Sustainable biofuels production

Dear GLOBE Member,

Alongside the UNFCCC-meeting in Poznan next week, GLOBE EU and GLOBE Europe
will host a joint workshop on sustainable production of biofuels. This event will be
held on Wednesday, 10 December, between 15.30 and 17.30 in Chopin, EU Pavilion.

The role of biofuels has drastically changed during the last year in tackling climate
change: from being the once certain substitute of conventional fuels, to a
controversial no-go area for policy-makers, juxtaposed with the global food crisis.

Clearly, a more balanced approach is needed to address this complex issue. In the
EU and the US, sustainability criteria for biofuels production are currently being
established, to promote biofuels which neither compete with food production nor
result in loss of biodiversity and deforestation, but still contributing to a higher
greenhouse gas performance than conventional fuels.

Done in the correct way, the production of biofuels could be an economic

opportunity and a method for reducing oil dependency while securing domestic
energy supply, particularly in developing countries.

So, how may the EU or US policy incentivize the development of sustainable biofuels
in the South? Will it encourage or impede its development? Our panellist will give us
their views;

Anders Wijkman (Member of the European Parliament, President GLOBE EU), Michael
Kauch (Member of the German Parliament, Vice-President of GLOBE Europe), Drew
Nelson (US Environment Protection Agency) Mark Radka (Chief Energy Branch, UNEP),
and José Domingos Gonzalez Miguez (General Coordinator on Global Climate
Change, Brazilian government).