Modern bioenergy use should triple by 2030 to double the renewable energy share of the overall energy mix, according to IRENA analysis. However, expansion of bioenergy use has been hampered by scepticism regarding how much expansion is possible while also meeting growing needs for food and reducing global carbon emissions. IRENA has therefore outlined a number of sustainable approaches to greater bioenergy use which can support the goal of sustainable energy for all while also promoting key sustainable development goals such as food security, climate action and poverty alleviation. These include more thorough harvesting of farm and forest residues, improved crop yields (sustainable intensification), and reduced waste and losses in the food chain.
This lecture outlines each of these pockets of bioenergy potential in the context of a briefing paper on sustainable bioenergy development, which has been jointly prepared by FAO, IEA Bioenergy and IRENA.
