INTRODUCTION: SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS OF BIOMASS CONVERSION - Biomass as a Sustainable Energy Source for the Future - page 21

Sustainable development

Economics Environmental impact Social impact

Energy security
Self-sufficiency
Fuel costs
Capital investment
Human capital
Infrastructure
demand
Payments balance
Financing schemes
Certification
Trade barriers

Food security
Employment
Child labor
Land use issues
Smallholder
integration
Education and
training
Rural development
Public perception

GHG emissions
Air quality characteristics
Water use
Impact on water quality
Soil quality
Nutrient balance
Biodiversity

FIGURE 1.7 Aspects of sustainable development related to the implementation of bioenergy
supply in society.

countries still use tariffs for importing and exporting biomass products, which causes
trade barriers that impact the economics of bioenergy supply and also hampers coun-
tries with large potential for export to make a business out of biomass.
Social impact is another important aspect of sustainability. Food (including drink-
ing water) is of first importance to life, and biomass growing schemes must not com-
promise this. Labor opportunities offered in the field of biomass growing and use for
energy supply can substantially contribute to employment, which is of social benefit
to mankind. Care should be taken, however, that this is not at the cost of child devel-
opment, and biomass growth and processing should not be based on child labor. In
order to stimulate agricultural practices, smallholders (farmers) should be supported
in their activities to cultivate biomass and develop the land. Herein, education and
training regarding the bioenergy whole chain approach should be pursued to sustain
the practices. This further drives rural development and community building, thereby
partly mitigating extreme urbanization with its associated problems. Finally, for any
activity to be sustainable in the sense of social development, the bioenergy-related
activities should be such that the people s perception remains positive and supportive.

Important for a sustainable utilization and expansion of biofuels and bioelectricity
is a stable, long-term sociopolitical framework to increase investor confidence and to
stimulate agricultural enterprises. Simultaneously, countries should remove subsidies
for fossil fuel utilization. Moreover, internationally agreed sustainability criteria for

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