Key topics discussed at the Europe Bioenergy Future 2023 edition included the new sustainability criteria of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), synergies across bioenergy sectors (bioethanol, biodiesel, solid biomass, and biogases), and the role of bioenergy in achieving a climate-neutral economy.
The conference opened with remarks from Emma Wiessner MEP, who highlighted the unexpected challenges in promoting renewable solutions like bioenergy, emphasizing the need for the bioenergy value chain to proactively address sustainability and identify areas for improvement.
Jean-Marc Jossart, Secretary General of Bioenergy Europe, presented "3 steps toward the energy transition," the Bioenergy Europe manifesto for the 2024 EU elections. Jossart called on future EU institutions to address pressing issues such as climate change, energy security, and the rising cost of living, urging an end to all fossil fuel subsidies and the development of a clear defossilization strategy.
A significant session centered on carbon removal and the importance of Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and biochar (BCR) in achieving climate neutrality. Lídia Pereira MEP, rapporteur on the Carbon Removal Certification Framework, emphasized the crucial role of negative emission technologies and bio-based carbon removals.
Commissioner Thierry Breton, in a video message, underscored the imperative to decarbonize the energy system and highlighted bioenergy's ability to meet diverse energy needs, including affordable heating, low-carbon energy for industries, advanced biofuels for transports, and non-intermittent power to complement solar and wind energy.
Christoph Pfemeter, President of Bioenergy Europe, emphasized the growing recognition of bioenergy's role in climate strategies, referencing the IPCC and the International Energy Agency's assertion that climate goals cannot be achieved without more bioenergy and BECCS.
