Statement of the Co-Chairs

Conference on Bioenergy and Development
The Investment Case for Sustainable Production Systems
19 – 20 October 2015, Berlin, Germany

Less than a month after the endorsement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations General Assembly and in view of COP 21 of the UNFCCC, the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the Institute for Advances Sustainability Studies (IASS) held a conference on bioenergy and development. The conference brought together a unique high-level group of experts, including representatives of governments, the research community, civil society and the private sector.

The conference discussed the role of bioenergy in the energy-mix that is required to satisfy growing energy demands while at the same time contributing to decarbonizing the global economy and ensuring sustainable development.

It was concluded that, under the right conditions, various forms of bioenergy have the potential to contribute to the energy-mix required for achieving sustainable development and contributing to overcoming poverty, especially in rural areas. However, experience has shown that there are good and bad ways of exploiting biological sources of energy, and the participants at the conference identified the critical factors for the successful development of bioenergy. Read the full statement here.

Download the statement here.

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Blog - Bio-energy and development: the investment case for sustainable production systems