The latest advances in bioenergy and the feasibility of biofuels in the commercial marketplace are being discussed and debated this week as the world’s leading experts gather at the University of British Columbia for the International Energy Agency (IEA) Bioenergy conference.
Hosted by UBC Dean of Forestry and IEA Bioenergy Task Leader Jack Saddler, the Biofuels & Bioenergy – A Changing Climate conference brings together researchers, government officials and industry pioneers from 22 countries to advance bioenergy development and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.
B.C. Minister of Forests and Range Pat Bell and UBC President Stephen Toope helped kick off the conference this morning, followed by an announcement of $8.8 million in funding for two UBC research projects from Genome BC.
“Climate change and the global dependence on fossil fuels have created great interest in biofuel and bioenergy technologies,” says Saddler, endowed professor of forest products biotechnology and leader of Task 39, which focuses on solving the technical challenges of biofuel production and addressing policy, markets and implementation issues.
“The conference will enable industry leaders to meet the goals set out in Task 39 to establish the infrastructure needed to produce and market biofuels. Together, we will find sustainable solutions to the world’s energy issues.”
Other conference highlights include a presentation titled Biomass – A Savior or A Sin by Ralph Sims, senior analyst of IEA France and one of the recipients of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and Maria Cristina Saba, renewable energy manager of Brazil’s oil producer Petrobras, who will present the company’s Strategy on Biofuels.
IEA Bioenergy was created in 1978 by member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It assists with information exchange between countries with national bioenergy programs and in implementing an international energy program in response to the oil shocks.
Conference sponsors and exhibitors include IEA Bioenergy, BC Bioenergy Network, British Columbia Innovation Council, Forestry Innovation Investment, LifeSciences BC, Genome BC, and Sustainable Development Technology Canada. For detailed conference info, visit http://www.ieabioenergyconference.org/.
