​Overview

​Around the world, the bioeconomy is increasingly promoted as a “green” solution to climate change. But what does the bioeconomy look like in practice? Global experience shows that not all bio-based approaches are sustainable. Industrial-scale bioenergy, today’s most common expression of the bioeconomy, has driven carbon emissions, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and land conflicts across regions.

​This event brings together voices from across the globe to share first-hand lessons from communities and ecosystems affected by large-scale forest biomass and crop-based biofuels. Through visual presentations and an interactive fireside discussion, panelists will unpack the cross-sectoral risks of the current bioeconomy push and highlight alternative strategies that can truly address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

​Hosts

• ​Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC)

• ​Stand.earth

• ​Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)

• ​Global Environmental Forum (GEF)

• ​Trend Asia

• ​Biomass Action Network of the Environmental Paper Network (EPN/BAN)

​Session Highlights

​Regional cases presentations

• ​East Asia | Biomass industry's dangerous pivot to Asia

  • ​Sayoko Iinuma, GEF

• ​Southeast Asia | Forest biomass hijacking energy transition

  • ​Masagus Achmad Fathan, Trend Asia

• ​Europe | Biomass subsidies: the cost of burning forests

  • ​Ruairi Brogan, RSPB

• ​North America | Logging of temperate forests for export markets

  • ​Tegan Hansen, Stand.earth

• ​Latin America | Civil society statement on big bad biomass

  • ​Davi Martins, EPN/BAN

• ​Africa |

  • ​Magdalene Idiang, BAN Africa Working Group

• ​Moderated by Hansae Song, SFOC