

of main

product

Raw

material

extraction

Utilisation

Recycling,

recovery,

deposition

End-of-life

phaseUse phaseProduction phase

Lif l t f t i l d t



4

Life cycle stages of a typical product

Raw material

acquisition

Material

manufacture

Product

manufacture

Product

use

Product

disposal

T r a n s p o r t a t

i o n

P r o

d u c

t

r e m a n u

f a c

t u r e

P r o

d u c

t

r e u s e

M a

t e r i a

l s

r e c y c l e

Energy

Raw

materials

Waste

Emissions

F t f LCA f d t



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Four stages of a LCA for a product

Define

Scope

Inventory

Analysis

Impact

Analysis

Improvement

AnalysisRERP Manufacture

1 2 3

4

M i t d li bilit f t diti l LCA



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Main asset and liability of a traditional LCA

Asset: Quantitatively assess a range of environmental impacts

attributable to a specific product. Liability: Subjective basis or usage of subjective data, gives

subjective results for routine analyses of products due to:

• Limitations in the data collection and analysis of the inventory stage.

• Variations in the temporal scale, spatial scale and locale, and

assignment procedure of values to different environmental impacts.



Bi f l t f th bi i t



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Wood residuesWoody biomass crops

Sugar crops

Bio-oils

Fuel

gas

gasification

HeatmethaneAnimal manures

Organic wastesGreen crops

Anaerobic

digestionGasoline

Methanol

Diesel

Ligno-cellulose

Flash

pyrolysis

Steam

explosionDirect combustion

steam

Electricity

Pre-hydrolysis

+ Hydrolysis

(acid /enzyme)Fermentation/Distillation Ethanol

Oil crops Transesterification

Biofuels as part of the bioenergy picture

(Sims)

B k d t th ( l i l) t i bilit l i f



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Background to the (ecological) sustainability analysis of

biofuel systems

An evolving story

In 2005, more than 400 published LCAs• On biodiesel (soybean, rapeseed)

• Fuel ethanol (from cane, maize, grapes)

• Export of electricity from processing plant

Reviews attempting to consolidate

• For example, Quirin et al., 2005; von Blottnitz & Curran, 2007

2008: Systematic accounting errors!

• Fargione et al ., Searchinger et al., both in Science

Careful with comparisons!



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Careful with comparisons!

But more km/GJ for diesel than for gasoline! Such a comparison says nothing about co-products

Fuel crops l/ha GJ fuel/ha

Soybean 296 9.9

Sunflower 363 12.1

Canola 523 17.4

Jatropha 1364 45.4

Maize 1092 23.0Sugar cane 4469 94.2

Cassava 8333 175.6

Sweet sorghum 1152 24.3

The bioenergy life cycle



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The bioenergy life cycle

Environmental sustainability concerns needing



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Environmental sustainability concerns needing

investigation

Energy balance

Carbon benefits Water requirements

Impacts of processing

Poor results for nitrous oxide emissions

• Kaltschmitt et al, 1996; Sheehan et al., 1998

The potential of bio ethanol to reduce dependence on



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The potential of bio-ethanol to reduce dependence on

conventional fossil fuels

Reported issues



5

Reported issues

Reported issues



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Reported issues

“… These LCAs typically report that bio-ethanol results in reductions in

resource use and global warming; however, impacts on acidification,

human toxicity and ecological toxicity, occurring mainly during the

growing and processing of biomass, were more often unfavourable than

favourable. It is in this area that further work is needed.”

Reported issues



52

Reported issues

Reported issues



53

Reported issues

Reported issues



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Reported issues

Rainfall patterns in South Africa



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Rainfall patterns in South Africa

(FAO, 2005)

Social benefits and risk of biofuels



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Social benefits and risk of biofuels

Competition for land with food & fibre production

Who benefits from increased/redirected fuel spend to agriculture?

• Established farmers and agribusiness, or/and the rural poor, landless

people, successful land claimants etc.?

Should the poor grow low-value energy crops?

Energisation benefits

• Especially on waste-based biofuels Crude oil reserves extended

• Intergenerational benefit

Sustainable development needs for



57

Sustainable development needs for

developed vs. developing countries

For developed countries

• (OECD, 2003) For lower to upper middle income countries

• (World Bank, 2002)

For low to middle income countries

• (UN CSD, 2006)

For four sub-systems

• Economic

• Environmental

• Social

• Institutional

Sustainable development needs in the context of



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Sustainable development needs in the context of

developing countries

Millennium Development Goals (UN, 2005)

• Targeted at halving the numbers of impoverished populations in alldeveloping countries

Challenge is to energise the MDGs (UNDP, 2007)• Access to energy (for the poor)

• Provision of health care

• Provision of nutrition

• Etc.

Supporting policy / strategy context



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South African National R&D Strategy (DST, 2002)

• For sustainable development to take place, rural and urban communities

should have access to innovations that accelerate development and

provide new and effective solutions compared to those utilised

previously




6


South African Energy R&D strategy (DST and DME, 2006)

• The challenge is to develop fully the available energy resources and to

promote innovative, competitive, equitable and sustainable energy

systems for various economic and social sectors across South Africa

and the continent

– Also supports the objectives of NEPAD (2005)




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South African Biofuels Industrial Strategy (DME, 2007 & 2013)

• The aim is to achieve a biofuels average market penetration of 2% of

liquid road transport fuels, i.e. petrol and diesel

– Exploit the biomass resources potential of the country

– Mandatory blending has been gazetted in 2012

• The biofuels target will contribute up to 50% of the national renewable

energy target of 10 000 GWh (DME, 2003)

• Solutions to sustainability problems may be achieved through the use of

new technology that reduces pollution and, in some instances, provides

development opportunities – Require dynamic policy instruments and incentives that proactively create

the necessary conducive environment for the new technologies envisaged

Current projects in South Africa



Current projects in South Africa

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Recent market developments



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Recent market developments

Exporting / importing biofuels

• Developing country resources push to developed country pull

Government subsidies

• Renewable Energy Finance and Subsidy Office (REFSO) of DME which

can provide capital subsidies for entrepreneurs intending to provide

renewable energy services• UNEP/GEF Cogeneration for Africa project based in Nairobi which can

provide technical assistance to investors intending to go into

cogeneration

International financial incentives• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

– Of the Kyoto Protocol



Sustainability vision for bioenergy



65

y gy

(for further discussion on Friday)

In the context of existing policies and strategies

In the context of this R&D effort

Identify, implement and support a balanced portfolio of bioenergy

options, at national, provincial, and municipal levels, that result in

localised social-ecological advantages that outweigh micro-, meso-and macro disadvantages

Why sustainability for business management?



66

y y g

Development that meets the needs of the

present without compromising the ability of

future generations to meet their own needs1

Adopting business strategies and activities

that meet the needs of the business and its

stakeholders today while protecting, sustainingand enhancing the human and natural

resources that will be needed in the future2

S

u s

t a i n a

b l e d e

v e

l o p m e n

t

Business management

incorporation

Economic

considerations

Social

considerations

Environmental

considerations

Future trends in the responsibility of industry



67

p y y

Today

Industry's

Responsibility

Tomorrow

Yesterday

Product

Manufacturing

Product

Use

Product

Retirement

T e c h n o l o g y

C o s t s

O r g a n i z a t i o n

E n v i r o n m e n t P r o t e c t i o n

P e r f o r m a n c e

E n d u r a n c e

E c o n o m i c E f

f i c i e n c y

E n v i r o n m e n t

P r o t e c t i o n

R e m a n u f a c t u r i n g

R e p r o c e s s i n g

L e s s I n c i n e r a t i o n

L e s s L a n d f i l l

D i s p o s a l

Present Challenges:

Product

Take Back

Regulations,

Recycling,

Work place

Future Challenges:

Life Cycle

Assessment

Obligations,

Recyclability (waste)

and

Climate ProtectionDeclarations

Work place (new age)

Drivers for the incorporation of sustainability in business



68

p y

practices – Sasol

To incorporateSustainability/

Align processes to principles of

Sustainable Development

PressureLicense to Operate

•Introduction of sustainable development

into government policies

•Civil society expectations

Push

License to Exist

•

Investors looking forevidence of good

corporate governance and

effective management of

risk (e.g. Dow Jones SI)

•Employees

License to Sell

Pull •International trade

agreements

•Customers expecting

proof

Support

•Responsible Care Principles

•Sound Corporate Governance

To incorporateSustainability/

Align processes to principles of

Sustainable Development

PressureLicense to Operate

•Introduction of sustainable development

into government policies

•Civil society expectations

Push

License to Exist

•

Investors looking forevidence of good

corporate governance and

effective management of

risk (e.g. Dow Jones SI)

•Employees

License to Sell

Pull •International trade

agreements

•Customers expecting

proof

Support

•Responsible Care Principles

•Sound Corporate Governance



Sub-criteria of social sustainability



7

y

External

population

Stakeholder

participation

Macro social

performance

Internal human

resources

Employment

stability

Employment

practices

Health and

safety

Capacity

development

External human

capital

Productive

capital

Community

capital

Information

provision

Stakeholder

influence

Socio-

economic

Socio-

environmental

Social

sustainability



WWF – 2006



72

UNEP – 2009

Life-cycle-wide environmental impacts of biofuels



73

Land use, land availability, and land-use conflicts



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Clarification of land ownership

Land ownership should be equitable, and land-tenure conflicts should be

avoided. This requires clearly defined, documented and legally established

tenure use rights. To avoid leakage effects, poor people should not be

excluded from the land. Customary land-use rights and disputes should be

identified. A conflict register might be useful in this context.




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Avoiding negative impacts from bioenergy-driven changes in land

use

If land-use policies and their implementation in a given country or region

are effective in preventing negative impacts from land-use changes, then

bioenergy development should be concentrated on available arable land.

If a country or region has ineffective (or no) land-use policies, negative

impacts of“

shifts”

in land-use due to bioenergy development are possible,

and bioenergy crop development must be restricted to areas that are not in

competition with other uses.




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Priority for food supply and food security

Food security is a basic human need which should not be compromised by

bioenergy development, i.e. cultivating energy crops to the disadvantage of

food crops should be avoided.

Decisions on bioenergy production nevertheless have regional impacts,

with the result that a regional risk assessment is needed which analyzes

the potential impact of biomass production on the local and regional food

supply.

Loss of biodiversity and deforestation



77

No additional negative biodiversity impacts

Areas to be protected:

• High-nature-value areas (e.g. intact close-to-nature ecosystems, natural

habitats, primary and virgin forests), land needed to maintain critical

population levels of species in natural surroundings, and relevant

migration corridors must be excluded from bioenergy cropping areas.

• Adequate buffer zones must be maintained for habitats of rare, threatened

or endangered species, as well as for land adjacent to areas needing

protection.

Loss of biodiversity and deforestation



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No additional negative biodiversity impacts

Production practices:

• Management plans and farming operations must ensure the protection of

high-nature-value farming systems (e.g. on grass land or small patterned

traditional farming systems) as well as nature-oriented forestry.

• To preserve genetic diversity, a minimum number of crop species and

varieties, as well as structural diversity within the bioenergy cropping

area must be demonstrated in management plans.

• As a precautionary measure, the use of genetically modified organisms

(GMO) as bioenergy crops should be excluded, since they could have

adverse environmental impacts.

• Appropriate fire-protection strategies are needed, and the use of fire toclear or prepare land for production should only be permitted if it is

known to be the preferred ecological option.

• Alien species should only be cultivated under conditions of careful

control and monitoring; effects on wildlife species should be blocked.

Greenhouse-gas emissions



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Minimization of greenhouse-gas emissions

• A maximum life-cycle GHG balance of bioenergy cultivation of 30 kg/GJ

must be demonstrated. This limit represents a 67% reduction on the life-

cycle GHG emissions from (unprocessed) crude-oil combustion.

• The processing of bioenergy crops – especially to biofuels – must

demonstrate a minimum conversion efficiency of 67%, taking into

account by-products for which proof of use must be given. A maximum

direct GHG emission factor of 60 kg/GJ input should apply for the

process energy.

• On the other hand, a simplified approach to GHG accounting should be

developed for the small-scale farming of bioenergy crops using rural-

systems to avoid excessive compliance costs.

Greenhouse-gas emissions savings of biofuels compared



8

to fossil fuels

Soil erosion and other forms of soil degradation



81

Minimization of soil erosion and degradation

• The exclusion (or significant restriction) of bioenergy crops requiring

intense tilling and below-surface harvesting (e.g. sugar beets);

• Maximum (soil-specific) slope limits for bioenergy crop cultivation;

• Maximum extraction rates for agricultural and forestry residues (specific

for soil and crop/crop rotation).

• Acceptable removal levels for agro- and forestry residues, so that humus

and organic C soil content is not negatively affected.

• Use of farming and harvesting practices that reduce erosion risks and

adverse soil compaction (irrigation schemes, harvesting equipment).

• Irrigation schemes to prevent salinization.

• Exclusion of crops and cropping systems for which such schemes are

not applicable (specific to soil type and semi-dry/dry regions).

• A qualitative standard on the toxicity and biodegradability of

agrochemicals is needed (e.g. a positive list of chemicals and user

guidelines)

• Non-chemical pest treatment and organic fertilizers are preferred.

Water use and water contamination



82

Minimization of water use and avoidance of water contamination

• Optimized farming systems requiring low water input should be used, e.g.

agro-forestry systems in dry regions.

• Critical irrigation needs in semi-dry and dry regions should be avoided by

applying water management plans (long-term strategies and

implementation program) providing a sustainable and efficient water

supply for irrigation.

• The quality and availability of surface and ground water must be

maintained, avoiding the negative impacts of agrochemical use (by timing

and quantity of application).

• No untreated sewage water for irrigation.

• Re-use of treated waste-water must be part of the agricultural

management system.

Air pollution



83

Carefully consider other pollutants

Results of a Swiss LCA



84



Socio-economic problems and standards



86

Improvement of labour conditions and worker rights

The supply systems for bioenergy – i.e. the cultivation of bioenergy crops,

the collection of biogenic residues and wastes and their respective

downstream processing – must comply with ILO standards on

workers safety, workers rights, wage policies, child labor, seasonal

workers

conditions, and working hours during harvest time.

Socio-economic problems and standards



87

Ensuring a share of proceeds

A standard on income distribution and poverty-reduction issues (share of

proceeds) seems necessary, although this can only be discussed in

detail with respect to regional and local conditions and project specifics.

Decision-tree



88

Sustainable Development Planning and Management:

Renewable Energy Policy Lecture 5



Renewable Energy Policy – Lecture 5

Discussion

bioenergy systems sustainability assessment

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