CSIR in EU consortium for sustainable bio-energy production

Research indicates that large-scale bio-energy projects could impact positively on socio-economic and environmental areas for current and future generations, including making a significant contribution to international energy demands and a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. However, changes to existing patterns in land-use pose a threat to ecosystems. The CSIR is part of a European Union-funded consortium tasked with developing and promoting an impact assessment framework to identify and assess appropriate areas for integrated bio-energy project land-use systems, with a particular focus on sustainable, pro-poor, water allocation equity and biodiversity issues. The overall objective of the programme is to help meet the economic, social and environmental demands placed on forests at local, national and global levels.

The CSIR's Graham von Maltitz is part of the RE-Impact project that will assess the sustainability of the bio-energy industry

The project - Rural Energy Production from Bio-energy Projects: Providing regulatory and impact assessment frameworks, furthering sustainable biomass production policies and reducing associated risks (RE-Impact) - has as its ultimate goal the implementation of more evidence-based, integrated bio-energy policies in partner countries and throughout the world.

According to the six-member consortium, other long-term benefits of bio-energy plantations include the reduced pressure to obtain wood-fuel from natural forests and the (sustainable) income-generating opportunities that can be provided by bio-energy projects along the wood-fuel value chain, as well as fuel for modern energy services in rural areas. An example includes the sale of small-scale oil extracted from biodiesel plants.

“The danger lies in whether this industry will be able to sustain and preserve our ecosystems,” says CSIR researcher Graham von Maltitz. “For example, large-scale afforestation and reforestation programmes for wood fuel or biodiesel will have environmental and social costs and benefits which, if not properly taken into account, may result in perverse outcomes,” he adds. “As researchers, we have to probe whether it is sensible to foster economic growth that is driven by rural biofuel plantations, while knowing that this may ultimately reduce water availability.”

The researchers will develop tools to assess and visualise spatially - and under different climate scenarios - the biofuel production benefits in relation to the possible downsides on local income, water availability, competition with other crops or natural resources and biodiversity. They will also study specific cases to examine social and environmental impacts of bio-energy plantations and scattered woodlots that have already been assessed based on collaborative research involving stakeholders. “We will publish modular impact assessment guidelines, including learning devices, which non-governmental organisations (NGOs), environmental authorities and tertiary education institutions will be trained to apply, and provide support for their integration into existing regulatory frameworks and/or curricula,” says Von Maltitz. Policy support and facilitation of discussions at EU and national levels will also be provided regarding the impact of wood-energy production. “This will include the production of general guidelines for regulatory frameworks and specific guidelines and policy recommendations for the case study countries – India, China, Uganda and South Africa,” Von Moltitz adds.

The three-year research project will be led by Professor Ian Calder of the Centre for Land Use and Water Resources Research at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in the United Kingdom. Other partners include the CSIR; Joanneum Research (Austria); Forest Industry Services, Ltd (Uganda); the Centre for Mountain Ecosystem Studies (China); Winrock International (India); and the Indian Institute of Technology.