Can nature conservation and biomass exploitation come together?
Protected Areas leading the way towards sustainable wood biomass supply chains
During 3 years, five protected areas from Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy and Greece, developed small-scale supply chains for solid biomass, involving regional stakeholders, under the project BioEuParks. The project aimed at highlighting the important role of protected areas on finding local solutions for sustainable energy and thus, to develop effective models that can be replicated by other European protected areas. The final results of BioEuParks will be officially known at an International Conference, at the Committee of the Regions, Brussels, on the 3rd March 2016.
Energy efficiency and renewable energies are top priorities for an Europe running towards a low-carbon economy. The European Union has been supporting pilot-initiatives to find new solutions for sustainable energy production, and solid biomass is amongst the possibilities to explore. As the main guardians of European forests, protected areas are in a leading position for managing sustainable biomass exploitation, without compromising natural values.
The development of local supply chains is profoundly influenced by the social, ecologic and economic assets of each country. BioEuParks partners, facing different contexts and challenges, had to developed tailor-made solutions for their areas. In Greece, to tackle the high costs of burners and installation for small-scale producers, a leasing system was created by a local enterprise, after BioEuParks started. Completely different from the Hungarian protected area, where the supply chain development was at the same time a solution for the removal of invasive species – a major problem in that country.
During the BioEuParks Conference, project partners will provide an in-depth analysis of their results, and present case studies for setting up local biomass supply chains in Protected Areas. Keynote speakers from the European Union institutions will provide a framework of the current priorities to improve sustainable energy in Europe and, along with other partner organisations, challenges and opportunities arising from sustainable exploitation of solid biomass will be discussed.
The conference is hosted by the Committee of the Regions (CoR) with the patronage and contribution of Mr. Roby Biwer, member of the CoR and rapporteur on the fitness check of Nature Directives.
Registration is free and the invitation is extended to all protected areas managers, organisations involved in the area of bioenergy, biomass and sustainable resources, EU policy and decision makers, and the wider audience interested in this subject.
BioEUParks was created in 2012 under the proposed priority ‘Solid biomass’ of the European Intelligent Energy Europe Programme (IEE).
About Biomass
The importance of using biomass for heat and energy production is rapidly growing in Europe. In the context of the EU’s policy on renewable energy summarized as the 20/20/20 target (20% renewable energy, 20% greenhouse gas reduction and 20% reduction in energy consumption by the year 2020), the production of heat and energy through biomass constitutes an important pillar.
PROGRAMME
The conference will be organised on a half day session (9:00-13:00) and concluded with a questions and answers session for media, as well as a seasonal and local walking buffet offered to participants. Download here the full Programme of the conference.
REGISTRATION (here)
Participation in the event is free of charge, but participants must register to access the building before 27th February.
For further information please contact the EUROPARC Federation :
Damien de Chanterac: d.dechanterac_at_europarc.org /+49 (0) 941 5993598-03
