Background:
In an independent report launched today by a consortium of industry and non-governmental organizations, IUCN
(International Union for Conservation of Nature) promotes an innovative policy approach to address the risk of indirect
land use change through biofuel production. This involves encouraging and rewarding practices that reduce this risk and
penalizing producers who take no action.
There are risks that expanding biofuel production could displace some agricultural production activities onto land with
high natural carbon stocks, such as grasslands and forests, leading to significant greenhouse gas emissions,
biodiversity loss and potentially threatening food security. The study, which was produced by Ernst & Young and commissioned by a consortium including IUCN, European Renewable Ethanol Association (ePURE), Partners for
Euro-African Green Energy (PANGEA), Riverstone, Shell and Neste Oil, examines practical ways to reduce these risks.
Key Issues:
IUCN's solution: "IUCN supports the development of a policy that encourages and rewards practices that reduce the risk
of indirect impacts of biofuel production and penalizes producers who take no action," says Deviah Aiama, IUCN's
Bioenergy Programme Officer. "These practices include improving crop yields on existing agricultural land, introducing
integrated food and fuel cropping systems, and the use of wastes and degraded land. By creating incentives that would
cover the costs of reducing the risk of indirect land use change, we want to make sure that the use of natural resources
for the production of biofuels is ecologically sustainable while also taking into account the realities faced by biofuel
producers on the ground."
Indirect Land Use Change: "Land conversion due to agriculture is a leading cause of biodiversity loss," says Giulia
Carbone, Deputy Director of IUCN's Global Business and Biodiversity Programme. "In the case of biofuel production, such
conversion could occur indirectly from the increased demand for agricultural products from biofuels markets. One way to
reduce this risk is to find sustainable practices to increase supplies of these products without displacing any existing
production to other lands. This report looks into possible ways to achieve this."
Managing the environmental impacts of biofuels: "Replacing fossil fuels with biofuels doesn't automatically result in
the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly if we take into account its potential indirect effects, such as
land conversion and associated emissions," says Nadine McCormick, IUCN's Energy Network Coordinator. "Effectively
addressing the risk of indirect land use change can help ensure that biofuels provide a low-carbon fuel source while
benefiting nature and local communities."
Spokesperson:
Deviah Aiama, IUCN's Bioenergy Programme Officer.
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IUCN's position on Indirect Land Use Change Impacts of Biofuels can be downloaded here: http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/ec_iluc_consultation___iucn_submission___29_october_2010.pdf
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About IUCN
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing
environment and development challenges. IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and
greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing
governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world's oldest
and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,000 government and NGO members and almost 11,000
volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN's work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 60 offices and hundreds of
partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. www.iucn.org; IUCN on Facebook; IUCN on Twitter.
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