Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)

Negative emissions in the form of combining (carbon-neutral) bioenergy and carbon capture are an essential input of low stabilization scenarios in most integrated assessments. However, lifecycle emissions from the production of bioenergy itself frequently fail to match assumptions of such low stabilization pathways, with top-down analysis not considering stakeholder interests (energy security, conservation of national resources and natural heritage, and economic development often weigh much higher in the government prioritization than climate change mitigation). One activity of the POLICY group has thus been to complement ongoing research by bottom-up assessments (Kraxner et al. 2012) on the research side and to ensure high-level stakeholder involvement in setting up such assessments in a more realistic way.

Building on the outcomes of the first BECCS Experts Workshop at IIASA in 2011, there was in 2012 a greater focus on targeting countries with a high potential for bioenergy (and also CCS) such as Indonesia. A BECCS workshop in Jakarta with a large number of stakeholders and the respective government units in September 2012 led to the definition of a common agenda; this will be embedded in government activities through the efforts of a BECCS task force with advisors from IIASA and the International Energy Agency.

ESM expertise is especially sought out by tropical countries with a strong interest in Reducing Emissions by Avoiding Deforestation and Degradation (REDD). a joint side-event involving Indonesia’s REDD Task Force, IIASA’s ESM Program, and the International Energy Agency underlined the potential synergies of such an approach. This will also be a topic at the next BECCS workshop with stakeholder involvement planned to take place in Brazil in 2013.

Last edited: 08 October 2013