Wood-based fuels provide for the cooking and energy needs of billions of people around the world yet the production and use of these fuels is a complex and contentious issue.

Those in favor of biomass energy, such as firewood and charcoal, claim that it is inexpensive and supports livelihoods. Those against, argue that it has a negative impact on health and the environment. Despite the controversy, biomass is likely to remain an important fuel source into the future, especially in developing countries where access to alternatives such as LPG, kerosene and electricity is limited or too costly. The challenge lies in improving the sustainability of biomass energy right across supply and value chains.

A series of policy and technical briefs recently published by the World Agroforestry Centre and the Stockholm Environment Institute highlight obstacles to sustainability in biomass energy production and use - specifically in sub-Saharan Africa - and provide recommendations for action, most importantly the need for cross-sectoral integration.

The production and use of biomass energy involves a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, forestry, environment, education, health, energy, finance and infrastructure. The briefs advocate for bringing together stakeholders and decision-makers from these and other sectors in order to achieve sustainability.

“A more explicit focus on integrated planning should ensure that projects, programmes, strategies and policies concerning biomass energy have a common goal, address the challenges and chart a way forward that aims for sustainability, reduced pollution and diversity in technology,” says the policy brief: Sustainable energy from trees: Adopting an integrated approach to biomass energy.

The brief acknowledges that little progress has been made to-date in improving sustainability with biomass energy in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors point to the major obstacle being a lack of coordination and harmonization between the many different actors involved in the development, production, diffusion and trade of technologies and processes associated with biomass energy.

Limited data on biomass usage, limited awareness by communities of clean and efficient biomass technology options, poor regulation of the industry, low investment, weak capacity of institutions, disconnected policies and lack of political will are also seen as hindering the sectors progress towards sustainability.

The policy brief calls on governments in sub-Saharan Africa to commit to:

• Supporting sustainable production such as through the establishment of plantations, good agroforestry practices and effective management of forests and drylands to reduce pressure on natural vegetation and avoid degradation.
• Supporting research and development, capacity building and awareness raising in relation to more efficient charcoal production and clean cookstove technologies.
• Formalizing the sector, improving regulatory mechanisms and harmonizing various policies and strategies regarding the development, distribution, trade and use of biomass energy.
• Establishing a policy forum to promote stronger inter-sectoral coordination.

Looking more specifically at the situation in Kenya, 3 further technical briefs analyze what it might take to achieve sustainability with charcoal and firewood, and how cleaner cookstoves are one option to reduce fuel and emissions.

Biomass fuels (including firewood and charcoal) account for 68 per cent of total energy consumption in Kenya and the sector provides an important source of income in both rural and urban areas. However, unsustainable production is diminishing supplies of woody biomass.

In Kenya, more than 80 per cent of the urban population depends on charcoal and the sector is valued equal to the tea industry, supporting the livelihoods of over 2 million people. The technical brief, Achieving sustainable charcoal in Kenya provides an overview of the use of charcoal in households and industries in Kenya. It analyzes the institutions involved in the sector and the problems which exist, including corruption. Options are given for making the sector more sustainable which involve promoting efficient charcoal production and consumption technologies together with an enabling policy framework.

Sustainable firewood access and utilization looks at the importance of firewood in supplying energy for cooking and heating in rural areas of Kenya, and recommends that firewood be directly addressed in energy policies. Three key challenges are identified: the imbalance between supply and demand; the disproportionate burden on women in collecting firewood; and the general lack of knowledge about how to make firewood use more sustainable.

Each year, more than 15,000 women and children in Kenya die as a result of indoor air pollution, mostly from smoky kitchens. From cleaner cookstoves to clean cooking provides an overview of the use of traditional cooking methods and fuels in Kenya, and its impact on other areas of development. It identifies challenges in implementing clean cooking technologies and proposes a holistic approached focused on 4 key elements: value chain; capacity building; policy improvements; and an effective communication strategy. The brief advocates for active participation of both the public and private sectors.