1. Sustainable Bioenergy: Challenges and Opportunities International Conference Bonn, 12 – 13 October 2006
Gloria Visconti
Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea
Italy

2. The G8 commitment in the Gleneagles Plan of Action
“We (the G8) will promote the continued development and commercialisation of renewable energy by: […] d) launching a Global Bioenergy Partnership to support wider, cost effective, biomass and biofuels deployment, particularly in developing countries where biomass use is prevalent, following the Rome International Workshop on Bioenergy”.

3. Launch of the GBEP
As a concrete fulfilment of the Gleneagles G8 commitment on bioenergy, Italy has hosted the formal launch of the Global Bioenergy Partnership on the occasion of the Ministerial Segment of the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD14 - New York, 11 May 2006).
G8 countries plus China, Mexico, FAO, EUBIA, UN Foundation, IEA joined the partnership.
Italy, together with Mexico, has the Presidency of GBEP for the first two years of activity. The Secretariat is housed at FAO Headquarters in Rome.

4. Functions of the GBEP
1.    Create a global high level policy dialogue on bioenergy, supporting national and regional bioenergy policy making and market development, and facilitating international cooperation;
2.    Favour more efficient and sustainable uses of biomass and develop project activities in the bioenergy field;
3.  Foster the exchange of information, knowledge skills and technologies by identifying and promoting potential areas of bilateral and multilateral collaboration;
4.   Facilitate bioenergy integration into energy markets by tackling specific barriers in the supply chain;
5. Act as a cross cutting initiative, working in synergy with other relevant activities, avoiding duplications.

5. Short-Mid Term Actions
Update the inventory of existing networks, initiatives and institutions dealing with bioenergy;
2. Identify gaps in knowledge or areas of weak understanding;
3. Carry out scoping of feasibility studies for market building activities, in cooperation with interested developing countries;
Establish mechanism for raising awareness and dealing with issues of international relevance and gaps in technology and policy;
5. Formulating standard guidelines to measure the greenhouse gas emission reductions through the promotion and use of biofuels in the transport and energy generation sectors.  This would include the development of baseline methodologies and monitoring tools to be used for project activities in the bioenergy field.

6. Items to be further developed
Bioenergy and Trade: relationship between producers and consumers in the global market. Issues related to trade, in particular trade barriers and subsidies;
Bioenergy production and biodiversity protection. How to ensure a sustainable bioenergy development.

7. Next Steps
Development of a detailed Work Plan on the basis of the short-mid term objectives identified in the TOR;
Involvement of additional Partners, private sector, research centers, emerging economies, NGOs;
Coordination with on going activities in the field of renewables and Bioenergy

8. For further information:
GBEP Secretariat Contact Details general address:
Secretariat Manager: Ms Astrid Agostini;
Knowledge Management Officer: Ms Michela Morese;
Ministry for the Environment of Italy: Gloria Visconti;