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Background
Since 2013, GBEP has organized a Bioenergy Week every year, on a rotating basis, in a different region of the world, as part of its Working Group on Capacity Building, Activity Group 3 (AG3) “Study tour for capacity building and training”. In 2023, for its 10th edition, the Bioenergy Week will return to the Asia and Pacific region, with a 4 day-event in Bangkok, Thailand from 24 to 27 October 2023.
Objectives
The GBEP Bioenergy Week brings together a large network of bioenergy stakeholders, including international experts, decision makers and private sectors representatives to discuss current trends, future opportunities and challenges in the area of bioenergy. Previous editions of Bioenergy Weeks have successfully contributed to exchange views, best practices and lessons learned amongst officials and stakeholders on ways to improve agricultural productivity and yield, enhance feedstock logistics, and increase the use of modern conversion technologies.
The 2023 Bioenergy Week will enhance learning from positive experiences on sustainable production and use of bioenergy integrated within food production value chains, to support the design and implementation of bioenergy policies in Asia and the Pacific. Furthermore, it will provide the opportunity to continue a dialogue with the private sector and other stakeholders on ways to improve mutual cooperation towards a more sustainable production and use of bioenergy.
Regional context
Asia is experiencing a significant rise in both the supply and demand for bioenergy, driven by robust incentivizing policies implemented in key countries within the region, such as India, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Wood energy, including fuelwood and charcoal, holds immense importance in Asia and is projected to remain a crucial energy source. Notably, Vietnam emerged as one of the top five wood pellet exporters in 2020. In many countries, wood accounts for a substantial portion of energy demand, ranging from 20 to 80 percent. While the utilization of woodfuel continues to increase, its growth rate is not as rapid as that of fossil fuels.
Within the Asia-Pacific region, there exists vast potential for the production of biogas and biomethane on a global scale, owing to the abundant availability of suitable feedstock and the recent surge in consumption and imports of natural gas. China, Thailand, and India stand as the largest producers of biogas in the region. Notably, China has recently introduced policies aimed at encouraging the installation of household-scale digesters in rural areas, aiming to enhance access to modern energy sources and clean cooking fuels.
The production of liquid biofuels in the region is poised to surpass that of Europe by 2026, as projected by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2021. Anticipated growth in demand amounts to approximately 10.8 billion litres per year between 2021 and 2026. Indonesia currently holds the highest biodiesel blending mandate globally, set at 35 percent. Moreover, India, which aims to achieve a 20 percent ethanol blending target by 2022, has recently established the Global Biofuel Alliance during its G20 presidency.