Nagoya, Japan, 25 October
2010 - Water could determine the degree
to which bioenergy can contribute to combating
climate change by reducing the world's reliance
on fossil fuels, the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said
in an Issue Paper presented at the Convention
on Biodiversity meeting (CBD COP10) in Nagoya,
Japan, today.
Increasing water demand
for biofuels production in areas where water
is already scarce could increase environmental
and social pressures, the paper entitled
Water and Bioenergy, stated.
Bioenergy development
can have an impact on biodiversity on a
number of levels: by changing land-use,
introducing invasive species for use in
biofuel production, overusing water and
pushing agricultural production into areas
with high conservation value (indirect land
use change). But there can be beneficial
impacts as well: for instance, replacement
of firewood use can decrease deforestation.
A joined-up approach
to bioenergy development, one that balances
greenhouse gas emissions with impacts on
biodiversity, water and food security, is
needed. Proper planning and management will
be essential at the national level, as well
as in individual projects.
"There is no doubt
that we need to decrease our reliance on
fossil fuels and move to cleaner, more environmentally
friendly options, but we need to make sure
we are not creating more problems than we
solve" said Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary
General of the United Nations and UNEP Executive
Director.
"Biofuel production
has risks and opportunities. We need to
examine all the risks, so that we can take
full advantage of the opportunities, for
emissions cuts, for new green jobs, and
for raising the standards of living for
some of the world's poorest communities,"
he added.
UNEP spells out some
of those considerations in four issues papers
circulated today, which compliment a landmark
report-Accessing Biofuels- launched last
year by the UNEP-hosted International Panel
for Sustainable Resource Management.
In Water and Bioenergy,
the second in the bioenergy paper series,
UNEP cites research which shows that two
per cent, or 44 km3, of the global water
withdrawals for irrigation are being used
for bioenergy production.
But if current bioenergy
standards and targets were fully implemented,
a further 180km3 of irrigation water would
be needed, creating additional pressure
on water resources and potentially impacting
on food production and water supplies, especially
in those areas already experiencing water
stress.
As the water footprint
of bioenergy can be up to 400 times greater
than that of traditional fossil fuels, the
greatest challenges will be to determine
how to meet future bioenergy demand without
overexploiting or damaging water resources,
and how to better manage bioenergy supply
chains to reduce the pressure on water use
and minimize impacts on water quality.
So important are the
links between water and biofuel production
that the UNEP is preparing a report
which for the first
time examines in depth the links between
biofuel production and water availability,
use and quality. The report, called Zoom
on the Bioenergy and Water Nexus, draws
on the work of more than 40 experts and
will be released early next year.
Measures that help reduce
the impact of bioenergy on water include:
Matching bioenergy feedstocks
with locally available water resources,
favoring those that require less irrigation
and added agrochemicals, which through run-off
can contaminate water supplies.
Using sustainable agricultural
techniques and technologies to minimize
water use, and encouraging the switch to
sustainable agriculture.
Conducting life-cycle
analyses of total water use and water quality
of biofuels.
Fostering market mechanisms
that encourage sustainable water use and
reduce potentially harmful effluents and
take into account regional needs and contexts.
In another issues paper
circulated today, Gain or Pain? Biofuels
and Invasive Species, UNEP, UNEP's World
Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) and
the International Union for the Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) say that while many of
the currently available biofuels are produced
from food crops that have been grown for
centuries, some of the plant species being
considered for advanced biofuels are potentially
invasive.
The very qualities that
make these plants ideal for biofuels - fast
growth, ability to outperform local vegetation,
abundant seed production, tolerance of and
adaptability to a range of soil and climatic
conditions, resistance to pests and diseases,
a lack of predators - mean they could become
invasive in a given landscape.
Invasive species can
do serious damage to the environment, local
livelihoods and economies. Careful risk
assessment that weighs up the likelihood
of impacts on biodiversity, and measures
preventing spread are needed.
So far, in the rush
to pursue the benefits of biofuels, the
risk of invasive species being introduced
for biofuels production has received too
little attention.
The paper highlights
the need for more research and sharing of
information about these plants, and methods
to assess the likelihood to which invasiveness
could materialize.
In Beyond the Talk:
Engaging Stakeholders in Bioenergy Development,
UNEP examines the critical link between
biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities
around the world, building on a recent Decision
Support Tool prepared with the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the
framework of UN Energy, a mechanism to coordinate
the work on sustainable energy.
As bioenergy projects
creep into the backyards of these communities,
they need to be properly engaged and communicated
with to ensure that these practices are
not harmful to them, that land tenure is
secured, and that local biodiversity providing
ecosystem services is maintained.
And in Land Use, Land
Use Change and Bioenergy, UNEP points to
global estimate that, on current trends
and with current technologies, bioenergy
could compromise up to 36 per cent of arable
land by 2030. This could have a serious
impact on biodiversity.
The challenge is to
create processes and methodologies that
help designate areas that are suitable and
available for bioenergy development,and
those where special care needs to be applied.
Comprehensive land-use planning and management
systems need to be enacted.
For further information please contact:
EDITORS' NOTE
For more information, and to download the
issues papers, please go to: www.unep.fr/energy/bioenergy/
Accessing Biofuels www.unep.fr/energy/bioenergy/documents/pdf/Assessing%20Biofuels-Summary-Web-.pdf
ABOUT UNEP
Created in 1972, UNEP
represents the United Nations' environmental
conscience. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, its
mission is to provide leadership and encourage
partnership in caring for the environment
by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations
and peoples to improve their quality of
life without compromising that of future
generations. UNEP's Division of Technology,
Industry and Economics - based in Paris
- helps governments, local authorities and
decision-makers in business and industry
to develop and implement policies and practices
focusing on sustainable development. The
Division leads UNEP's work in the areas
of climate change, resource efficiency,
and harmful substances and hazardous waste.
Editorial by Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of
Japan
Rich and Diverse Ecosystems Must Be Passed
Down to Future Generations
Among a variety of environmental
issues, biodiversity loss is one of the
most important challenges facing the international
community.
Throughout its long
history, humankind has enjoyed benefits
from nature's cycle. Food, clothing and
shelter are only available by our use of
nature and living things.
Humankind has also acquired
a wide range of knowledge from nature, and
cultivated arts and technologies in the
course of maintaining a sustainable way
of life within it.
We bear a heavy burden
of responsibility to pass down rich and
diverse ecosystems to future generations,
so that human beings can continue receiving
the benefits provided by nature in future
years.
This issue becomes easier
to understand when we consider our socio-economic
activities, for which raw materials such
as grains, fruits, timber and water are
provided by the benefits from biodiversity.
In Japan, for example,
there is a super express train network known
as the Shinkansen bullet train that connects
major cities throughout the country. The
design of the shape of its nose cone was
based on the beak of the kingfisher bird,
in order to reduce air resistance for high-speed
performance.
In order to promote
the conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity, it is very important to recognize
the interrelationship between biodiversity
and our lives, and consider how we should
view it.
It is in this context
that The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity
(TEEB) study, lead by Dr. Pavan Sukhdev,
draws attention to highlighting the linkage
between biodiversity and the economy, so
as to enhance public awareness of biodiversity's
importance and give greater significance
to promoting its conservation and sustainable
use.
Japan is moving ahead
in an attempt to assess the economic value
of biodiversity and to integrate it with
conservation measures.
For example, the Japanese
Ministry of the Environment conducted an
assessment from 2008 to 2009 on the benefits
of the nation's coral reef ecosystems, revealing
an annual economic value estimated at $27.6
billion from tourism and recreation, $1.2
billion in commercial marine products, and
$0.9 billion to 9.6 billion in protection
from tidal waves and erosion hazards.
These results serve
as a basis for the Action Plan for Conservation
of Coral Reef Ecosystems in Japan released
by the Ministry in April 2010, and are widely
used to improve public awareness of the
importance of coral reefs.
Meanwhile, the Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment compiled by the United
Nations in 2005 concludes that, among 24
ecosystem services evaluated globally, 15
ecosystem services (equivalent to about
60 per cent of world ecosystem benefits)
have been damaged over the past 50 years,
and that human behaviour is the underlying
cause.
The third edition of
the Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3),
produced by the Secretariat of the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD), also concludes
that the state of biodiversity is continuing
to decline on a global scale, and that the
world has failed to meet its targets to
achieve a significant reduction in the rate
of biodiversity loss by 2010.
It is now time for us
to share the same recognition concerning
the benefits derived from biodiversity,
halt its further loss, and take concrete
actions to recover it.
A number of major issues
regarding the conservation and sustainable
use of biodiversity will be discussed at
the tenth meeting of the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD-COP10) in the city of Nagoya,
Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
One is to establish
a new strategic plan including post-2010
targets. Another important theme is Access
and Benefit Sharing (ABS) related to genetic
resources.
The Government of Japan
also intends to take this opportunity to
advocate the promotion of the Satoyama Initiative.
In Japanese, Satoyama
refers to woodlands or grasslands (yama)
adjacent to villages (sato), and represents
one example of the natural environment that
the initiative aims to create.
Satoyama, being closely
associated with local traditions and culture,
are places where local communities fully
receive the benefits derived from ecosystems
through such human activities as agriculture
and forestry.
The Satoyama Initiative
- jointly initiated by the Japanese Government
and the United Nations University Institute
of Advanced Studies in close cooperation
with a wide range of partner organizations
- is a global effort and approach to create
a society in harmony with nature.
Through it we want to
promote the sustainable use of biological
resources suitable for specific climates
and natural features in each region, contribute
to the improved well-being of humans in
general, and achieve the objectives of the
Convention on Biological Diversity.
All stakeholders - including
international organizations, Governments,
municipalities, NGOs, businesses and local
communities - will cooperate in implementing
a major effort to advance the conservation
and sustainable use of biodiversity, while
considering the discussions at CBD-COP10
and other accomplishments in this International
Year of Biodiversity.
Japan is now calling
for a "United Nations Decade on Biodiversity",
to be considered at the United Nations General
Assembly this year, and would like to ask
you all for approval and cooperation.
Keeping COP10's slogan
- "Life in harmony, into the future"-
as a key phrase, Japan will exert its utmost
efforts, hoping to pass down the benefits
of biodiversity to future generations.
