Second draft of GBEP sustainability criteria and indicators for bioenergy
for discussion at the 7th meeting of the GBEP Task Force on Sustainability,
17-19 March 2010, The Hague
4 March 2010
Note on the classification of indicators
Indicators have been placed by the Chair and Sub-Group leaders into four categories, taking into account
comments received from Partners and Observers on the first draft of indicators. The Chair will invite the Task Force
to discuss these categories and the destiny of each of them at the start of the meeting in The Hague. After this
discussion, the main objective of the Task Force meeting will be to agree upon a provisional set of core indicators.
The rationale behind the proposed classification is as follows. In accordance with “The process for the selection of
GBEP sustainability indicators”1:
i)
indicators deemed to be highly relevant and also practical and science-based are classified as
core indicators and marked with a Y in the third column of the index table;
ii)
indicators deemed highly relevant but not immediately operational due to low practicality (e.g. poor
data availability or very high data collection costs) and/or a weak scientific basis (no available
methodological approach for the measurement of the indicator or, where appropriate,2 disaggregating
the bioenergy specific element of the indicator value) are marked with an asterix (*) in the index table
and identified as being in need of further research; and
iii)
indicators not deemed highly relevant, even though some might be quite straightforward to measure,
are marked with an N in the index table.
Furthermore, some Partners and Observers have expressed a desire to have a smaller set of indicators that could
be more easily measured and reported upon periodically by those Partners and Observers who wished to do so. In
response, the Chair and Sub-Group leaders would like to highlight to the Task Force, for discussion in The Hague,
a subset of the core indicators that they deem particularly important to an analysis of the sustainability of
bioenergy or of its contribution to sustainable development at the national level. These indicators are marked with
a Y+ in the third column of the index table. (Not all of these will necessarily be relevant for measurement in every
GBEP Partner or Observer country.)
The Chair would welcome comments from Partners and Observers in The Hague about whether they would like the
Task Force to seek to agree upon such a common subset of indicators that Partners and Observers might
periodically measure and report upon. To this subset, of course, Partners and Observers could add any other
indicators of particular relevance in their national or regional integration level context. For Partners and Observers
without the capacity to measure these indicators and perform subsequent analysis, a possible solution could lie in
the offering of capacity-building services by other Partners.3
On the following page, a table of the indicators proposed by the Chair and Sub-Group leaders as core is presented.
Amongst these core indicators, those deemed particularly important are marked in red italics. This is followed by
the summary table of all current draft indicators (number, name and classification as core or otherwise), which will
be the focus of discussion in The Hague.
1
available at
http://www.globalbioenergy.org/fileadmin/user_upload/gbep/docs/2009_events/5th_TF_Sustainability_Paris_July_2009/Process
_for_selection_of_GBEP_indicators__with_template__-_final.pdf
2 Some proposed indicators are contextual and therefore do not require the disaggregation of the bioenergy-specific element of
their value.
3 See the draft scope and programme of work of the proposed GBEP Task Force on Financing, Capacity Building and
Technology Cooperation for Sustainable Bioenergy, 3 March 2010.
2
Core indicators from the 2nd draft of GBEP sustainability criteria and indicators for bioenergy
Criterion
Indicator
(indicators in red italics are deemed by the Chair and Sub-Group leaders to be particularly important
for an analysis of the sustainability of bioenergy)
Legal, policy and institutional
framework and governance
(environmental)
ENV 0A
1.
Formal mechanisms regarding environmental impacts
ENV 0B
2.
Spatial data and tools
Greenhouse gas emissions
ENV 1A
3.
Life-cycle GHG emissions
ENV 2A
4.
Soil quality
ENV 2A.1
5.
Soil erosion
ENV 2A.2
6.
Soil organic matter
ENV 2B.1
7.
Harvest levels of wood resources
ENV 2B.2
8.
Extraction levels of agricultural and forestry residues
ENV 2C
9.
Land management practices
ENV 3A
10. Non-GHG pollutant emissions
Productive capacity of the land and
ecosystems
Air quality
ENV 4A
Water availability, use efficiency and
ENV 4B
quality
ENV 4C
11. Proportion of water resources used
12. Water use efficiency
13. Water quality
ENV 5A
14. Conversion of high biodiversity areas and of unique ecosystems
ENV 5C
15. Invasive alien species
ENV 5D
16. GMO/LMO
ENV 6A
17. Land use and bioenergy
ENV 6B
18. Agro-ecological zoning and bioenergy
ENC 6C
19. Land use change and bioenergy
SOC 0
20. Formal mechanisms regarding social impacts
SOC 1A
21. Food insecurity and vulnerability mapping and assessment
SOC 1B
22. Change in domestic production of main staple crops
SOC 1C
23. Change in net imports of main staple crops
SOC 1D
24. Change in prices of and share of income spent on main staple crops
Access to land, water and other
natural resources
SOC 2F
25. Change in land tenure
Labour conditions
SOC 3A
26. Wages and trade union membership
SOC 4A
27. Change in household income
SOC 4B
28. Net quantity and quality of jobs created
SOC 4C
29. Change in time spent by women and children collecting biomass
SOC 4D
30. Participation of small-scale farmers
Access to energy
SOC 5A
31. Quantity and share of modern bioenergy used to expand access to modern
energy services
Human health and safety
SOC 6A
32. Change in mortality and burden of disease attributable to indoor smoke
Legal, policy and institutional
framework and governance
(economic and energy security)
ECO 0
33. Formal mechanisms regarding economic and energy security impacts
Biological diversity
Land-use change, including indirect
effects
Legal, policy and institutional
framework and governance (social)
Food security
Rural and social development
Resource availability and use
ECO 1A
efficiencies in bioenergy production,
conversion, distribution and end-use ECO 1C
Economic development
Economic viability and
competitiveness of bioenergy
Energy security / Diversification of
sources and supply
34. Total public investment in bioenergy
35. Production yields
ECO 2A
36. Total current domestic consumption and production of bioenergy
ECO 2B
37. Total current exports and imports of bioenergy products
ECO 2E
38. Change in foreign exchange balance
ECO 3A
39. Local bioenergy parity prices, compared to competing energy sources
ECO 3B
40. Net revenue from bioenergy
ECO 5A
41. Total Primary Energy Supply Mix
ECO 5B
42. Contribution of bioenergy to energy security given the existing energy
supply mix
ECO 5C
43. Import dependency
ECO 5D
44. Import concentration
3
Summary table of the 2nd draft of GBEP sustainability criteria and indicators for bioenergy
Indicator
number4
Indicator name5
Core6
Page
indicator No.
Legal, policy and institutional framework and governance regarding the environmental impacts of bioenergy
ENV 0A
Formal mechanisms regarding environmental impacts
Y
18
- Existence of formal mechanisms (e.g. legislation, policies, strategies or protocols)
at the national (or regional integration or sub-national, where appropriate) level to (1)
assess, (2) monitor and (3) address environmental impacts of bioenergy production
and/or use.
- Extent to which these formal mechanisms include or aim at the following, in the
context of bioenergy feedstock production, conversion and/or bioenergy use:

limiting or reducing GHG emissions;

sustainable ecosystem management:
o maintenance or enhancement of soil quality
o responsible use of fertilizers and pesticides (including herbicides)
o sustainable wood harvesting (for energy) in forests;

limiting or reducing non-GHG pollutant emissions;

sustainable water management taking into account domestic demands and
demands from other sectors;

monitoring and preventing adverse impacts on water quality;

conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity including regulation
for biosafety;

reducing invasive alien species threats to biodiversity;

mitigating direct and indirect land-use change effects (through e.g. the
prioritization of feedstocks and cultivation areas offering no or low
displacement risks, programmes to increase yields, or restriction on crops
for bioenergy production);

encouraging the use of agricultural and forestry residues, and organic
shares of municipal and industrial waste for bioenergy production;

environmental impact assessments (including public participation); and

regular collection and analysis of data on the environmental impacts of
bioenergy production at the farm, processor, supplier or other economic
operator level.
[Note: This indicator may entail the provision of a matrix of “yes”, “no” or other types of such
straightforward answers and invite users to provide more detail (duration and nature of
policy in place) and analyze in more depth the coverage and balance of their legal, policy
and institutional framework should they deem this relevant to an assessment of the
sustainability of their bioenergy sector in their national (or regional integration or subnational) context.]
Ex “Existence of formal mechanisms (e.g. legislations, policies, strategies or protocols) at
the national level to (1) assess, (2) monitor and (3) address environmental impacts of
bioenergy production and/or use.
Such formal mechanisms may include or aim at the following, in the context of bioenergy
feedstock production, conversion and/or bioenergy use:

limiting or reducing GHG emissions

sustainable ecosystem management:
o maintenance or enhancement of soil quality
o responsible use of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides
o sustainable wood harvesting (for energy) in forests

limiting or reducing non-GHG pollutant emissions

sustainable water management taking into account domestic demands and
demands from other sectors

monitoring and preventing adverse impacts on water quality
4
If the indicator number changed from the previous version, the former indicator name in 27 Jan 2010 version is indicated below in italic
If the indicator name changed from the previous version, the former indicator name in 27 Jan 2010 version is indicated below in italic
Classification of the indicators as: Y (core), * (highly relevant but not practical or science-based enough to be immediately operational), N
(neither of these categories); Y+ indicates that the Chair and Sub-Group leaders consider the indicator particularly important to an analysis of
the sustainability of bioenergy
5
6
4


ENV 0B
conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity
mitigating direct and indirect land-use change effects “
Spatial data and tools - (1) existence of spatial planning tools and (2) availability of
Y
spatial data, needed for assessing, monitoring and planning environmentally
sustainable bioenergy production and conversion at the national (or regional
integration or sub-national, where appropriate) level.
Such tools and data may include the following:

maps of areas recognized nationally as being of high biodiversity
importance;

land-use maps (covering e.g. current (and planned) agricultural land use,
forest cover, peatlands and wetlands, industrial/residential area,
infrastructure);

maps of water resources (covering e.g. rivers, catchment areas and
identifying water stressed areas);

soil surveys (covering e.g. soil types, soil fragility); and

land suitability assessments and land use regulations for agricultural (among
which bioenergy feedstock) production (e.g. agro-ecological zoning).
23
[Note: This indicator may entail the provision of a matrix of “yes”, “no” or other types of such
straightforward answers and invite users to analyze in more depth these issues should they
deem this relevant to an assessment of the sustainability of their bioenergy sector in their
national (or regional integration or sub-national) context.]
Ex “(1) Existence of spatial planning tools and (2) availability of spatial data, needed for
assessing, monitoring and planning environmentally sustainable bioenergy production and
conversion at the national level.
Such tools and data may include the following,:
•
maps of areas recognized nationally as being of high biodiversity importance
•
land-use maps (covering e.g. current (and planned) agricultural land use, forest
cover, industrial/residential area, infrastructure)
•
maps of water resources (covering e.g. rivers, catchment areas and identifying
water stressed areas)
•
soil surveys (covering e.g. soil types, soil fragility)
•
land suitability assessments and land use regulations for agricultural (among which
bioenergy feedstock) production (e.g. agro-ecological zoning) “
Greenhouse gas emissions
ENV 1A
Life-cycle GHG emissions - Life-cycle greenhouse gases emissions of bioenergy
production and use, as per the methodology chosen nationally, and reported using
the GBEP Common Methodological Framework for GHG Lifecycle Analysis of
Bioenergy 'Version Zero'
Y+
Ex “Life cycle GHG emissions using the GBEP Common Methodological Framework for
GHG Lifecycle Analysis of Bioenergy 'Version Zero'”
Productive capacity of the land and ecosystems
ENV 2A
Soil quality - Change in soil properties affecting soil fertility, as a result of the
production of bioenergy feedstock
[Note: Soil quality can be assessed by the monitoring of a number of properties (nutrients
and minerals contents, soil organic matter, pH range, soil structure, amount of
microorganisms, amount of topsoil, absence of toxic substances, etc.), whose relative
influence on soil quality will vary from context to context. Choice of these options may
depend on local context. The Sub-Group leaders propose that ENV 2A will be the single
indicator on soil quality and that ENV 2A.1-2A.5 will be presented as possible options for
measuring this single indicator. The proposed classification of 2A.1-2A.5 is therefore
bracketed and applies only in the case that the Task Force wishes to retain these as
separate indicators.
The Sub-Group leaders propose to work towards developing ENV 2A so that it sets out an
overall methodological approach for measuring impacts of bioenergy production on soil
quality, by providing notes about where and when each option below might be more
appropriate, or by using another approach to be determined (for example comparing the
levels of land productivity with the levels of input).]
Ex “Change in soil quality as a result of the production of bioenergy feedstock”
5
Y+
28
ENV 2A.1
Soil erosion - Quantity of soil loss (or gain) in bioenergy feedstock production areas
(Y)
33
(Y)
37
(N)
42
(N)
46
(N)
50
Y
54
Y
58
Y
63
Y+
67
Y+
72
Ex “Soil loss/gain as a result of the production of bioenergy feedstock”
ENV 2A.2
Soil organic matter - Amount of soil organic matter (SOM) in the soil in bioenergy
feedstock production areas
Ex “Soil organic carbon”
ENV 2A.3
Soil compaction - Level of soil compaction in bioenergy feedstock production areas
Ex “[Change in] soil compaction as a result of the production of bioenergy feedstock”
ENV 2A.4
Soil salinity - Level of top soil salinity in bioenergy feedstock production areas
Ex “Change in (top) soil salinity as a result of the production of bioenergy feedstock (with
comparison to an appropriate reference system)”
ENV 2A.5
Soil contamination - Toxic substances7 in soil as a result of the production of bioenergy
feedstock production
Ex “Change in Cadmium accumulation in soil as a result of the production of bioenergy
feedstock production”
ENV 2B.1
Harvest levels of wood resources - Annual harvest of wood for bioenergy production
by volume/mass, as a percentage of net growth or sustained yield
Ex “Annual harvest of wood for bioenergy production by volume/mass and as a percentage
of net growth or sustained yield”
ENV 2B.2
Extraction levels of agricultural and forestry residues - Annual extraction of
agricultural or forestry residues used for bioenergy production by volume/mass and
as percentages of the total amount of residues theoretically available and of the
amount that can be extracted without adversely affecting vital ecosystem functions
and services
Ex “Annual extraction of agricultural or forestry residues used for bioenergy production by
volume/mass and as a percentage of the total amount of residues available”
ENV 2C
Land management practices - Shares of land area used for bioenergy feedstock
production under certain classes of land management practices (e.g. conservation
agriculture, minimum tillage, sustainable forest management), as compared to the
same shares of land area used for agricultural or forestry production overall
Ex “Shares of land used for bioenergy feedstock production under certain classes of land
management practice (e.g. conservation agriculture, minimum tillage), as compared to the
same shares of land used for agricultural production overall”
Air quality
ENV 3A
Non-GHG pollutant emissions - Non-GHG pollutant emissions from bioenergy
cultivation (land clearing, crop burning), conversion and/or use
Ex ENV 3A “Non-GHG pollutant emissions from burning practices in the cultivation phase
(land clearing, crop burning)”, ENV3B “Non-GHG pollutant emissions from bioenergy
conversion facilities” and ENV3C “Non GHG pollutant emissions from bioenergy use
(tailpipe emissions and, as applicable, chimney stacks affecting urban air quality”
Ex ENV 3B “Non-GHG pollutant emissions from bioenergy conversion facilities “ now
covered under ENV3A
Ex ENV 3C “Non GHG pollutant emissions from bioenergy use (tailpipe emissions and, as
applicable, chimney stacks affecting urban air quality” now covered under ENV3A
Water availability, use efficiency and quality
ENV 4A
Proportion of water resources used - Volume of groundwater and surface water
withdrawn for irrigation and process water, expressed as percentages of total actual
renewable water resources and of total withdrawals for human use
7
Toxic substances may include heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (see chemicals mentioned in the Stockholm convention,
in the Rotterdam convention and in WHO 1a-1b).
6
Ex “[Change in] Water use [intensity] for bioenergy production and conversion, annually as a
percentage of total actual renewable water resources in a watershed and as a percentage of
total annual human water withdrawals”
ENV 4B
Water use efficiency - Volume of irrigation and process water used per unit of useful
bioenergy output, disaggregated into renewable and non-renewable water
Y
78
Ex “Water use efficiency for bioenergy production (irrigation water only) and conversion
(process water) by volume per unit of useful energy output, disaggregated into renewable
and non-renewable water”
ENV 4C
Water quality - Monitoring of the eutrophication of water bodies and the
contamination of water supplies that are attributable to bioenergy production,
conversion or storage
Y+
[Note: The Sub-Group leaders propose that ENV 4C will be the single indicator on water
quality and that ENV 4C.1-4C.4 will be presented as possible options for measuring this
single indicator. The proposed classification of 4C.1-4C.4 is therefore bracketed and applies
only in the case that the Task Force wishes to retain these as separate indicators.
The Sub-Group leaders propose to work towards developing ENV 4C so that it sets out an
overall methodological approach for measuring impacts of bioenergy production, conversion
and storage on water quality, by providing notes about where and when each option below
might be more appropriate, or by using another approach to be determined (for example
eutrophication attributable to bioenergy may be best measured through agrochemical use
efficiencies in bioenergy production areas).]
Ex “Change in water quality as a result of bioenergy production (including production and
conversion of feedstock, storage and transport)”
ENV 4C.1
Nitrate (N) and Phosphorous (P) Loadings to Large Rivers
(*)
85
ENV 4C.2
Pesticide Loadings to Large Rivers
(*)
90
ENV 4C.3
Organic pollution discharge
(Y)
94
ENV 4C.4
Sample freshwater species
(*)
98
Y+
102
N
107
Y
112
Biological diversity
ENV 5A
Conversion of high biodiversity areas and of unique ecosystems - Proportion of land
area recognized nationally of high biodiversity importance converted and number of
unique ecosystems at risk due to bioenergy production expansion
Ex “Annual rate of conversion of areas [recognized nationally as being] of high biodiversity
importance, including protected areas, for biomass production, and proportion to-date of
total such areas converted”
ENV 5B
Crop genetic diversity - Physical availability of crop genetic diversity as a result of the
introduction of bioenergy feedstocks
Ex “Physical availability of crop genetic diversity”
ENV 5C
Invasive alien species - Number of bioenergy feedstocks used within a country that
are documented as invasive alien species, area covered and evaluation of possible
damage to biodiversity
Ex “N”
Ex “Number of bioenergy feedstocks used within a country that are documented invasive
alien species and area covered by these species (ENV 5D.1), impact of these invasive alien
species on biodiversity (ENV 5D.2) and number of international agreements (ENV 5D.3) and
national policy measures (ENV 5D.4) relevant to reducing invasive alien species threats to
biodiversity adopted by a country”
ENV 5D
GMO/LMO - Number of GMO/LMO used within a country as bioenergy feedstock and
area covered
Y
Ex “N”
Ex “Number and type of bioenergy feedstocks used within a country that are or are derived
from living modified organisms (LMO) and area covered by these LMOs; impact of these
LMOs on biodiversity and international agreement and national policy measures relevant to
reducing LMO threats to biodiversity adopted by a country”
7
118
Land-use change, including indirect effects
ENV 6A
Land use and bioenergy - Bioenergy land area, and as compared to total, arable and
cultivated land areas
Y
123
ENV 6B
Agro-ecological zoning and bioenergy - Share of bioenergy land area within the limits Y
of nationally defined agroecological zoning or similar land suitability regulatory
scheme for bioenergy crop expansion
126
Ex “Existence of agro-ecological zoning or other land suitability assessment for bioenergy
crops expansion”
ENV 6C
Land use change and bioenergy
- Shares of bioenergy from yield increases, residues and wastes and degraded or
contaminated land;
- Net annual rates of conversion of arable and pasture land and of deforestation
and forest degradation caused by bioenergy feedstock production
Y+
Indicator
number8
Indicator name9
Core10
Page
indicator No.
130
Legal, policy and institutional framework and governance regarding the social impacts of bioenergy
SOC 0
Formal mechanisms regarding social impacts
Y
134
- Existence of a formal mechanism (e.g. legislation, policy, strategy or protocol) at the
national (or regional integration or sub-national, where appropriate) level to (1)
assess, (2) monitor and (3) address social impacts of bioenergy production and/or
use.
- Extent to which these formal mechanisms include or aim at the following, in the
context of bioenergy feedstock production, conversion and/or bioenergy use:

national policy measures to assess food security, periodically monitor
impacts of bioenergy on food security and manage potential impacts of
bioenergy production/use on food security, including clauses to review the
policy/regulatory framework in line with assessment findings, such as
flexible mandates enabling switching between food and fuel use

land allocation procedures for bioenergy, including:
o public land allocation procedures following due process, including
free, prior and informed consent; and
o land rental and sales contracts including contracts for temporary
use agreements are accessible to all;

periodic monitoring of the impacts of bioenergy on changes in access to and
use of natural resources by local communities;

periodic monitoring of the impacts of bioenergy on access to education for
local communities (schooling and training);

public policies to respect, applicable to the bioenergy sector, to promote and
to realize the principles mentioned in the ILO Declaration on the Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work, namely:
a) freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to
collective bargaining;
b) the elimination of forced or compulsory labour;
c) the abolition of child labour; and
d) the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and
occupation;

policy to encourage bioenergy industry to adhere to a code of conduct

policy aimed at promoting participation of small-scale farmers in bioenergy
feedstock production;

education and awareness-raising about bioenergy and its contribution to
sustainable development;

measures to reduce the risk of occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities,
8
If the indicator number changed from the previous version, the former indicator name in 27 Jan 2010 version is indicated below in italic
If the indicator name changed from the previous version, the former indicator name in 27 Jan 2010 version is indicated below in italic
Classification of the indicators as: Y (core), * (highly relevant but not practical or science-based enough to be immediately operational), N
(neither of these categories); Y+ indicates that the Chair and Sub-Group leaders consider the indicator particularly important to an analysis of
the sustainability of bioenergy
9
10
8


such as standard measures to reduce occupational hazards, codes of
conduct, implementation of bans of agrochemicals;
social impact assessments (including public participation); and
regular collection and analysis of data on the social impacts of bioenergy
production at the farm, processor, supplier or other economic operator level.
[Note: This indicator may entail the provision of a matrix of “yes”, “no” or other types of such
straightforward answers and invite users to provide more detail (duration and nature of
policy in place) and analyze in more depth the coverage and balance of their legal, policy
and institutional framework should they deem this relevant to an assessment of the
sustainability of their bioenergy sector in their national (or regional integration or subnational) context.]
Ex “Existence of a formal mechanism (legislation, policy, strategy or protocol) at the national
level to assess (Y/N), monitor (Y/N) and address (Y/N) social impacts of bioenergy
production and/or use. Such formal mechanisms would in particular include or aim at the
following:
•
national policy measures to assess food security, periodically monitor impacts of
bioenergy on food security and manage potential impacts of bioenergy production/use on
food security, including clauses to review the policy/regulatory framework in line with
assessment findings; (Y/N);
•
land allocation procedures for bioenergy production, including:
•
public land allocation procedures following due process (Y/N); and
•
land rental and sales contracts including contracts for temporary use agreements
are accessible to all (Y/N).
•
changes in access to natural resources by local communities (Y/N);
•
public policies to respect, to promote and to realize the principles mentioned in the
ILO Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, namely:
a) freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
b) the elimination of forced or compulsory labour;
c) the abolition of child labour; and
d) the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation (Y/N).
•
policy aimed at promoting participation of small-scale farmers in bioenergy
feedstock production (Y/N);
•
education and awareness-raising about bioenergy and its contribution to
sustainable development (Y/N); and
•
measures to reduce the risk of occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities, such
as standard measures to reduce occupational hazards, codes of conduct, implementation of
bans of agrochemicals (Y/N).”
Food security
SOC 1A
Food insecurity and vulnerability mapping and assessment - Food insecurity and
vulnerability mapping and assessment carried out by the national government
Y
138
SOC 1B
Change in domestic production of main staple crops - Change in domestic
production of main staple crops used domestically for:
• food (as % of consumption);
• feed; and
• fuel (as % of total production).
Y+
142
[Note: As suggested by one partner, stocks might affect the amount (and share) of main
staple crops produced during a certain year that is available for consumption during the
same year. This should be considered in this indicator]
SOC 1C
Change in net imports of main staple crops - Change in net imports of main staple
crops used for food
Y
146
SOC 1D
Change in prices of and share of income spent on main staple crops - Change in
prices of main staple crops and % of income spent on main staple crops
Y+
149
N
154
Ex “Changes in prices of main staple crops”
SOC 1E
Change in household dietary diversity - Change in household dietary diversity as a result of
bioenergy production
9
Access to land, water and other natural resources
SOC 2A
Security of land rights - Security of land rights in bioenergy production areas
N
158
SOC 2B
Incidence of land evictions and number of people/households displaced - Incidence of land
evictions and number of people/households displaced without due legal
process/compensation on land used for bioenergy production
*
162
Incidence of conflict over natural resources - Incidences of conflict over natural resources
(land, water, forests) as a result of bioenergy production
*
SOC 2C
Ex “N”
166
Ex “N”
SOC 2D
Change in land prices - Change in land prices as a result of bioenergy production
*
169
Ex “Y”
SOC 2E
Change in access to water and other natural resources by local communities as a
result of bioenergy production e.g. change in quantity of water use and change in
time spent collecting water by households below the poverty line as a result of
bioenergy developments
*
173
Ex “N”
Ex “Change in access to adequate quantity and quality of water by household below the
poverty line as a result of bioenergy production:

Change in % of income spent by households below the poverty line on water
caused by bioenergy production and use

Change in time spent by women and children collecting water caused by bioenergy
production and use”
SOC 2F
Change in land tenure - Change in land tenure as a result of bioenergy activities
Y+
177
[Note: As suggested by one partner, changes in access to land traditionally used by local
communities on the basis of customary laws should be considered as well in this indicator.]
SOC 2G
Economic benefits to rural population - Economic benefits to rural population in areas
providing genetic material of importance to bioenergy production (benefit sharing)
N
183
SOC 2H
Change in access to crop genetic resources for non-energy purposes - Change in access to N
crop genetic resources for non-energy purposes as a result of bioenergy production
188
[Originally to be covered under SOC 2G]
Labour conditions
SOC 3A
Wages and trade union membership - Wages and trade union membership in
bioenergy production in relation to comparable sectors
Y+
192
Y
196
Y+
200
Y
203
Rural and social development
SOC 4A
Change in household income - Change in household average income level and in
income distribution as a result of bioenergy production in bioenergy production
areas
Ex “Changes in household average income level as a result of bioenergy production in
bioenergy production areas”
[now includes ex ECO 4D]
SOC 4B
Net quantity and quality of jobs created
- Net job creation as a result of bioenergy production and use
- Disaggregated by quality, such as seasonality
Ex “Numbers of jobs created and displaced by bioenergy production and use”
SOC 4C
Change in time spent by women and children collecting biomass - Change in time
spent by women and children collecting biomass as a result of switching to modern
bioenergy services
Ex “Change in time spent by women and children collecting biomass as a results of
switching to:
- modern energy services
- modern bioeenergy services”
10
Ex SOC 4D “Change in the distribution of incomes as a result of bioenergy” now covered
under SOC 4A “Changes in household average income level and in income distribution as a
result of bioenergy production in bioenergy production areas”
SOC 4D
Ex SOC 4E
Participation of small-scale farmers - Participation of small-scale farmers in
bioenergy feedstock production
- number of farmers; and
- % of feedstock provided.
Y+
207
Ex “% of bioenergy feedstock produced nationally by small-scale farmers”
SOC 4E
Change in HDI - Change in the local Human Development Index (HDI) as a result of
bioenergy
N
211
SOC 4F
Change in GDI - Change in the local Gender- Development Index (GDI) as a result of
bioenergy
N
215
Access to energy
SOC 5A
Quantity and share of modern bioenergy used to expand access to modern energy
services - Quantity and share of modern bioenergy used to expand access to
electricity, mechanical power, heating and cooking to households and small
businesses (disaggregated by bioenergy type)
Y+
219
SOC 5B
Number of households and small businesses using modern bioenergy - Number of
households and small businesses that use modern bioenergy as part of their energy mix in
form of electricity, mechanical power, cooking and heating fuels and technologies
N
223
SOC 5C
Share of income spent on energy by poor households - Change in % of income of
households below the poverty line spent on energy ser vices as a result of modern
bioenergy production and use
*
227
Human health and safety
SOC 6A
Change in mortality and burden of disease attributable to indoor smoke - Change in
mortality and burden of disease attributable to indoor smoke from solid fuel use, and
changes in these as a result of the replacement of traditional bioenergy sources with
biomass-based stoves
Y+
231
SOC 6B
Incidence of occupational injury, illness and fatalities - Incidences of occupational injury,
illness and fatalities in the production of bioenergy
N
237
Indicator
number11
Indicator name12
Core13
Page
indicator No.
Legal, policy and institutional framework and governance regarding the economic and energy security impacts of
bioenergy
ECO 0
Formal mechanisms regarding economic and energy security impacts
Y
242
- Existence of formal mechanisms (e.g. legislation, policy, strategy and protocol) at
the national (or regional integration or sub-national, where appropriate) level to (1)
assess, (2) monitor and (3) address economic and energy security impacts of
bioenergy production and use.
- Extent to which these formal mechanisms include or aim at the following, in the
context of bioenergy feedstock production, conversion and/or use:

a stable regulatory framework for the bioenergy sector

support for bioenergy production and/or use, including: blending quotas, tax
measures (e.g. excise tax, eco-tax, value added tax, tax exemptions),
production incentives, reduced purchase price of goods, capital grants,
subsidies prices, tradable green certificate system, quota obligation,
tendering system, price bonus, feed-in-tariffs (and the extent to which these
11
If the indicator number changed from the previous version, the former indicator name in 27 Jan 2010 version is indicated below in italic
If the indicator name changed from the previous version, the former indicator name in 27 Jan 2010 version is indicated below in italic
Classification of the indicators as: Y (core), * (highly relevant but not practical or science-based enough to be immediately operational), N
(neither of these categories); Y+ indicates that the Chair and Sub-Group leaders consider the indicator particularly important to an analysis of
the sustainability of bioenergy
12
13
11





measures are time-limited);
incentivization of technological improvements in the bioenergy sector, and in
particular those that explicitly address energy efficiency and resource use
efficiency;
creating a skilled workforce;
technology cooperation;
economic impact assessments, cost-benefit analyses or similar (including
public participation); and
regular collection and analysis of data on the economic impacts of bioenergy
production at the farm, processor, supplier or other economic operator level.
[Note: This indicator may entail the provision of a matrix of “yes”, “no” or other types of such
straightforward answers and invite users to provide more detail (duration and nature of
policy in place) and analyze in more depth the coverage and balance of their legal, policy
and institutional framework should they deem this relevant to an assessment of the
sustainability of their bioenergy sector in their national (or regional integration or subnational) context.]
Ex “Existence of formal mechanisms (legislation, policy, strategy and protocol) at the
national level to assess (Y/N), monitor (Y/N) and address (Y/N) economic and energy
security impacts of bioenergy production and use;
Existence of a stable regulatory framework for the bioenergy sector (Y/N);
Existence of official policy and legal framework supporting bioenergy production and/or use
(Y/N) “
Resource availability and use efficiencies in bioenergy production, conversion, distribution and end-use
ECO 1A
Total public investment in bioenergy

domestic investment and foreign investment

as % of total public investment in energy (for comparison within the energy
sector) and as % of GDP (for comparison outside of the energy sector, e.g.
with agriculture or another industrial sector)

total public investment in RD&D in bioenergy
ECO 1B
Total private investment in bioenergy
*

domestic investment and foreign investment

as % of total private investment in energy (for comparison within the energy sector) Ex “N”
and (possibly) as % of value added (for comparison outside of the energy sector,
e.g. with agriculture or another industrial sector)

total private investment in RD&D in bioenergy
251
ECO 1C
Production yields

bioenergy feedstocks (by feedstock)

conversion efficiencies (by technology and feedstock)

bioenergy end product (volume or energy content per hectare per year)
255
Y
Y+
247
[Note: In recognition that much bioenergy feedstock production involves non-bioenergy
feedstock production on the same land or farm (e.g. through crop rotation, intercropping,
integrated crop and livestock production, or landscape management), the Task Force might
consider expanding production yields for bioenergy feedstocks to all agricultural production
on land used for bioenergy feedstock production. The same principle could also be applied
to the conversion phase.]
Ex As above with “bioenergy end product (average)” as third bullet
ECO 1D
Net energy balance
*
- Ratio of useful energy output to (fossil) energy input for available bioenergy feedstocks and
Ex “N”
processing technologies
- Full lifecycle and/or

Ratio of energy needed for the production of one unit of feedstock to energy value
of inputs required for its growth

Ratio of energy content of one unit of biofuel produced (and co-products) to energy
content of feedstock input

Average energy efficiency of internal combustion engines of the national car fleet
and of national bioenergy plants for heat and power generation
12
259
Ex “Energy balance of available bioenergy feedstocks and processing technologies (with
comparison to other energy sources for the same end-use)”
[Ex ECO 1E “Potential of bioenergy production including from wastes and residues (with
comparison with actual bioenergy production and possibly with production potential from
other energy sources)” now covered under ECO 2A]
ECO 1E
Rate of return - "Rate of return" on bioenergy production (including co- and by-products)
N
265
Ex “Y”
Ex ECO 1F
ECO 1F
Agrochemical input use efficiencies - Agrochemical input use efficiencies, including for
phosphorus, nitrogen and pesticides (including herbicides)
Ex ECO 1G
[Note: The Sub-Group leaders propose that the Task Force discuss whether ECO 1F should
be a single indicator on agrochemical input use efficiencies with ECO 1F.1-1F.3 presented
as options for measuring this single indicator. The proposed classification of 1F.1-1F.3 is
therefore bracketed and applies only in the case that the Task Force wishes to retain these
as separate indicators.
*
268
(*)
268
The Task Force might also like to consider another approach (for example a combined
indicator on fertiliser use efficiency or comparing the levels of land productivity with the
levels of inputs – see ENV 2A above).]
ECO 1F.1
Phosphorus use efficiency
Ex “N”
Ex ECO 1G.1
ECO 1F.2
Nitrogen use efficiency
(*)
Ex “N”
Ex ECO 1G.2
ECO 1F.3
272
Pesticides use efficiency
(*)
276
Ex “N”
Ex ECO 1G.3
Economic development
ECO 2A
Total current domestic consumption and production of bioenergy
Y+

Liquid biofuels and other bioenergy products, including wastes and residues

Projections for consumption and production from nationally recognized
Ex “N”
sources could also be included for reference and planning purposes

Potential bioenergy production, including from wastes and residues, could
be estimated separately (though this requires a sophisticated methodology,
taking into account sustainability constraints and competition for resources)
279
Ex “Total current and projected domestic consumption and production of bioenergy (liquid
biofuels and other bioenergy products)”
ECO 2B
Total current exports and imports of bioenergy products
Y

Liquid biofuels and other products

Projections for exports and imports from nationally recognized sources
could be included separately for reference or planning purposes

Potential bioenergy export figures could be estimated separately (though this
may require a sophisticated methodology taking into account projected
domestic production and consumption, parity prices, international demand
and competing suppliers)
283
Ex “Total current and potential export of bioenergy products (liquid biofuels and other
products)”
ECO 2C
International currency flows related to bioenergy production and use - national balance of
payments
N
287
Ex “Y”
ECO 2D
Value added by the bioenergy sector
*

Gross value added per unit of energy produced and (for the whole country) as % of
GDP

Where possible, net value added, where depreciation of fixed capital is included (in
13
291
particular depreciation of natural capital, e.g. depletion of fossil fuel reserves,
degradation of land and depletion of forest resources)
Ex “Change in net national product (NNP) due to bioenergy sector development”
ECO 2E
Change in foreign exchange balance - due to displacement of fossil fuel imports by
bioenergy production (and/or imports) and bioenergy exports
Y+
295
*
299
Ex “Savings due to avoided fossil fuel imports replaced by bioenergy”
[Ex ECO 2F “Total workforce in bioenergy sector” has been moved to the social basked as
part of SOC 4B, “Net job creation”.]
ECO 2F
Impact on economic development of additional infrastructure development as a result of
bioenergy development
Ex “N”
Ex ECO 2G
ECO 2G
Possibility of accessing international mechanisms such as CDM and GEF projects
N
303
Ex ECO 2H
Economic viability and competitiveness of bioenergy
ECO 3A
Local bioenergy parity prices, compared to competing energy sources
Y+

Local bioenergy parity prices, compared to relevant parity prices of
competing domestic and international energy sources

Subsidies required to enable domestic bioenergy production to compete with
fossil fuels (domestic and imported) and imported bioenergy
307
Ex “Local bioenergy prices, with and without taxes or subsidies, compared to alternative
energy sources (local and international prices)”
ECO 3B
Net revenue from bioenergy
Y
311
ECO 3C
Bioenergy opportunity costs: difference between prices before and after tax or subsidy for
bioenergy products and alternative products (e.g. foods, materials) that could be made from
the same raw material
N
315
N
319
*
327
[Ex ECO 3D “Size of the actual and potential domestic market for bioenergy (biofuels and
other bioenergy products)” now covered under ECO 2A]
ECO 3D
Net total public expenditure on bioenergy – total government support of bioenergy minus
total tax receipts from bioenergy
Ex ECO 3E
Ex “Total energy excise revenues from bioenergy”
Access to technology and technological capabilities
[Ex ECO 4A “Total RD&D investments in bioenergy (public and private)” is now covered by
ECO 1A and ECO 1B]
ECO 4A
Access to required intellectual property rights and patents for the purpose of bioenergy
Ex “Y”
Ex ECO 4B
ECO 4B
Level of technology cooperation, including technology transfer and financing
331
Ex “Y”
Ex ECO 4C
ECO 4C
*
Training and re-qualification of the workforce
N
335
Y
to be
develop
ed
Ex ECO 4D
Energy security / Diversification of sources and supply
ECO 5A
Total primary energy supply mix

% of oil in TPES

% of coal in TPES

% of gas in TPES

% of other renewables in TPES

% of bioenergy in TPES
[The rationale of this indicator is that the contribution of bioenergy to energy security cannot
14
be assessed in isolation, but needs to take into account the rest of the energy mix. The
same amount of bioenergy in a country gives a higher contribution to energy security it the
rest of the mix is highly diversified at the same time.
In other words, the objective of this indicator is twofold, i.e. it gives a measure for
Diversification of supply in the energy mix
Contribution of bioenergy, given the existing situation of diversification of supply and
sources.
This indicator can be combined with indicators ECO 5C (import dependency) and ECO 5D
(import concentration) and showed in visual form of a pie, which gives an overview of all
three indicators at the same time:
Example - Combination of indicators 5A, 5C and 5D
Country A
of which
No of
TPES
imports
suppliers
oil
20
18
5
coal
20
15
2
gas
20
19
1
nuclear
20
0
bioenergy
10
1
3
other
renewables
10
0
Country B
of which
TPES
imports
50
0
40
0
10
0
45
0
38
0
1
0
Country A
other
renewables
domestic
bioenergy
domestic
bioenergy
imported
oil imported
oil domestic
5
3
2
nuclear
domestic
coal imported
1
coal domestic
gas domestic
gas imported
Country B
bioenergy
domestic
bioenergy
imported
gas domestic
oil imported
gas imported
oil domestic
The share of bioenergy is the same in the two countries, but country A is more energy
supply secure than country B.]
Number of energy sources that have a share larger than 10% in the energy mix of TPES in
the country (NS = from 1 to 6).
[To be covered under ECO 5B]
15
ECO 5B
Contribution of bioenergy to energy security given the existing energy supply mix
% bioenergy share in TPES/Herfindahl Index of total primary energy supply mix
Ex ECO 5C
[This aggregated indicator aims at the same time to give the contribution of bioenergy to
energy security taking into account the diversification of the mix.
The higher the indicator value, the higher the contribution of bioenergy.
Y
(alternati
ve to
ECO 5A)
to be
develop
ed
Y
to be
develop
ed
Y
to be
develop
ed
Example of four different countries:
A: low bioenergy share, well diversified
B: low bioenergy share, poorly diversified
C: high bioenergy share, rest poorly diversified
D: high bioenergy share, rest well diversified
oil
coal
gas
nuclear
bioenergy
other renewables
Country
A
TPES
20
20
20
20
10
10
Country
B
TPES
40
0
40
0
10
10
Country
C
TPES
40
0
0
0
60
0
Country
D
TPES
10
10
10
0
60
10
IA = 0.1/HIA = 0.1/(4*0.22+2*0.12)=0.56
IB = 0.1/HIB = 0.1/(2*0.42+2*0.12)=0.29
IC = 0.6/HIC = 0.6/(0.62+0.42)= 1.15
ID = 0.6/HID = 0.6/(0.62+4*0.12)= 1.5 ]
% of domestic bioenergy in TPES
[Redundant. Can be calculated by subtracting ECO 5C from ECO 5A. To be covered by
ECO 5C]
ECO 5C
Ex ECO 5E
Import dependency - % of imports in total supply for each fuel (expressed in TPES
shares)

% of imported oil in total oil supply

% of imported coal in total coal supply

% of imported gas in total gas supply

% of imported other renewables in total other renewables supply

% of imported bioenergy in total bioenergy supply
[Import dependency needs to be assessed per each fuel, as fuels cannot always substitute
each other in the supply mix.
This indicator can be combined with indicators ECO 5A (import dependency) and ECO 5D
(import concentration) and showed in visual form of a pie, which gives an overview of all
three indicators at the same time (see note of ECO 5A)]
ECO 5D
Ex ECO 5F
Import concentration - Numer of supplying countries for each imported fuel

Number of countries supplying oil

Number of countries supplying coal

Number of countries supplying gas

Number of countries supplying other renewables

Number of countries supplying bioenergy
This indicator gives a measure of import concentration risks. The higher the number of
supplying countries, the lower the risk of supply disruptions.
This indicator can be combined with indicators ECO 5A (import dependency) and ECO 5D
(import concentration) and showed in visual form of a pie, which gives an overview of all
three indicators at the same time (see note of ECO 5A)
Alternative measure:
Herfindahl index of fuel imports to reflect diversity of import concentration

HI of oil imports

HI of coal imports

HI of gas imports

HI of other renewables imports
16

HI of bioenergy imports
The Herfindahl index takes into account the weighting by share of imported fuel for each
supplying country. The lower the HI the higher the lower the import concentration and the
higher the energy security.
Examples for three different countries:
Oil Imports
Country A
supplier 1
20%
supplier 2
20%
supplier 3
20%
supplier 4
20%
supplier 5
20%
Country B
80%
5%
5%
5%
5%
Country C
80%
20%
HIA =5*0.22= 0.2
HIB =0.82+4*0.052= 0.65
HIC =0.82+0.22= 0.68
Country A is the most energy secure. Country B has the same number of supplying import
countries, but is much less secure.
ECO 5E
Transportation sector energy mix - % different fuels in final consumption energy for
transport
N
to be
develop
ed
N
to be
develop
ed
Ex ECO 5G
Ex “% of oil, gas, bioenergy, electricity in total final consumption for transport “
ECO 5F
Electricity supply mix - % different fuels in the electricity mix
Ex ECO 5H
Ex “% of oil, coal, gas, nuclear, bioenergy, other renewables and imported electricity in the
supply mix”
Energy security / Infrastructure and logistics for energy imports and domestic production
ECO 6A
Energy imported via non-flexible infrastructure - % of energy imported via non-flexible
infrastructure on TPES (e.g. pipelines)
N
to be
develop
ed
ECO 6B
Domestically refined oil products - % of domestically refined oil products on total oil products N
supplied in the country
to be
develop
ed
ECO 6C
Flex fuel cars - % of flex fuel cars sold on the market
to be
develop
ed
17
N
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV0A
Proposed indicator
Formal mechanisms regarding environmental impacts
- Existence of formal mechanisms (e.g. legislation, policies, strategies or
protocols) at the national (or regional integration or sub-national, where
appropriate) level to (1) assess, (2) monitor and (3) address environmental impacts
of bioenergy production and/or use.
- Extent to which these formal mechanisms include or aim at the following, in the
context of bioenergy feedstock production, conversion and/or bioenergy use:

limiting or reducing GHG emissions;

sustainable ecosystem management:
o maintenance or enhancement of soil quality
o responsible use of fertilizers and pesticides (including
herbicides)
o sustainable wood harvesting (for energy) in forests;

limiting or reducing non-GHG pollutant emissions;

sustainable water management taking into account domestic demands
and demands from other sectors;

monitoring and preventing adverse impacts on water quality;

conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity including
regulation for biosafety;

reducing invasive alien species threats to biodiversity;

mitigating direct and indirect land-use change effects (through e.g. the
prioritization of feedstocks and cultivation areas offering no or low
displacement risks, programmes to increase yields, or restriction on
crops for bioenergy production);

encouraging the use of agricultural and forestry residues, and organic
shares of municipal and industrial waste for bioenergy production;

environmental impact assessments (including public participation);
and

regular collection and analysis of data on the environmental impacts
of bioenergy production at the farm, processor, supplier or other
economic operator level.
Suggested unit14
(if applicable)
Criterion
This indicator may entail the provision of “yes”, “no” or other types of
such straightforward answers as forms of measurements, or invite
members to analyze in more depth these issues as seen relevant to the
sustainability of their bioenergy sector in their national or regional
integration context
Enabling conditions/framework to assess, monitor and address the
environmental impacts of bioenergy
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
14
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion15 for which it is being
proposed
 A policy framework is the necessary basis to implement
sustainability criteria. The formulation and implementation of
legislation, policies, strategies or protocols to assess, monitor and
address the environmental impacts of bioenergy production and/or use
are the essential tools to help governments to achieve their goals in
the field of GHG-emissions, maintaining the productive capacity of land
and ecosystems, improving air quality, maintaining water availability
and improving use efficiency and quality, maintaining biodiversity and
realising sustainable land use change, including indirect effects.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at
the national level with regard to the that criterion
 This indicator gives some good insight to the government if the
necessary policy instruments are available and should be introduced
or adjusted in order to address the environmental impacts of
bioenergy production and/or use.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 This indicator should include information on the policy instruments
relevant to the other environmental indicators (e.g. soil productive
capacity, use of water resources)
This indicator is related to ENV 5A as it provides the framework to
compile data needed in ENV 5A
Comparison with
alternative energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison with fossil fuel equivalent gives information about the
relative completeness of environmentally relevant policies relating to
fossil fuels and to bioenergy production and use and may highlight
where one or the other needs to be strengthened. It will help to identify
the possible positive and negative environmental effects of using bioenergy or fossil fuel

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
15
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
19
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison with non-fossil fuel equivalent gives information about
the relative completeness of the policy environment for, and possible
positive and negative environmental effects of using bio-energy and
other renewable energy sources.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

Availability of data
sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
 In-depth cross-sectorial stock-taking (at a minimum), review and
analysis (preferable: see anticipated limitations) of existing formal
mechanisms (e.g. legislations, policies, strategies or protocols) at the
national level which are relevant for bioenergy. This will require
contacting the different branches of government (agriculture, energy,
environment, etc.) and levels of administration (national and subnational) involved.
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that
you are aware of
 National legislation, policies, strategies or protocols related to
environmental aspects of bio-energy
( International Energy Agency (Bio-energy)
( World Energy Assessment

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically
implemented to address key gaps in the available data
 National governments could make an inventory which legislation,
policies, strategies or protocols on production and use of bioenergy
are in place and make an evaluation if they are sufficient to anticipate
the possible positive and negative environmental aspects of
introduction or expansion of bio-energy production and/or use. It is
also important to consider existing legislation that is not specific to
bioenergy but may govern its production and use, such as more
general environmental quality standards, regulations governing the
agriculture sector, forestry sector, rural development mechanisms etc.
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Extensive review of existing national mechanisms of relevance to
bioenergy sector

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
20
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator,
please provide relevant information
 OECD environmental peer reviews
( CBD and UNCCD national reporting on implementation of the
convention (CBD 2nd national reports)
III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator
will allow one to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or
use, and separate it from other possible impacts
in theory acceptable. It does not determine the actual impacts.
However change over time in the policy environment can be linked
to likely changes in environmental impact (see below)

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this
indicator and the assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed
by the corresponding criterion
contribute to maintaining or improving the other environmental
indicators.
( The combination of this indicator with quantitative indicators gives
insight in the effectiveness of sustainable bioenergy policies and can
monitor progress.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at
the national level for data that are not collected at that level
16
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
17
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
21
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the
measurement of the indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which18
one(s).
 This indicator is a compilation of environmental information
relevant to bioenergy production, conversion and use. It gives
information if legislation, policies, strategies or protocols are available
and is not necessarily quantifiable. In order to get more clarity on the
goals and anticipated effects of these policy instruments descriptive
information of these policies would be needed (instead of only an
aggregated yes/no/under development answer). The fact that policies
do exist does not indicate how comprehensive and effective they are
or how well they are implemented and therefore the extent to which the
indicator will contribute to inform decision making for sustainable
bioenergy sector development could be limited.
 The indicator does only look for the existence of formal
mechanisms and not for existing customary law
References

List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy)19

18 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
19
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
22
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV0B
Proposed indicator
Spatial data and tools - (1) existence of spatial planning tools and (2) availability of
spatial data, needed for assessing, monitoring and planning environmentally
sustainable bioenergy production and conversion at the national (or regional
integration or sub-national, where appropriate) level.
Such tools and data may include the following,:

maps of areas recognized nationally as being of high biodiversity
importance;

land-use maps (covering e.g. current (and planned) agricultural land use,
forest cover, peatlands and wetlands, industrial/residential area,
infrastructure);

maps of water resources (covering e.g. rivers, catchment areas and
identifying water stressed areas);

soil surveys (covering e.g. soil types, soil fragility); and

land suitability assessments and land use regulations for agricultural
(among which bioenergy feedstock) production (e.g. agro-ecological
zoning).
Suggested unit20
(if applicable)
This indicator may entail the provision of “yes”, “no” or other types of
such straightforward answers as forms of measurements, or invite
members to analyze in more depth these issues as seen relevant to the
sustainability of their bioenergy sector in their national or regional
integration context
Enabling conditions/framework to assess, monitor and address the
environmental impacts of bioenergy
Criterion
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 21 for which it is being
proposed
 The indicator is related to spatial planning at a national level which
is a precondition (enabling condition) to be able to assess, monitor and
address some of the environmental impacts of bioenergy production,
and to some extent those of bioenergy conversion and use (examples:
availability of sufficient water resources for process and cooling water
20
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
21
23
needs in bioenergy conversion plants; accessibility of production and
conversion sides, availability of transport infrastructure and/or location
of end users). Spatial planning tools and the necessary spatial data are
essential to inform governments and help them to achieve their goals
in the field of GHG-emissions, maintaining the productive capacity of
land and ecosystems, improving air quality, maintaining water
availability and improving use efficiency and quality, maintaining
biodiversity and avoiding unsustainable land use change, including
indirect effects.
Comparison with
alternative energy options

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at
the national level with regard to the criterion.
 This indicator gives insight into whether spatial planning is
conducted and the necessary spatial data are available, or whether
spatial planning should be introduced or adjusted in order to address
the environmental impacts of bioenergy production and/or use. For
example, properly identifying and mapping nationally recognized areas
of high biodiversity importance is a prerequisite to monitor and
prevent their conversion for bioenergy

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 This indicator enables the stock taking of available spatial data,
which are needed for measuring other environmental criteria,
especially criterion 5 and 6.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison with fossil fuel equivalent can be made if the equivalent
is produced inside the country and therefore bound to a certain
national territory. Thus spatial planning tools and data are not only a
precondition to assess, monitor and address possible positive and
negative environmental effects of bioenergy but also of fossil fuel
production.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison with non-fossil fuel equivalent can be made if the
equivalent is produced inside the country and therefore bound to a
certain national territory. Thus spatial planning tools and data are not
only a precondition to assess, monitor and address possible positive
and negative environmental effects of bioenergy but also of other
24
renewable energy sources.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

Availability of data
sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
In-depth cross-sectorial review of the existing spatial planning tools
and spatial data that are available at the national level which are
needed to assess the environmental impacts of bioenergy. This will
require contacting the different branches of government (agriculture,
energy, environment, etc.) and levels of administration (national and
sub-national) involved.
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that
you are aware of
 National land use records/maps
 National suitability assessments (e.g. agro-ecological zonings)22
 World Database on Protected Areas (www.wdpa.org). This database
also contains sites designated under the ASEAN Heritage Convention,
the Barcelona Convention, UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserves,
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar), and those sites
designated under the World Heritage Convention. Sites designated
under other international (but sub-global) conventions are not
included23
( Databases for sites designated under regional Conventions, such as
Natura 2000, see
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/db_gis/index_en.ht
m
 Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT): This includes Key
Biodiversity Areas (including Important Bird Areas), Alliance for Zero
Extinction Sites, and others. See http://www.ibatforbusiness.org/
 Other sources of potential interest include Protected Area Gap
Analyses, see http://www.protectedareas.org/show/93082B15-F2031EE9-B94F63E7C1525E11), as well as the High Conservation Value
Resource Network (http://hcvnetwork.org/67
 FAO Geonetwork (www.fao.org/geonetwork/)
 The U.S. Geological Survey website has recently (January 9th 2009)
released their LandSat 1-5 and 7 archives to the public for free and are
available at: http://landsat.usgs.gov/

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically
implemented to address key gaps in the available data
 National governments could make an inventory which spatial
planning tools and spatial data are in place and make an evaluation if
they are robust enough to assess and anticipate the possible positive
and negative environmental impacts of existing and future bioenergy
production at the national level.
Type of measurements
and scale
22
23

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
This data is essential for ENV 6E
This data are essential for ENV 5B.
25
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Review and inventory of spatial data available at national or regional
level

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator,
please provide relevant information
 HCV mapping initiatives at RSPO and RTRS
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow
one to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate
it from other possible impacts24
 Spatial planning tools and spatial data are a precondition/ enabling
condition to be able to assess, monitor and address the
environmental impacts of bioenergy production, conversion and/or
use.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and
the assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the
corresponding criterion
 The existence of spatial planning tools and data is a prerequisite to
be able to ensure sustainable bioenergy production, conversion
and/or use as most drivers are spatially related, especially when it
comes to unsustainable conversion of natural ecosystems.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 25
24
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
25
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
26
 See under availability of data resources
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement
of the indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which26 one(s).
 This indicator is a compilation of spatial information anticipated to
be of relevance for assessing the sustainability or planning of
bioenergy production, conversion and/or use. It provides information
about whether spatial planning tools and data are available and is not
necessarily quantifiable. In order to get more clarity on the goals and
anticipated effects of these spatial instruments/data, more descriptive
information of these instruments/data is needed than what the
indicator would offer in its current stage (yes/no/under development).
Indeed, the fact that spatial planning tools and data do exist does not
tell anything about how good or how objective they are and to which
extent they are used to assess, monitor and address the environmental
impacts and therefore the extent to which the indicator can help to
assess sustainability is limited.
References

List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy) 27

26 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
27
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
27
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV1A
Proposed indicator
Life-cycle GHG emissions - Life-cycle greenhouse gases emissions of
bioenergy production and use, as per the methodology chosen nationally, and
reported using the GBEP Common Methodological Framework for GHG
Lifecycle Analysis of Bioenergy 'Version Zero'
Suggested unit28
(if applicable)
GHG emissions per unit energy
Criterion
1. Greenhouse gas emissions
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 29 for which it is being proposed
 LCA provides an estimate of the GHG emissions produced from the
production of feedstock, manufacturing of fuel, distribution of fuel, and final
conversion of fuel to useful energy combustion. The methodological framework
developed by the GBEP GHG Taskforce is intended to provide a flexible tool for
communicating and comparing methodologies used in GHG lifecycle
assessment (LCA) of bioenergy systems.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 One reason for pursuing increased use of biofuels worldwide is their potential
to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to the fossil fuels they
would replace. Therefore, LCA is an important tool for estimating and then
comparing the GHG emissions from different energy sources at the national
level.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
28
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
29
28
alternative energy
options
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 All alternatives, contingent on available datasets or methods of estimation.
(Comparison with fossil fuel equivalent gives information about the possible
positive and negative effects in the environmental field using bio-energy or fossil
fuel.)

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 All alternatives, contingent on available datasets or methods of estimation.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. GHGs covered
2. Source of biomass (feedstock)
3. Whether Land Use Change (direct and/or indirect) due to bioenergy is
accounted for
4. Biomass feedstock production including GHG sources and sinks
5. Transport of biomass feedstock (calculation method, transport means)
6. Processing into fuel
7. By-products and co-products produced
8. Transport of fuel (calculation method, transport means)
9. Fuel use
10. Comparison with replaced fuel
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
UNEP-SETAC LCI Initiative
US EPA and California LCFS studies: Rules for calculating the greenhouse
gas impact of biofuels, bioliquids and their fossil fuel comparators
”Well-to-Wheels-Study” (on behalf of EU by JRC/EUCAR/CONCAWE)
”RFA calculator” (UK Renewable Fuel Agency)
 Default values Germany biofuel legislation
to be completed

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
29
to address key gaps in the available data
The context and protocols for the US Life-cycle Inventory database provide
some insight for this type of data collection (http://www.nrel.gov/lci/)
The EU LCI Database is a similar approach
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 IPCC, The Montreal Process
 EU directives 2009/28/EC and 2009/30/EC
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts30
The GHG LCA of Bioenergy approach using the GBEP Common
Methodological Framework allows to identify how the different steps contribute
to the whole emissions
 The framework consists of 10 “Steps” of analysis. Steps 1 and 2 are simple
checkboxes in which the user identifies the GHGs included in the LCA and the
source of the biomass feedstock. In cases that the feedstock is waste material,
further explanation is requested. Steps 3-9 walk through a full LCA appropriate
for bioenergy production and use, including emissions due to land use change,
biomass feedstock production, co-products and by-products, transport of
30
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
30
biomass, processing into fuel, transport of fuel, and fuel use. For each Step the
framework presents a series of yes/no questions and checkboxes, with
requests for further explanation where appropriate. Step 10 is the comparison
with replaced fuel. In this Step the framework includes options for reporting LCA
of fossil transport fuels and LCA of stationary heat and electricity production
systems.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 The measurement given by the indicator ensures the resultant LCA analysis
will produce transparent and comparable results when looking at GHG
emissions from different energy sources.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 31
 Aggregation would be most accurate when regional differences in emissions
for each step of the LCA method are accounted for.
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which32 one(s).
 Uncertainty on estimates from LCA, specifically in regards to the
boundaries of LCA, and data gaps in the life-cycle inventories are
important issues to consider. Numerous studies have been performed
worldwide on biofuels looking at this issue with differing results, strongly
depending on the assumptions made for the calculations. Therefore, to
improve the usefulness of LCA results and foster transparency, GBEP’s
Task Force on GHG Methodologies developed “Version Zero,” a common
methodological framework that could be applied to the lifecycle analysis
(LCA) of bioenergy production and use as compared to the full lifecycle of
its fossil fuel equivalent. The framework was developed with the
expectation that it will be continually informed and improved by user
experience.
specifically: methodological uncertainties are significant according to:
- indirect land use change (ILUC)
- multi-purpose crops
 Uncertainly regarding N2O emissions
 how to treat different timescales of emission sources and possible sinks as
well as permanence of carbon stored in unburnt products
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)33
A Low-Carbon Fuel Standard for California report entitled: Full Fuel Cycle
Assessment: Well to Wheels Energy Inputs, Emissions and Water
31
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
33 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
32
31
Impacts: State Plan to Increase the Use of Non-Petroleum Transportation
Fuels - Report #CEC-600-2007-004-REV. Original posted June 22, 2007;
revised posted August 1, 2007.
http://www.energy.ca.gov/low_carbon_fuel_standard/
BEES is an LCA approach for building products developed by the U.S.
National Institute of Standards and Technology
http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees/bees.html. The technical
manual and other publications can be found at:
http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees/buzz.html
US Department of Energy LCA approach for petroleum based fuels:
http://www.netl.doe.gov/energyanalyses/pubs/NETL%20LCA%20PetroleumBased%20Fuels%20Nov%202008.pdf
ISO 14040: Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles
and framework
ISO 14044: Environmental management - Life cycle assessment Requirements and guidelines
Lippke, Bruce, Lucy Edmonds. 2006. HYPERLINK
"http://www.corrim.org/reports/2006/fpj_oct_2006/FPJproductSubs.pdf" \t
"_blank" Environmental Performance Improvement in Residential
Construction: the impact of products, biofuels and processes . Forest
Products Journal 56(10):58-63.
IFEU (2007) Greenhouse Gas Balances for the German Biofuels Quota
Legislation - Methodological Guidance and Default Values;
http://www.ifeu.de/english/index.php?bereich=nac&seite=nachhaltige_bio
masse
Zah, R. et al. : Ökobilanz von Energieprodukten: ökologische Bewertung von
Biotreibstoffen;
http://www.newsservice.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/attachments/8514.pdf
Bauen, A. et al. : Methodology and Guidance for Carbon Reporting under the
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation;
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/road
s/environment/rtfo/secrtfoprogdocs/e4techproject.pdf
Directive 2009/28/EC: http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:140:0016:0062:E
N:PDF
32
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV2A.1
Proposed indicator
Soil erosion - Quantity of soil loss (or gain) in bioenergy feedstock production
areas
Suggested unit34
(if applicable)
ton/ha/year (for local values – absolute and change)
alternatively:
% difference between annual soil loss per ha for bioenergy feedstock and an
appropriate reference system (for local and aggregated values)
Criterion
Productive capacity of the land and ecosystems
Component
(if applicable)
The suite of indicators 2A aims at measuring changes in soil quality as a
result of bioenergy feedstock production:
For examples, bioenergy feedstock production could lead to erosion/soil loss, cause
changes in soil organic matter, soil compaction, soil salinity or cadmium
accumulation to an extent where this leads to a loss of soil fertility/productive
capacity.
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 those whose feedstocks are produced by cultivation; could be relevant to
forest residues as different extraction methods influence erosion rates
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 35 for which it is being proposed
 it represents one direct measurement of soil quality

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 This indicator reflects management practices commonly adopted and is
fundamental to measure maintenance of soil and of soil capacity. The productive
capacity of soils is influenced by erosion rates that can influence organic matter
and nutrient content of soil which in turn influence productive capacity

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Resource availability and use efficiencies in bioenergy production,
conversion, distribution and end-use (ECO 1), particularly 1C (production yields)
and 1G (agrochemical use efficiencies)
34
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
35
33
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 (only a certain comparability if fossil fuels are extracted by surface mining)

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Soil type, texture, organic matter, slope, field length, field layout,
cultivation practices and a weather factor.
2. Rainfall and intensity
3. Catchment area
4. Vegetation cover and height
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 soil maps, soil data bases (e.g. WRB World Reference Base for Soil
Resources, many national sources)

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 ground truthing on reasonable scale
 modelling approaches are more common than direct measurements (see
http://soilerosion.net/doc/models_menu.html for examples of existing
tools)Remote sensing data could collect vegetation cover data, IWMI Climate
and water database has rainfall data. More detailed site measurements to
calibrate models would be needed for 'new' locations and should be based on
stratification of areas of risk and sampling to reduce costs
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
34
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Modelling & calibration

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 organic farming labels, RSPO, RTRS, BSI
III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one to
assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from other
possible impacts36
 Crops must be known bioenergy crops for bioenergy end use. A regional baseline
is needed and specific soil loss/gain factors in relation to crop type, cultivation
measures, soil type and climate type should be implemented.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding criterion
 Measuring soil erosion on land where bioenergy feedstock is cultivated will
provide useful insight on whether this production improves or decreases soil quality
as compared to other uses

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national
level for data that are not collected at that level 37
 evaluation of maps, implementation of specific factors and some ground truthing
 data-collection-at-field-level approaches for model calibration can be defined
36
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
37 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
35
based on risk assessments
Anticipated
limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which38 one(s).
 Modelling might represent an excessive burden in some cases; use of
alternative indicator on soil quality should be considered
 Soil erosion monitoring is conducted throughout Europe but approaches differ
linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0048969707011084
 Technical capacity to use models, limited data with which to calibrate models in
'new' locations of application, different approaches to collecting data mean lack
of harmonisation and inability to make comparisons
 Difficulty to pick an appropriate reference system
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies, technical
manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support the chosen
methodological approach (including from sectors other than bioenergy) 39
( important information on how approaches to measuring differ across the EU
could inform indicator further development
linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0048969707011084
( Risk assessment for soil erosion in Indonesia as part of RSPO Sulistioadi, Y.,
Hussin, Y., Sharifi, A. (2004) The identification of high conservation value
forest (HCVF) to support the certification of sustainable forest management in
Indonesia using remote sensing and GIS. Available from HYPERLINK
"http://www.itc.nl/library/Papers_2004/n_p_conf/hussin_identification_asc.pdf"
http://www.itc.nl/library/Papers_2004/n_p_conf/hussin_identification_asc.pdf
38
39
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
36
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV 2A.2
Proposed indicator
Soil organic matter - Amount of soil organic matter (SOM) in the soil in
bioenergy feedstock production areas
Suggested unit40
(if applicable)
Organic carbon concentrations %
Criterion
Productive capacity of the land and ecosystems
Component
(if applicable)
The suite of indicators 2A aims at measuring changes in soil quality as a
result of bioenergy feedstock production:
For examples, bioenergy feedstock production could lead to erosion/soil loss, cause
changes in soil organic matter, soil compaction, soil salinity or cadmium
accumulation to an extent where this leads to a loss of soil fertility/productive
capacity.
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 41 for which it is being
proposed Organic matter is widely regarded as a vital component of a healthy
soil. It is an important part of soil physical, chemical and biological fertility.
Organic matter in soil serves several functions. From a practical agricultural
standpoint, it is important for two main reasons. First as a "revolving nutrient
bank account"; and second, as an agent to improve soil structure, maintain tilth,
and minimize erosion. As a revolving nutrient bank account, organic matter
serves two main functions:
 Since soil organic matter is derived mainly from plant residues, it contains all
of the essential plant nutrients. Accumulated organic matter, therefore, is a
storehouse of plant nutrients. Upon decomposition, the nutrients are
released in a plant-available form.
 The stable organic fraction (humus) adsorbs and holds nutrients in a plant
available form.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The amount of SOM directly affects key elements of the soil that are
40
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
41
37
necessary for long-term sustainability. SOM affects several critical soil functions,
can be affected by land management practices such as tillage practices, and is
important in most agricultural settings. Because SOM enhances water and
nutrient holding capacity, improves infiltration, increases microbial activity, and
improves soil structure, its good management can enhance productivity and
environmental quality.
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. SOM may be measured "directly" with laboratory or field tests, modelled with
simple to complex approaches depending on accuracy required, or observed
with field guides. Data needs depend on the selected measurement approach.
The most common methods for measuring soil organic matter in current use
actually measure the amount of carbon in the soil. This is done by oxidising the
carbon and measuring either the amount of oxidant used (wet oxidation, usually
using dichromate) or the CO₂ given off in the process (combustion method with
specific detection). Laboratories these days generally report results as soil
organic carbon. Those that report as soil organic matter have usually measured
carbon and converted to organic matter by multiplying by 1.72. However, this
conversion factor is not the same for all soils, and it is more precise to report soil
carbon rather than organic matter
2. If modelled, data needs include climate data, soil texture, crop rotation, crop
yields, application of additional organic material, all field operations, rate of wind
and water erosion.
Availability of data

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
38
sources
are aware of
(some national data sources are listed below)
( National Estimated Soil Organic Carbon Content: based on 1994
STATSGO/SS Lab Data 1:7,500,000
( Soil Organic Carbon to One Meter Depth: based on STATSGO & 2002
SSL data from 7198 pedons extrapolated by soil suborder
( National Estimated Soil Organic Carbon Content: based on current
SSURGO/SSL Data 1:24,000 (digital map product and tabular data
available by 1/10)

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically
implemented to address key gaps in the available data
( NRCS-USDA is planning to begin collection of carbon data grouped by
major soils, land uses and management systems. This will be done partly
in conjunction with the (National Resources Inventory/ Conservation
Effects Assessment Project (NRI/CEAP) and Colorado State University
Carbon Monitoring effort discussed below.
( Soil carbon and other soil properties are beginning to be collected under
the “Dynamic Soil Property (DSP)” data collection effort. This is
primarily being done in conjunction with soil survey activities and
Ecological Site Description data collection. Not a monitoring project,
DSP’s, including carbon, are collected on major (benchmark) soils, on
different land use/management systems using a “substitution of space for
time” concept thereby allowing the comparison of properties such as soil
carbon by Land Use/Mgt. in the near future.
( Active carbon will be collected in conjunction with soil survey activities.
( The GlobalSoil Map.net project will generate thematic digital layers
globally using satellite multispectral analyses and ground truthing data
including Soil carbon
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 If designed properly, surveys of calculated or measured SOM carbon could
be used to estimate statistical trends at the regional and national level, but those
estimated would be based on site specific data collections.

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
39
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 If designed properly, surveys of calculated or measured SOM could be used
to estimate statistical trends at the regional and national level, but those
estimated would be based on site specific data collections.
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts42
 The indicator will be measured on land used for bioenergy feedstock
production and compared with measurement for nearby lands used for other
purposes.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 The amount of SOM directly affects key elements of the soil that are
necessary for long-term sustainability and is therefore an indication of the soil
quality

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 43
 Should be collected at the sub-national scale
42
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
43 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
40
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which44 one(s).
 Lack of data, cost, variability of data
 Modelling might represent an excessive burden in some cases; use of
alternative indicator on soil quality should be considered
 Difficulty to pick an appropriate reference system
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)45
 Girma et al. 2007. The magruder plots: untangling the puzzle. Agronomy
Journal. 99(5): 1191-1198.
 Metay et al. 2009. Effects of reduced or no tillage operations on C
sequestration in soils in temperate regions. Canadian Journal of Soil
Science. 89(5): 623-634.
 Nalewaja, JD. 2003. Weeds and conservation agriculture. Conservation
 Agriculture: Environment, Farmers Experiences, Innovations, SocioEconomy, and Policy. 201-210.
44
45
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
41
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicators ENV 2A.3
Proposed indicator
Soil compaction - Level of soil compaction in bioenergy feedstock production
areas
Suggested unit46
(if applicable)
Ratio (%) of land area used for bioenergy feedstock production presenting
compacted soils to total land area used for bioenergy feedstock production
Criterion
Productive capacity of the land and ecosystems
Component
(if applicable)
The suite of indicators 2A aims at measuring changes in soil quality as a
result of bioenergy feedstock production:
For examples, bioenergy feedstock production could lead to erosion/soil loss, cause
changes in soil organic matter, soil compaction, soil salinity or cadmium
accumulation to an extent where this leads to a loss of soil fertility/productive
capacity.
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 Particularly if heavy machinery is used
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion47 for which it is being proposed
 Compacted soils become less able to absorb rainfall, thus increasing runoff
and erosion. Plants have difficulty in compacted soil because the mineral grains
are pressed together, leaving little space for air and water, which are essential
for root growth

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 The ratio of land used for bionergy feedstock production presenting soil
compaction measured over time and compared with other agricultural systems/
productions will help assess how soil quality evolves nationally for land used for
bioenergy production

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ENV 4 (Water availability, use efficiency and quality)
46
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
47
42
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Soil bulk density and soil types for lands used for Bioenergy feedstock
production
2. Bulk density reference values by soil type above which soil is considered to be
compacted
3. Total bioenergy land area and bioenergy land area with soil compaction
above bulk density reference value
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Database of soil classification at national, regional and local level
Indicators of soil quality at national, regional and local level
Hydrology data at national, regional, local level

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 If data on soil types by region already exist, analyses of the soil need to be
carried out to determine if there is a problem of soil compaction. One indicator to
measure soil compaction is the bulk density which is easy to measure and
correlates with the soil characteristics.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
43
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):


Information about other
international processes
If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 There are different indicators to measure soil compaction. Bulk density is one
of them and could be used here. Other international standardisation processes
like GlobalGap, BSI and RSB are using bulk density as well
III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one to
assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from other
possible impacts48
 By using the same methodological approach for other agricultural activities and
comparing with bioenergy feedstock production systems

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding criterion


Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national level
for data that are not collected at that level49

Anticipated
limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which50 one(s).
 Bulk density thresholds by soil types above which soils would be considered as
compacted and leading to declining land productivity would also need to factor in the
48
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
49 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
50 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
44
types of production system
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies, technical
manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support the chosen
methodological approach (including from sectors other than bioenergy)51
 Soil quality indicators USDA:
http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/assessment/files/bulk_density_sq_physical_indicator_sheet.pd
f
Soil quality indicators http://fia.fs.fed.us/library/fact-sheets/p3-factsheets/soilquality.pdf
Soil monitoring
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/land/soil/research/monitoring/rsss.htm
DEFRA, 2010. Single Payment Scheme Cross Compliance Guidance for Soil
Management 2010 edition. UK
51
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
45
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV2A.4
Proposed indicator
Soil salinity - Level of top soil salinity in bioenergy feedstock production areas
Suggested unit52
(if applicable)

dS/m (for local values – absolute and change)

% difference between [annual change in] dS/m for bioenergy feedstock and an
appropriate reference system (for local and aggregated values)
Criterion
ENV 2: Productive capacity of the land and ecosystems
Component
(if applicable)
The suite of indicators 2A aims at measuring changes in soil quality as a
result of bioenergy feedstock production:
For examples, bioenergy feedstock production could lead to erosion/soil loss, cause
changes in soil organic matter, soil compaction, soil salinity or cadmium
accumulation to an extent where this leads to a loss of soil fertility/productive
capacity.
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 Energy crops
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion53 for which it is being proposed
 Soil salinisation is one of the ways in which agriculture can affect soil quality
and the productive capacity of the land. It is generally an effect of highly
intensified agricultural systems (like soil compaction) - in this case a side effect
of many irrigation systems - and is therefore not of such a high universal
importance as ENV 2A.1 and ENV 2A.2.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 Soil salinisation is an aspect of land degradation, which is an impediment to
sustainable development in general, and to sustainable agriculture and
sustainable bioenergy production in particular. Land degradation threatens the
livelihood of millions of people and future food security, with implications for
water resources and the conservation of biodiversity.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Indicators ENV 2C, ENV 4B, 4C, 6B, 6D; SOC 1B; and ECO 1C.
52
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
53
46
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Soil salinity (see measurement methods below)
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 ...

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 ....
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
47
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 Samples in representative agroecological zones
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 Indicators of Sustainable Development (Third Edition, UN DESA) has an
indicator "Land degradation", which explicitly includes surface salt accumulation
and waterlogging associated with salt-affected areas. This indicator relies on the
(FAO-led) LADA project's tools, which also has associated indicators, including
one on topsoil salinisation.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts54
 Soil salinity can be measured using one of two methods, the most accurate
and reliable of which is the saturation extract, which must be completed in a soil
testing laboratory, but the alternative involves only an inexpensive electrical
conductivity meter, a (1:5) soil and water suspension and a thermometer and
can be done in the field.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Soil salinisation is an aspect of land degradation, which is an impediment to
sustainable development in general, and to sustainable agriculture and
sustainable bioenergy production in particular.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 55
 Aggregation of data collected from field measurements
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which56 one(s).
 Data availability
54
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
55 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
56 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
48
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)57
 ...
57
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
49
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV2A.5
Proposed indicator
Suggested unit58
(if applicable)
Soil contamination - Toxic substances in soil as a result of the production of
bioenergy feedstock production
g /hectare, year
Annual accumulation or cleansing of the relevant soil profile of toxic substances
Criterion
Productive capacity of the land and ecosystems
Component
(if applicable)
The suite of indicators 2A aims at measuring changes in soil quality as a
result of bioenergy feedstock production:
For examples, bioenergy feedstock production could lead to erosion/soil loss, cause
changes in soil organic matter, soil compaction, soil salinity or cadmium
accumulation to an extent where this leads to a loss of soil fertility/productive
capacity.
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 all feed stocks from agriculture (any soil relevant for cultivation of food crops),
primarily crops, agroforestry or recovery of by products.
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 59 for which it is being proposed
 The change in toxic substances and their accumulation in soil does inform
about the productive capacity of the land as they contaminate agricultural soils
over a long period and therefore agricultural products which is a risk to human
health. Highly contaminated agricultural land is no longer suitable for food
production without phytoremediation of the soil.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
Of specific relevance to cadmium accumulation: he use of cadmiumcontaining fertilisers and sewage sludge is most often quoted as the primary
reason for the increase in the cadmium content of soils over the last 20 to 30
years in Europe (Jensen and Bro-Rasmussen 1992). P fertilisers from minerals
often contain Cd in significant amounts. Cd is hardly leached from soil and only
to minute quantities removed by food crops (hygienic limit in wheat is 0,1 mg/kg
if acceptable daily intake with food max 25 micrograms) and thus with 2-10
58
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
59
50
tonnes per hectare harvested the food crop can only remove 0,2 - 1,0 gram
annually, and this if all harvested crop each year is food. Any fodder in a crop
rotation is neutral relative to Cd as all Cd in harvested fodder crop will be
recycled with manure.
Other heavy metals and bio-active substances can be found in sludges and
wastes that are applied to bioenergy crops
 The application of phytoremediation (i.e. uptake and concentration of
contaminants from the environment in plant biomass)) techniques to remove
heavy metals from contaminated soils and groundwater, and converting the
harvested biomass into bioenergy holds very interesting promises and should be
captured by this indicator.
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Health issues as related to water and food: Toxic substances in soils can be
washed out into ground water or getting harvested in food crops

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

Availability of data
sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Data on toxic substances in soils
2. …
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 ….

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
51
 Soil measurements
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 If good data is available calculation is enough but probably chemical
measurements will often be needed to generate region specific data

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts60
 Of specific relevance to cadmium accumulation: A large scale production
system using high-Cd P-fertiliser accumulating Cd in the soil should report the
accumulation as g Cd/hectare and year and also the time span this
accumulation can go on without resulting in food cultivation giving harvests with
Cd-contents in conflict with public health ambitions, could be expressed as
concern within < 100 years (clearly unsustainable), 500 - 1000 years,...
If the cultivation/harvesting and any ash recycling results in net removal of Cd
this should be expressed as cleansing of relevant soil profile gram Cd/hectare
and year and also the time frame for achieving a site specific phytoremediation
of previous Cd contamination of the soil
60
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
52
(Methodological approach would need to be investigated for other relevant
elements and aspects of soil contamination/decontamination)

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 see above

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 61
 Accumulation of toxic substances is a process over long time, thus averages
over a region or a country is a good indicator whether a problem is evolving or
the production is sustainable
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which62 one(s).
 data availability
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)63

61
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
63 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
62
53
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV2B.1
Proposed indicator
Harvest levels of wood resources - Annual harvest of wood for bioenergy
production by volume/mass, as a percentage of net growth or sustained yield
Suggested unit64
(if applicable)
m3/ha/year or ton/ha/year (with correcting factor after storm, frost or during
crises)
% of net growth or sustained yield (m3/ha/yr or ton/ha/yr)
Criterion
Productive capacity of land and ecosystems
Component
(if applicable)
The suite of indicators 2B aims at assessing sustainable harvest levels of
biomass that is used for energy purposes
Sustainability is ensured as long as the extraction of residues and products does not
affect negatively the productive capacity of the land and ecosystems
For example, it is important that the level of extraction of residues does not lead to a
decline of soil nutrient content (and consequently to a loss of soil fertility) or, in the
case of wood harvesting, that it does not exceed natural regeneration capacity of the
resource (and consequently affecting this ecosystem function)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 Wood-based feedstocks
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 65 for which it is being proposed
 A well known environmental concern about logging trees for energy is
that soil nutrients, organic matter and moisture-holding capacity may be
depleted by over exploitation practices. Impacts on the soil fertility and
productivity are a function of logging intensity and the length of rotation.
Less productive forests mean less availability and access to fuelwood.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 When sustainable extraction levels of wood for bioenergy are known for
different area's forestry, national governments can promote sustainable
use of wood for bioenergy

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 This indicator is linked with other indicators of the same criterion (the
64
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
65
54
ones related to soil quality: ENV 2A suite) and with criterion 6.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Total wood biomass of the forest (m3/ha or ton/ha)
2. Ecosystem type/ forest system (environmental factors)
3. Annual wood removal rate for bioenergy production (ton/ha/yr or
m3/ha/yr)
4. Net growth or sustainable wood removal rate per year in the relevant
forest system(s)
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 FAO forest inventory
 GEO4
 national inventory, forest demand study

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Regular updating of national forest inventory
 Field measurements in production areas (representative sampling)
 Alternatively harvest levels could be estimated from national statistics.
For broad estimations of bioenergy impacts such an approach would likely
be viable
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
55
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 Forestry ecosystem level
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 FSC
 RSB

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts66
 Aggregation to the national level could be achieved either by
calculating the weight average % of annual harvest of wood as a % of net
growth and sustain yield or by calculating the % of annual wood
harvesting activities for bioenergy that fall under a certain threshold % of
net growth or sustained yield.
 This approach aims at establishing sustainable extraction levels for
forestry products for specific ecosystems/forest systems. Once
established, these levels can be monitored and controlled.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Sustainability of wood harvesting implies that the amount of extracted
wood does not exceed natural regeneration capacity of the resource (and
consequently affecting this ecosystem function).

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
66
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
56
national level for data that are not collected at that level 67
 Field/area/ecosystem data could be collected in a national database.
National governments could use this data to monitor and promote that
only sustainable amounts of wood are used for bioenergy production.
Default values could be established for specific ecosystem types/forest
systems.
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which68 one(s).
 In order to get and maintain a sufficient database for determining
meaningfully sustainable harvest levels, considerable data collection is
needed (including physical measurements at field level)
 The proposed indicator is useful for monitoring and analysis purposes
and could serve as a base for enacting regulations on maximum
extraction levels, but these would require a lot of efforts for their
implementation and enforcement
 If sustainable harvest levels are too difficult to determine at this early
stage, partners may follow an interim approach and monitor extraction
levels in the initial phase
sustainable management practices are not taken into account e.g.
where does the wood come from (natural forest or planted) and whether
the forest was sustainably managed.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)69
 CSBP
 EERE
 IEA Bioenergy
67
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
69 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
68
57
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV2B.2
Proposed indicator
Extraction levels of agricultural and forestry residues - Annual extraction of
agricultural or forestry residues used for bioenergy production by
volume/mass and as percentages of the total amount of residues theoretically
available and of the amount that can be extracted without adversely affecting
vital ecosystem functions and services
Suggested unit70
(if applicable)
tonnes/ha/yr
% of total residues available
% of residues that can be extracted without adversely affecting ecosystem
functions and services
Criterion
Productive capacity of land and ecosystems
Component
(if applicable)
The suite of indicators 2B aims at assessing sustainable harvest levels of
biomass that is used for energy purposes
Sustainability is ensured as long as the extraction of residues and products does not
affect negatively the productive capacity of the land and ecosystems
For example, it is important that the level of extraction of residues does not lead to a
decline of soil nutrient content (and consequently to a loss of soil fertility) or, in the
case of wood harvesting, that it does not exceed natural regeneration capacity of the
resource (and consequently affecting this ecosystem function)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 Residue-based feedstocks
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion71 for which it is being proposed
 In order to maintain the productive capacity of agricultural land and
ecosystems (e.g. forests) it is important that the level of extraction of
residues does not lead to a decline of soil nutrient content (and
consequently to a loss of soil fertility). The first step is then to assess the
extraction levels and compare them with the amounts that could be
sustainably extracted

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
70
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
71
58
 The measurement of this indicator along with others (such as change in
soil organic matter 2A.2, or erosion patterns 2A.1) over a long time period,
will allow for a more thorough analysis and the determination of
sustainable extraction levels in different sets of conditions. When
sustainable extraction levels of agricultural/forestry residues are known for
different areas, agricultural systems and ecosystems, national
governments can promote sustainable use of residues and assess
extraction relative to these levels.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 This indicator is linked with other indicators of the same criterion (the
ones related to soil quality: ENV 2A suite) and with potential of bioenergy
production from wastes and residues (ECO 1E).

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Total annual amount of agricultural/forestry residues available
(ton/ha/yr)
2. Total annual amount of agricultural/forestry residues extracted for
bioenergy production (ton/ha/yr)
3. Ecosystem type/ agricultural system (crop + environmental factors)
4. Soil Organic Matter content (start situation & minimum SOM level to
maintain production level)
5. Soil & Climatic properties affecting decomposition rate / erosion rate
(soil type/layers/bulk density, temperature, rainfall, slope)
6. Chemical properties of the residues (N content)
With this additional data, it will be possible to determine the minimum
amount of residues required to maintain the SOM level in the specific area.
59
Then for a specific ecosystem type or agricultural system the following
calculation could be made:
R extr = R total - R maintenance
R extr, = sustainable residue extraction level (ton/ha/yr)
R total = total available residue (ton/ha/yr)
R maintenance = minimum amount of residue required to maintain soil
quality (ton/ha/yr)
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 FAO - Harmonized World Soil Database
National & regional guidance on agricultural practice

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Field measurements in production areas (representative sampling)
 Alternatively harvest levels could be estimated from national statistics.
For broad estimations of bioenergy impacts such an approach would likely
be viable
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 Ecosystem level (agro ecosystem or forestry ecosystem)
60
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 FSC
 RSB
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts72
 The indicator as presented is only a first step to get at understanding
what the sustainable extraction levels of residues are for specific
ecosystems and agricultural systems. It is progressive approach (interim
approach indicator first and further refinement of the methodology later).
Once established, these levels can be monitored and controlled
 The comparison with the extraction levels of residues extracted for
other end-uses (e.g. feed, materials) could be an add-on measurement,
should parties feel that they would benefit from this information for their
analysis

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Extraction levels of residues directly contribute to maintaining -or notthe productive capacity of the land and of its ecosystems

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 73
 Field/area/ecosystem data could be collected in a national database.
National governments could use this data to monitor and promote the use
for bioenergy production of only sustainable amounts of agricultural en
forestry residues. Default values could be established for specific
ecosystem types or crop/environment combinations.
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which74 one(s).
 In order to get and maintain a sufficient database for determining
meaningfully sustainable harvest levels, considerable data collection is
needed (including physical measurements at field level)
72
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
73 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
74 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
61
 The proposed indicator is useful for monitoring and analysis purposes
and could serve as a base for enacting regulations on maximum
extraction levels, but these would require a lot of efforts for their
implementation and enforcement
 The original idea for this indicator was to measure the "annual
extraction of agricultural and forestry residues for bioenergy production
by volume/mass and as a percentage of the amount that can be extracted
without adversely affecting vital ecosystem functions and services (such
as soil nutrient cycling and erosion control), with the same figures for
other end-uses of these residues (e.g. feed, materials)". It would seem
difficult to determine from the outset "the amounts that can be extracted
without adversely affecting vital ecosystem functions", therefore it is
proposed to follow an interim approach and monitor extraction levels in
the initial phase. These measurements along with others (such as change
in soil organic matter 2A.2, or in erosion patterns 2A.1) over a long time
period (i.e. several harvesting cycles), and with possibly the use of
sophisticated modelling approaches, may allow for the kind of thorough
analysis that will lead to the determination of sustainable extraction levels
in different sets of conditions
 The definition of residues, especially forestry residues, is not one and
universal. It might require some more precise language
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)75
 USDA-ARS CQESTR-model (www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.) A
model aimed at giving guidance to land managers on the amount of crop
residue that can be sustainably harvested
 RUSLE, online soil erosion assessment tool
(http://www.iwr.msu.edu/rusle/)
 Wind Erosion Equation (http://www.weru.ksu.edu/nrcs/weq.html)
 Books & scientific publications (e.g. Bioenergy from sustainable
forestry, Richardson et al. 2002, WRI Policy note: Finding Balance,
Agricultural Residues, Ethanol, and the Environment LIZ MARSHALL,
ZACHARY SUGG (2008)
75
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
62
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV2C
Proposed indicator
Land management practices - Shares of land area used for bioenergy
feedstock production under certain classes of land management practices
(e.g. conservation agriculture, minimum tillage, sustainable forest
management), as compared to the same shares of land area used for
agricultural or forestry production overall
Suggested unit76
(if applicable)
% has under management/ total has of agricultural land in the country
Criterion
ENV 2: Productive capacity of the land and ecosystems
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 77 for which it is being proposed
 Productive capacity of different types of soils and ecosystems within
their limits but with possibilities of improvement with adequate
management

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 Sustainable practices are related to sound management at farm level

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ENV 1, ENV 3, ENV 4, ENV 5, ENV 6, SOC 1, SOC 4, SOC 6, ECO 1, ECO
3.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
76
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
77
63
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. List of land management practice categories suitable for the country in
question and eligible feedstocks
2. Area of land under each land management practice used for bioenergy
feedstocks.
3. Either site-specific data allowing estimation of the proportions of each
land management practice category that can be allocated to bioenergy
production (e.g. percentage of a particular crop used for bioenergy in the
country in question in the absence of any policy that would differentiate
land management practice according to end-use of crop)
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 WOCAT
European Union environmental stewardship and cross-compliance

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data

Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Available certification schemes related to agriculture, bioenergy,
forestry
64

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 Indicators of Sustainable Development (Third Edition, UN DESA) has
indicators "Area under organic farming" and "Area of forest under
sustainable forest management".
WOCAT
EU: Environmental Stewardship and other schemes (e.g. cross
compliance)
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts78
 As different management practices exist according to local conditions
and feedstocks, it is possible to relate them according to the different
bioenergy crops and agroforestry systems

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Sustainable agroforestry practices and land management at farm level
are key for the conservation of resources (water, soil) and a productive
system that will provide maximum yields without jeopardising the natural
characterisitcs.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 79
 number of hectares of bioenergy crops under a management system
and the total number of heactares at national/region under a good
practice of agroforestry management for a national database
78
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
79 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
65
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which80 one(s).
 If good practices management farms are not registered
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)81
 http://www.globalgap.org/cms/front_content.php?idcat=3
http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/agll/wocat/wocatqt.asp
80
81
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
66
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV3A
Proposed indicator
Non-GHG pollutant emissions - Non-GHG pollutant emissions from bioenergy
cultivation (land clearing, crop burning), conversion and/or use
Suggested unit82
(if applicable)
ha of bioenergy related burning (distinguishing land clearing and crop burning) or
% (of volume produced or of surface area)
Changes in emitted loads of PM2.5, PM10, NOx,SO2 in mg per energy unit or %
[suggested list to be determined]
Criterion
Air quality
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 those whose feedstocks are produced by cultivation and where cultivation
practices are connected with fire clearing or harvesting by crop burning
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 83 for which it is being proposed
 field burning, if given, can be a significant component affecting air quality
within the life chain of bioenergy
 bioenergy conversion facilities can contribute significantly to the whole LCA
balance of non-GHG pollutants
 With regard on air pollutants the use of fuel is a significant phase. In most
countries energy use and transport cause the major portion of national pollution
inventories. Tail pipe pollution from transport is the dominant effector for of air
quality in most cities of the world.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 the lower the portion of burning (cropping and clearing) the lower the negative
impact on air quality
 low emission conversion does exclude a potentially negative impact of
bioenergy production. This can support the demonstration of uptake of best
available technologies.
 A significant shift from fossil fuel to biofuel is likely to cause changes
82
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
83
67
concerning urban air quality. Some changes might be positive, some might be
adverse. This indicator shall describe such changes.
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 (only partly: GHG calculation [ENV1A] might include N2O and CH4 from field
burning and fire clearing)

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes (conversion and use)
No (land clearing)
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes (conversion and use)
No (land clearing)
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. biomass burnt (from national spatial and land use inventories, remote sensing
if possible …)
2. emissions factors from biomass burning (like IPCC default factors for N2O and
CH4)
3. emission factors from the conversion plants respectively the plants for energy
supply
4. specific tailpipe gas emission from vehicles once fuelled with biofuel and once
fuelled with fossil fuel
5. specific off-gas emission from energy plants once fuelled with biofuel and
once fuelled with fossil fuel
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 there are international databases that are used in LCA (e.g. US-EPA
Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors; UN-ECE emission data)
 General data bases for specific tailpipe gas emission and chimney stack
emissions are available.
68

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Local Authority and Environmental Agency Permitting Data
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 urban areas
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 UNFCCC CDM calculation method;
Better Sugarcane Initiative (BSI)
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts84
 field burnings: practice of field burning as such can be regarded as an
information about the performance of biomass production with regard on air
quality. A lower percentage will always indicate a better performance
 conversion: This will need further specification which will lead to different
methodological approaches:
a) emissions of pollutants per unit of useful energy in absolute numbers:
84
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
69
- measurement is standard (worst case: allowed emission level)
b) in % compared replaced fossil fuel:
- needs a fossil comparative baseline (and clarified system boundaries)
c) change in ambient concentrations of pollutants per unit of useful energy:
- needs a standard dispersion model and measured (or estimated)
background ambient air quality.
d) in % compared replaced fossil fuel:
needs the same data set requested in (c) also for the fossil system
 unlikely to be workable without high expertise and intensive review from
3rd parties.
 bioenergy use: first an analysis of substituted energy systems/transport fuel
has to be worked out: situation with biofuel/situation without biofuel.
 emission source shall refer to urban areas
 the overall difference between the scenarios can be expressed in % (or
absolute tonnes) improvement (or worsening)

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 field burnings, conversion and bioenergy use: this indicator shall help to
identify whether air pollution at the production, conversion and/or use stage is a
weak point. If dedicated for comparison with fossil fuel, specific advantages or
disadvantages per energy unit will be expressed.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 85
 field burnings: In general there will be national data for crop production and
for crop production based on fields burning, and at farm level the information on
burning or non-burning will be available.
 conversion: Estimations are possible, several data bases could provide
baseline for specific plants as well as for grossing up at the national level.
 bioenergy use: default emission values referring to “typical technical
standard” presumed to given within a certain country can be defined.
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which86 one(s).
 field burnings: methodological suggestion needed how to relate area of
burnings to bioenergy (general data problem, ILUC problem)
 conversion:
a. Measurement of air pollutants might not be always available;
b. it is necessary to limit the number of pollutant to those which are likely
85
86
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
70
to be furnished with data.
c. Impact assessments on ambient air will be complex and supposed to
work only on an abstract level.
 bioenergy use:
a. Generalized tailpipe gas emission factors for biofuel and fossil fuel are
crucial since the actual bandwidths are very large and overlapping. These
are strongly dependent on vehicle type and driving mode.
b. working out the right reference systems will need good data bases from
existing assessments
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)87
 field burnings: Better Sugarcane Initiative (BSI),
 conversion: National and International Emission Inventories (e.g. EMEP
CORINAIR – European Environment Agency Emissions Inventory
Guidebook – 2007
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/EMEPCORINAIR5/)
87
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
71
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV4A
Proposed indicator
Proportion of water resources used - Volume of groundwater and surface
water withdrawn for irrigation and process water, expressed as percentages of
total actual renewable water resources and of total withdrawals for human use
Suggested unit88
(if applicable)
% TARWR and % total human water withdrawals
Criterion
Water availability, use efficiency and quality
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 89 for which it is being proposed
 Bioenergy development requires water use which, in some areas, may
lead to water scarcity.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The watershed level is the critical scale at which to assess impacts on
water availability and enact governance mechanisms to address issues.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Resource availablity
(ENV4B will subsume also ENV4A)
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
88
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
89
72
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Watershed boundaries
2. Rainfall
3. Total water abstractions (this will include breakdown by population and
industry requirements as well as evapotranspiration data for reference land use
and change in land use)
Note that the the Potentially Utilizable Water Resources (PUWR) are not the
same as total renewable water resources.. hence the need for the term 'actual' or
'potential' in the indicator. e.g. In China, PUWR are estimated to be only 30
percent of the total renewable water resources
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you are
aware of
 1. International Water Management Institute Climate and Water Atlas (and
watersim model) and
IWMIDSP (http://www.iwmidsp.org) is an award winning pathfinder pioneered by
IWMI for providing state-of-the-art global public good (GPG) spatial data on
water and land resources for river basins, nations, regions, and the world.
2. Aquastat
3. World Water Development Report (WWDR)
3. FAO Geonetwork (www.fao.org/geonetwork) has data on watershed
boundaries

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented to
address key gaps in the available data
 Leverage existing programs and monitoring schemes deisgned to do this
 Remote sensing or aerial photography
73
Type of
measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Remote sensing using the SEBAL algorithm has been used to meaure water
consumption (evapotranspiration) from land (therefore bioenergy crops)
http://www.waterwatch.nl/tools0/sebal.html

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about
other international
processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 International Water Management Institute has developed water resource
assessment methodology at a basin level (see refs at the end)
UN Water uses "Total use (of water) as share of total actual renewable
water resources" which is the MDG water indicator
http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/indicators/pdf/WWDR3_appendix_1.pdf
But note that it is classified as a 'developing indicator' therefore in a formative
stage and may evolve into a key indicator following refinement of
methodological issues or data development and testing
http://earthtrends.wri.org/updates/node/73
http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/assessment/files_new/publications/
Discussion%20Paper/CA_Issue_Brief-4.pdf
World Water Development Report (WWDR)
74
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts90
 Baseline assessment would be required.
Water accounting in the IWMI approach begins with Total Renewable
Water Resources which is adjusted for potential utilization to arrive at
Potentially Utilizable Water Resources (PUWR). PUWR are then adjusted
for transfers to arrive at net PUWR which can be further divided into three
components: Process evaporation, non-process evaporation and outflow
(to the sea, a downstream country or an internal sink). Process
evaporation consists of evapotranspiration from irrigated fields and
evaporation from the domestic and industrial sectors. Non-process
evaporation consists of depletion by other factors, such as through
homesteads, bare soil, swamps, reservoir surfaces, canals, and rivers, for
which the withdrawals are not intended. Outflows, consist of two parts:
the utilizable outflows are the water which either leaves the system
(basin) and flows to another country or the sea, and theun-utilizable
outflows are the water which
enters an internal “sink” where quality is degraded to such an extent that
the water is no longer useful.
Specific data for bioenergy would have to be defined and identified
separately in order to calculate its impact on water resources - this
methodology has not yet been developed as far as we know within the
studies identified. However, information on consumptive use of water can
be calculated on the basis of remotely sensed measurements - see
References section. As assessment of how this approach could be
combined with basin level data to assess bioenergy impacts of water
stress would be needed.
The UN Water methodology for MDG indicator "Total use (of water) as
share of total actual renewable water resources" has not been detailed
here - further work should be undertaken to review the IWMI approach
and UN Water to see if either is more practical in the short term and could
be compatible with an approach to identify bioenergy and its impacts
within the methodology.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
Site level promotion of water measures may not be relevant in a basin
context (which is the important scale for water). Conservation measures
promoted to ‘save water’ may not actually save water at the river-basin
level - just reallocate it. Carrying capacity is a key concept both for water
90
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
75
use. Improving water use efficiency in areas of water scarcity may not be
sufficient to deliver a sustainable outcome (even with large
improvements) if net abstractions are greater than water availability. Land
use changes will impact the hydrological cycle as crop water
requirements, infiltration rates etc differ.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 91
 Focus should be given to areas with highest difference in ratio of
agriculture intensity and water availability.
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which92 one(s).
 Some
data publically available from IWMI, or from Aquastat
There are limitations to levels of data availability on a watershed basis
and sometimes only available at a national level
( TARWR has no regular update except when new country data are
available (source: UN Water report). Therefore only used for ling term
averages. It is the most complete available today and is updated ideally
every five years, but in fact up to ten years depending on the resources
available. It uses a generic water resource balance sheet that was
established on the basis of available information in 2003 at country level
for the world. Since then, the country water balance sheet is sent to each
country together with the AQUASTAT questionnaire. Countries are
requested to verify the information and correct it if data have changed.
Data quality is a concern for UN-Water (2006) who concluded that data
quality is and remains a major issue in assessing the reliability of
monitoring systems(This info from UN water doc sent to FAO)
( Most of the indicators that could be used as a status reference to
compare bioenergy impacts are 'developing' according to UN Water
therefore practicality and robustness not good.
(The difficulty is that some watersheds cross national boundaries
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy)
(
FORMTEXT
General
91
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
93 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
92
76
1. http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/
2. http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/assessment/files_new/research_projects/
ICID_China_A_Basin%20Approach.pdf
3. Combining Remote Sensing and Economic Analysis to Assess Water
Productivity: A demonstration project in the Inkomati Basin (2006) Lei
Wageningen & Water Watch; Richard Soppe (Irrigation and Groundwater
Management Specialist, WaterWatch), Petra Hellegers (Water Economist,
LEI), Chris Perry (Water Resources Economist), Dirk Boon (Environmental
Remote Sensing Specialist, WaterWatch), Wim Bastiaanssen (Irrigation
and Remote Sensing Specialist, WaterWatch), Martin de Wit
(Environmental Economist, De Wit Sustainable Options) and Henk
Pelgrum (Hydrologist and Remote Sensing Specialist).
Bioenergy related:
3. Berndes (2008)Water demand for global bioenergy production: trends,
risks and opportunities
4. Biofuels and implications for agricultural water use: blue impacts
of green energy (2008) Charlotte de Fraiture, Mark Giordano and
Yongsong Liao, Water Policy 10 Supplement 1 (2008) 67–81
www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Assessment/
Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. 2007.
Water for Food, Water for Life: A Comprehensive Assessment of Water
Management in Agriculture. London: Earthscan, and Colombo:
International Water Management Institute.
World Water Development Report (WWDR)
77
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV4B
Proposed indicator
Water use efficiency - Volume of irrigation and process water used per unit of
useful bioenergy output, disaggregated into renewable and non-renewable
water
Suggested unit94
(if applicable)
m3/MJ (alternatively m3/kWh, for bioelectricity)
Criterion
Water availability, use efficiency and quality
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 95 for which it is being proposed
 Information on the amount of water used to produce a MJ of energy
(disaggregated into renewable and non-renewable water, where feasible) is
relevant when striving for an efficient-as-possible use of water resources for
bioenergy taking into account the origin of the water resource. Water consumed
from local surface or groundwater resources during the feedstock production
stage is limited to the portion of irrigation water that is evapotranspirated and
incorporated into the crop; it excludes natural precipitation, and run off to ground
or surface water.
 The production of bioenergy feedstocks and their conversion can require
significant quantities of water. In regions where there are competing demands on
surface or groundwater, the additional withdrawals for feedstock and fuel
production can strain available water resources. Potential impacts include
groundwater subsidence and modification of subsurface geochemistry, seasonal
reduction of “in-stream” flows, impacts on water supply reliability, and
degradation of water quality. These impacts raise the concern of resource
scarcity and environmental degradation. Access to sufficient water supplies is
critical to ensuring long term capacity of bioenergy feedstock production and
conversion.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
94
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
95
78

This indicator can be used as a tool for national governments to
identify the most water efficient ways to produce bioenergy among a
given set of options. In water deficit regions and nations, this indicator
could be used to assess the appropriateness of certain feedstocks or
promote the development of alternative water management strategies.
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also
inform
( The use of water and the management of return flows affect water
quality and the availability of water to meet other needs (e.g. water
supply, aquatic habitats, and ecosystem services). The share of the
withdrawn water that is returned to the local environment would be a
useful first piece of information for estimating these possible impacts

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

FORMCHECKBOX
Yes
FORMCHECKBOX
No
FORMCHECKBOX
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
( This indicator can well be used without making the comparison with its
fossil equivalent, or else it can be made with conventional petroleum,
heavy oil, oil sands, coal to liquids (CTL), coal, contingent on available
datasets or methods of estimation. Similar metrics could be developed for
these scenarios

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
FORMCHECKBOX
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 This indicator can well be used without making the comparison with nonfossil equivalents, or else it can be made with solar, wind, geothermal and others
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Net amount (return flows are subtracted from amounts of water withdrawn)
of water used for the agricultural phase (m 3 of irrigation water per ton
biomass produced), (disaggregated into renewable and non-renewable
79
water)
2. Conversion rate biomass to energy (ton to MJ bioenergy) to calculate
agricultural water use per MJ energy.
3. Net amount (return flows are subtracted and cooling water is not accounted
for because it is returned to waterways, except for a small portion that is
sometimes evaporated) of water used in the conversion process (m3 of
process water/ MJ) (disaggregated for renewable and non-renewable
water).
4. Best practice data for irrigation and conversion water use efficiency (m 3/MJ).
W-total = (W-agri ren. + W-agri nonren.) + (W-proc ren. + W-proc nonren.)
- W-total, total water use (m3/MJ)
- W-agri ren, renwable water use in agriculture m 3/MJ
- W-agri nonren, non-renewable water use in agriculture m 3/MJ
- W-proc ren, renewable water use in conversion process m 3/MJ
- W-proc nonren, non-renewable water use in conversion process m3/MJ
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 International Water Management Institute Climate and Water Atlas (and
watersim model) IWMIDSP (http://www.iwmidsp.org) is an award winning
pathfinder pioneered by IWMI for providing spatial data on water and land
resources for river basins, nations, regions, and the world.
 (inter)national statistical agencies (e.g. Eurostat, …)
 national data sources such as (for the USA):

o
USGS National Water Information System
(http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis)
o
USGS National Hydrography Data Set (http://nhd.usgs.gov/)
o
USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Water Database
(http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=9696)
o
USDA-NASS Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey 2008
(http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlight
s/Farm_and_Ranch_Irrigation_Survey/index.asp)
Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Modelling: using models based on water requirements, growth patterns and
rainfall can provide indications of the amount of supplemental water (irrigation)
needed.
 Remote sensing using the SEBAL algorithm has been used to measure
water consumption (evapotranspiration) from land
http://www.waterwatch.nl/tools0/sebal.html
 Watersim model from IWMI
http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Tools_And_Resources/Models_and_Software/WATSI
M/index.aspx
 CROPWAT model from FAO
 Global crop water model http://www.geo.uni-
80
frankfurt.de/ipg/ag/dl/forschung/GCWM/index.html
 Use data available at the national level, such as (for the US):
o
historical data from the U.S. Drought Monitor
(http://drought.unl.edu/DM/MONITOR.html) to identify appropriate
areas for feedstock production.
o
ground water availability to evaluate irrigation potential
(http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1323/)
o
data from individual states on water consumption by crop
 The data sources below, although not measuring water consumption, will
provide important data on the implications of water management strategies.
Type of measurements and
scale


Utilize the Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) or similar analytical
tool to quantify the water flow, soil erosion, and water quality impact of
land and crop management practices, crop yield, and inputs in
watersheds and river basins (http://www.brc.tamus.edu/swat/)

Utilize the EPA’s Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) or
similar analytical tool to assess the effects of soil erosion on
productivity and predict the impact of management decisions on soil,
water, nutrients and pesticide movements and their combined effects
on soil loss, water quality, and crop yields.

Compile data on water quality changes associated with each stage of
the bioenergy lifecycle to evaluate potential water quality impacts

Identify potential approaches for water recycling and reuse within each
stage of the bioenergy lifecycle

Compare irrigation requirements and aquifer levels to determine stress
prone areas
Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Modelling based on theoretical value and scientific principles adjusted by
empirical value from field testing.
 Field testing to verify model assumptions and results

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

81
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator,
please provide relevant information
 RSB (Principle 9. “Biofuel production shall optimize surface and groundwater
resource use, including minimizing contamination or depletion of these
resources, and shall not violate existing formal and customary water rights”)
III. Scientific basis
Methodologica
l approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one to assess
the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from other possible impacts 96
 This indicator is specifically aimed at efficient water use in biomass production and
conversion for energy purposes in regions where water stress occurs. It provides a tool to
monitor current water use efficiency and compare it with best practice data, so that optimized
use of water resources for maximum output of bioenergy production can be promoted by
national governments.
 The ratio of litres of water withdrawn and used (excluding water withdrawn that is
returned)during bioenergy feedstock production and conversion to the energy equiv. of liquid
fuel or bioelectricity produced through the process is a useful measurement of the amount of
water needed for a given bioenergy production and use pathway.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the assessment
of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding criterion
This indicator is specifically aimed at efficient water use in biomass production and
conversion for energy purposes in regions where water stress occurs. It provides a tool to
monitor current water use efficiency and compare it with best practice data, so that optimized
use of water resources for maximum output of bioenergy production can be promoted by
national governments.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national level for
data that are not collected at that level97
 Water use efficiency data for different crops, regions and processes collected at field or
watershed level (and possibly be derived from literature) can be aggregated in a national
database. Possibly creating default numbers (low, med, high efficiency).
 Aggregation would be most accurate when regional differences in water availability are
accounted for as well as differences in crops’ use of water under different environmental
(country region) conditions
Anticipated
limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which98 one(s).
 Measuring/collecting the necessary data is a considerable effort.
 Disaggregation into renewable and non-renewable water sources will be difficult to handle
on the ground as this depends on the availability and accessibility of spatial data on water
resources (provided by ENV 0B).
 There are anticipated limitations due to insufficient or inconsistent available data on water
96
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
97 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
98 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
82
requirements and price. In datasets that exist, there are limitations in applicability to
bioenergy productions. Not all relevant datasets include bioenergy crops or disaggregate the
share of bioenergy/food crops, such as corn, in a state used for bioenergy production.
 This indicator must be placed in context and cannot be used alone. It could be used in
conjunction with existing water stress monitoring indicators within national policy or perhaps
within the MDG (Millennium Development Goals) indicator already developed i.e. change in
proportion of bioenergy water use to the “proportion of total water resources used 99”
Context is critical because:
a) Carrying capacity is a key concept for water use. Improving water use efficiency in areas
of water scarcity may not be sufficient to deliver a sustainable outcome (even with large
improvements) if net abstractions are greater than water availability. Land use changes
will impact the hydrological cycle as crop water requirements, infiltration rates etc differ.
b) Conservation measures promoted to ‘save water’ (through improving m3/MJ) may not
actually save water at the river-basin level. For example, micro-irrigation systems can
drastically cut the amount of water a grower uses, by ensuring that crops evapotranspire
almost all the water applied which reduces return flows (water flowing back to the
environment). This can mean less water for groundwater recharge or less for users
downstream, particularly, if, as often happens, farmers use the water saved to irrigate
more of their land than before (SIWI, 2006)
c) The methodological choices made for water footprints can substantially affect the results
for bioenergy. Where water is allocated to portions of the crops and residues to be used
for bioenergy (rather than the entire crop water requirement) the water footprint will be
lower. This is also true where bioenergy is part of systems where 1 ha produces at least
liquid biofuel and electricity. (See for possible system boundaries Winrock paper: The
Role of Water in the Sustainable Supply of Biofuels).
d) Metrics are significant. Bioenergy with high water footprints on a GJ basis may have
relatively lower water footprints on a per acre (or hectare) basis. A good water footprint
may not necessarily be a good indicator of water use in areas of water scarcity. It is
beneficial to look at multiple data sources to get a more complete picture of water
consumption in a given area.
e) While it may be possible to look at bioenergy processing plants, particularly for liquid
biofuels in the later stages of the supply chain, linking crop production and some of the
earlier stages of processing to bioenergy may be challenging in practice as end use is
not known in many cases.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies, technical
manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support the chosen
methodological approach (including from sectors other than bioenergy) 100
 WBGU, Göran Berndes 2008: Water demand for global bioenergy production: trends,
risks and opportunities
 Gerbens-Leenes, P.W.; Hoekstra, A.Y.; Meer, van der Th.H. Ecological economics, 2008:
The water footprint of energy from biomass: A quantitative assessment and consequences
of an increasing share of bio-energy in energy supply
 UN-Water: Status Report on Integrated Water Resources Management and Water
Efficiency Plans

The Role of Water in the Sustainable Supply of Biofuels (Winrock paper)
( Water Consumption in the Production of Ethanol and Petroleum Gasoline, M. Wu,
99
FAO definition of "proportion of total water resources used" = total volume of groundwater and surface water withdrawn from
their sources for human use (in the agricultural, domestic and industrial sectors), expressed as a percentage of the total volume
of water available annually through the hydrological cycle (total actual renewable water resources)”
100 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
83
M. Mintz, M. Wang, and S. Arora, Environmental Management (2009) 44:981-997.
( Biofuels, Land, and Water: A Systems Approach to Sustainability
Gayathri Gopalakrishnan, M. Cristina Negri, Michael Wang, May Wu, Seth
W. Snyder and Lorraine LaFreniere. Energy Systems Division and Environmental
Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne,
Illinois 60439. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2009, 43 (15), pp 6094–6100
HYPERLINK
"http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=usdoepu
b"
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=usd
oepub
( Pacific Institute: Corporate Reporting on Water HYPERLINK
"http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_business/index.html"
http://www.pacinst.or
g/topics/water_business/index.html
( National Research Council (2008), Water Implications of Biofuels Production in
the United States.
( Frauture, C, Giordano, M., Liao, Y (2008) Biofuels and implications for
agricultural water use: blue impacts of green energy, Water Policy, 10, Supplement
1, 67-81
84
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV4C.1
Proposed indicator
Nitrate (N) and Phosphorous (P) Loadings to Large Rivers
Suggested unit101
(if applicable)
Annual N and P loadings to large rivers mg/l (or mg/m3)
Criterion
Water availability, use efficiency and quality
Component
(if applicable)
The suite of indicators 4C aims to measure the water quality as a result of
bioenergy feedstock production and/or conversion:
For example, nitrate, phosphorous and pesticide run-offs from bioenergy feedstock
production and/or effluents from bioenergy conversion facilities could lead to
pollution of water bodies to an extent where this leads to a decline in water quality
and loss of freshwater and marine aquatic species.
% of annual N and P loadings to large rivers attributable to bioenergy
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 All agricultural bioenergy feedstocks
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 102 for which it is being proposed
 N and P run-offs from e.g. mineral and organic fertilizer applications on
agricultural fields play critical roles as nutrients in aquatic ecosystems. The levels
of N and P in fresh and marine waterways can impact ecosystem functioning in
these waterways and therefore directly impact water quality.
 Fertilizers applied to increase agriculture yields can result in excess nutrients
(N and to a lesser extent, P) flowing into waterways via surface runoff and
infiltration to groundwater. Nutrient pollution can have significant impacts on
water quality:
Nitrogen is a critical nutrient for plants and animals, and terrestrial ecosystems
and headwater streams have a considerable ability to capture nitrogen or to
reduce it to N2 gas though the process of nitrification. Nitrogen cycling and
retention is thus one of the most important functions of ecosystems (Vitousek et
al., 2002). When loads of nitrogen from fertilizer, septic tanks, and atmospheric
deposition exceed the capacity of terrestrial systems to hold and cycle it
(including croplands), the excess may enter surface waters, where it may have
“cascading” harmful effects as it moves downstream to coastal ecosystems
(Galloway and Cowling, 2002). Phosphorus is a critical nutrient for all forms of
life, but like nitrogen, phosphorus that enters the environment from
101
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
102
85
anthropogenic sources may exceed the needs and capacity of the terrestrial
ecosystem. As a result, excess phosphorus may enter lakes and streams.
Because phosphate is often the limiting nutrient in these bodies of water, an
excess may contribute to algal blooms, which cause taste and odour problems
and deplete oxygen needed by aquatic species. In some cases, excess
phosphate can combine with excess nitrates to exacerbate algal blooms (i.e., in
situations where algal growth is co-limited by both nutrients), although excess
nitrates usually has a larger downstream effect in coastal waters. The most
common sources of phosphorus in rivers are fertilizer and wastewater,
including storm water and treated wastewater discharged directly into the
river.
( The amount of a fertilizer nutrient that is captured in a crop, depend on
the crop, the amount, timing, and method of application, the methods of
soil cultivation, and other variables. A certain amount inevitably moves
offsite by various pathways. Nitrogen in forms such as nitrate (NO3) is
highly soluble, and along with some pesticides infiltrates downwards
toward the water table. From there it can migrate to drinking water wells,
or slowly find its way to rivers and streams. Another pathway is surface
runoff, which transports N and P to streams either in solution or attached
to eroding soil particles. A third pathway is wind erosion (or volatilization
to the atmosphere in the case of nitrogen) followed by atmospheric
transport and deposition over a broad area downwind. Surface runoff and
infiltration to groundwater both have significant impacts on water quality.
(Committee on Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United
States 2008)
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy
at the national level with regard to the that criterion
( Tracking of N and P discharges to large rivers would enable policy
makers to understand at a broad level the degree of impact bioenergy
production would have on water quality and potentially on freshwater and
marine aquatic ecosystem functioning.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also
inform
( Economic criterion 1 ("Resource availability and use efficiencies in
bioenergy production, conversion, distribution and end-use") and
particularly indicators ECO 1G (Agrochemical input use efficiency)

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
86
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

Availability of data
sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. [Change in] the amount of N and P loadings to large rivers per time unit
2. Data on proportion of fertilizer applied in the watershed for bioenergy
production (over same period of time as 1)
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) SPARROW model
(http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/sparrow/)
 Annual measures of water quality at local level

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Additional modeling and/or measurements, particularly in the area of
estimating the proportion of fertilizer attributable to bioenergy production
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 BSI
87
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts103
 Models would be used to determine the N and P loads to large rivers due to
specific crop production
 Data on proportion of fertilizer applied in the watershed for bioenergy
production would be used to determine the proportion of agriculture-related N
and P loads attributable to bioenergy.
 Measurement of N and P loadings in large rivers

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Tracking of N and P levels to major rivers would enable policy makers to
understand at a broad level the effect of bioenergy production on water quality
and potentially on freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystem functioning. One
could look at loads, or load reductions as a proportion of total load.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 104
 Aggregation of local, regional or watershed data is possible
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which105 one(s).
 The impact of fertilizers used in bioenergy production on eutrophication of
water bodies remains difficult to quantify. A more practical alternative (and
easier in terms of attribution to bioenergy) may be to measure agrochemical
use efficiencies than water quality per se
 Sensitivity of measurements and data about N and P applications and
uncertainty at each step of the analysis.
 Difficult to allocate to bioenergy production, since N and P fertilizers are used
throughout agricultural production. The presence of nitrates in surface water
comes mainly from agriculture (after the application of nitrogen fertilizers and
manure), in floodplains, but also from discharges from communities and
industry. An alternative could be to measure amount of N and P applied to
land by farmers. This would have the advantage of being more easily
attributable to bioenergy, but does not measure the impact of bioenergy as
such.
 Nitrogen balances by culture types arise several kinds of methodological
difficulties:
- determination of residual nitrogen in soils due to previous crops ;
- sensitivity, higher than that found for water balance, to heterogeneities (e.g.
composition and soil depth) and variability (e.g. inter-annual variability of
103
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
104 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
105 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
88
climate).
 Possible contamination of groundwater resources by nitrates as a result of
bioenergy production is not addressed by this indicator. In this respect the
average concentrations of nitrates in drainage flows could be a good indicator
of pressure (rather than measuring nitrate concentration in groundwater
resources in a given area)
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)106
 Committee on Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States
2008: National Research Council Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the
United States http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12039.html
 Bonnet, J.-F. ; Lorne, D. 2009: Water and Biofuels in 2030. Water impacts of
French biofuel development at the 2030 time horizon. Le Club
d’Ingénierie Prospective Energie et Environnement, Issue 19
 Aulenbach, B.T. 2006. Annual dissolved nitrite plus nitrate and total
phosphorus loads for Susquehanna, St. Lawrence, Mississippi-Atchafalaya, and
Columbia River Basins, 1968-2004. USGS Open File Report 06-1087.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1087/
 Evans, C.D., A. Jenkins, and R.F. Wright. 2000. Surface water acidification in
the South Pennines I. Current status and spatial variability. Environ. Pollut.
109(1):11-20.
 Galloway, J., and E. Cowling. 2002. Reactive nitrogen and the world: 200
years of change. Ambio 31:64-71.
 Goolsby, D.A., W.A. Battaglin, G.B. Lawrence, R.S. Artz, B.T. Aulenbach,
R.P. Hooper, D.R. Keeney, and G.J. Stensland. 1999. Flux and sources of
nutrients in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin—topic 3 report for the
integrated assessment on hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA Coastal Ocean
Program Decision Analysis Series No. 17.
 Heinz Center (The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the
Environment). 2005. The state of the nation’s ecosystems: Measuring the lands,
waters, and living resources of the United States. New York, NY: Cambridge
University Press. Web update 2005:
http://www.heinzctr.org/ecosystems/report.html
 Rabalais, N.N., and R.E. Turner, eds. 2001. Coastal hypoxia: Consequences
for living resources and ecosystems. Coastal and estuarine studies 58.
Washington, DC: American Geophysical Union.
 Smith, S.V., D.P. Swaney, L. Talaue-McManus, J.D. Bartley, P.T. Sandhei,
C.J. McLaughlin, V.C. Dupra, C.J. Crossland, R.W. Buddemeier, B.A. Maxwell,
and F. Wulff. 2003. Humans, hydrology, and the distribution of inorganic nutrient
loading to the ocean. BioScience 53:235-245.
 USGS (United States Geological Survey). 2007a. Data provided to ERG (an
EPA contractor) by Nancy Baker, USGS. September 12, 2007.
106
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
89
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV4.C2
Proposed indicator
Pesticide Loadings to Large Rivers
Suggested unit107
(if applicable)
Annual pesticide108 loadings to large rivers mg/l (or μg/l)
% of annual pesticide loadings to large rivers attributable to bioenergy
Frequency of pesticides treatment index (g/ha/yr)
Criterion
Water availability, use efficiency and quality
Component
(if applicable)
The suite of indicators 4C aims to measure the water quality as a result of
bioenergy feedstock production and/or conversion:
For example, nitrate, phosphorous and pesticide run-offs from bioenergy feedstock
production and/or effluents from bioenergy conversion facilities could lead to
pollution of water bodies to an extent where this leads to a decline in water quality
and loss of freshwater and marine aquatic species.
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 All agricultural bioenergy feedstocks
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 109 for which it is being proposed
 Pesticide applications exceeding the uptake of the plants do remain in the soil
and can lead to water pollution.
 The amount of pesticide that remains in the soil, depend on the crop, the
amount, timing, and method of application, the methods of soil cultivation, and
other variables. A certain amount inevitably moves offsite by various pathways.
Surface runoff and infiltration to groundwater both have significant impacts on
water quality. (Committee on Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the
United States 2008)
 Pesticide-induced water contamination mainly concerns perturbation of
aquatic life, degradation of the capacity to constitute resources for potable water
or for other ends (Bonnet et al. 2009)
107
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Pesticides are substances and preparations used for the prevention, control, and elimination of organisms deemed
undesirable—whether they be plants, animals, fungus, or bacteria. They can be classified in three main categories: herbicides
(for weeds),
fungicides (for fungus), and insecticides (for insects). There are also other products that fight against rodents (rodenticides),
snails, and slugs (molluscicides) (Bonnet, J.-F. et al 2009, p.63)
109 Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
108
90
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Tracking of pesticide discharges to large rivers would enable policy makers to
understand at a broad level the degree of impact bioenergy production would
have on water quality and potentially on freshwater and marine aquatic
ecosystem functioning.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Economic criterion 1 ("Resource availability and use efficiencies in bioenergy
production, conversion, distribution and end-use") and particularly indicators
ECO 1G.3 (Pesticide use efficiency)

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

Availability of data
sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
3. [Change in] amount of pesticides loadings to large rivers per time unit
4. Data on proportion of pesticides applied in the watershed for bioenergy
production (over same period of time as 1)
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) SPARROW model
(http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/sparrow/)

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Additional modeling
Type of measurements

Indicate which measuring methods are used
91
and scale
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 BSI
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts110
 Models would be used to determine the pesticide loads to large rivers due to
specific crop production
 Data on proportion of pesticides applied in the watershed for bioenergy
production would be used to estimate the proportion of agriculture-related
pesticide loads attributable to bioenergy.
 Measurement of pesticide loadings in large rivers

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Tracking of pesticide levels to major rivers would enable policy makers to
understand at a broad level the effect of bioenergy production on water quality
and potentially on freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystem functioning (see
also ENV 4C.4). One could look at loads, or load reductions as a proportion of
110
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
92
total load.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 111
 Aggregation on regional or watershed data is possible
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which112
one(s).
( Sensitivity of measurements and data about pesticide applications and
uncertainty at each step of the analysis.
( Net pesticide balance of plants and their impacts on water is difficult to
define
( Difficult to allocate to bioenergy production, since pesticides are used
throughout agricultural production. An alternative could be to measure
amount of pesticides applied to land by farmers (Frequency of
pesticides treatment index (g/ha/yr)). This would have the advantage of
being more easily attributable to bioenergy, but does not measure the
impact of bioenergy as such.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)113
 Committee on Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States
2008: National Research Council Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the
United States http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12039.html
 Bonnet, J.-F. ; Lorne, D. 2009: Water and Biofuels in 2030. Water impacts of
French biofuel development at the 2030 time horizon. Le Club
d’Ingénierie Prospective Energie et Environnement, Issue 19
 Heinz Center (The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the
Environment). 2005. The state of the nation’s ecosystems: Measuring the lands,
waters, and living resources of the United States. New York, NY: Cambridge
University Press. Web update 2005:
http://www.heinzctr.org/ecosystems/report.html
 Rabalais, N.N., and R.E. Turner, eds. 2001. Coastal hypoxia: Consequences
for living resources and ecosystems. Coastal and estuarine studies 58.
Washington, DC: American Geophysical Union.
 Smith, S.V., D.P. Swaney, L. Talaue-McManus, J.D. Bartley, P.T. Sandhei,
C.J. McLaughlin, V.C. Dupra, C.J. Crossland, R.W. Buddemeier, B.A. Maxwell,
and F. Wulff. 2003. Humans, hydrology, and the distribution of inorganic nutrient
loading to the ocean. BioScience 53:235-245.
 USGS (United States Geological Survey). 2007a. Data provided to ERG (an
EPA contractor) by Nancy Baker, USGS. September 12, 2007.
111
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
113 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
112
93
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV4C.3
Proposed indicator
Organic pollution discharge
Suggested unit114
(if applicable)
BOD115, times the volume of effluents, per unit of bioenergy produced (kg/MJ)
Criterion
Water availability, use efficiency and quality
Component
(if applicable)
The suite of indicators 4C aims to measure the water quality as a result of
bioenergy feedstock production and/or conversion:
For example, nitrate, phosphorous and pesticide run-offs from bioenergy feedstock
production and/or effluents from bioenergy conversion facilities could lead to
pollution of water bodies to an extent where this leads to a decline in water quality
and loss of freshwater and marine aquatic species.
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 116 for which it is being proposed
 Wastewaters from bioenergy production facilities are potentially high in
biochemical oxygen demand (BOD, the oxygen needed to decompose organic
matter). Discharge of high-BOD water to rivers and lakes is problematical
because decomposition can consume all of the dissolved oxygen, suffocating
aquatic animals (Committee on Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the
United States 2008)

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Tracking of BOD levels of effluents from bioenergy conversion facilities would
enable policy makers to understand at a broad level the degree of impact
bioenergy production facilities would have on water quality and potentially on
freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystem functioning.
114
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
BOD (Biochemical oxygen demand or biological oxygen demand): The amount of oxygen (measured in mg/l) that is required
for the decomposition of organic matter by single-cell organisms, under test conditions. It is used to measure the amount of
organic pollution in wastewater (http://www.lenntech.com/water-glossary.htm#Backflow)
116 Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
115
94
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 With effluent discharges from oil refineries

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. BOD of effluents from bioenergy production facilities.
2. Volume of effluents from bioenergy production facilities
3. Quantity of bioenergy produced in bioenergy production facilities
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of


Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Continuous BOD and flowrate monitoring of bioenergy production facilities
effluents
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
95
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 BSI
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts117
 Measurement of BOD of effluents from biorefineries, directly at the discharge
point

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Tracking of BOD levels of effluents from bioenergy conversion facilities would
enable policy makers to understand at a broad level the degree of impact
bioenergy production would have on water quality and potentially on freshwater
and marine aquatic ecosystem functioning.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 118
 Aggregation of the collected data at the national level is possible
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which119 one(s).
 This indicator allows to measure the level of one source of pollution of one
waste water stream from bioenergy production facilities -arguably the most
117
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
118 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
119 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
96
important in many cases-, but there are other sources of water pollutions: for
ethanol plants there are also brine effluents from the reverse osmosis operation
and waste water from periodic salts blowdown operation done on cooling
towers; for biodiesel plants waste water discharges may also have high greases
and oils contents (in addition to high BOD) (Committee on Water Implications of
Biofuels Production in the United States 2008)
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)120
 Committee on Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States
2008: National Research Council Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the
United States http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12039.html
120
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
97
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV4C.4
Proposed indicator
Sample Freshwater Species
Suggested unit121
(if applicable)
% change in sample freshwater species in bioenergy producing areas
Criterion
Water availability, use efficiency and quality
Component
(if applicable)
The suite of indicators 4C aims at measuring the water quality as a result of
bioenergy feedstock production and/or conversion:
For examples, nitrate, phosphorous and pesticide run-offs from bioenergy feedstock
production and/or effluents from bioenergy conversion facilities could lead to
pollution of water bodies to an extent where this leads to a decline in water quality
and loss of freshwater and marine aquatic species.
number of species/l
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 122 for which it is being proposed
 The abundance and distribution of selected species is an indicator of water
and ecosystem quality. Several assessments have revealed that the population
size and/or geographic range of the majority of species assessed are declining.
Exceptions include domestic species, invasive species, and species that have
been protected through specific measures.
 Bioenergy production (both feedstock production and processing) can impact
water quality when organic and chemical materials like mineral and organic
fertilizers and pesticides from feedstock production and effluents from conversion
plants do run off in water bodies where they contribute to algal blooms (organic
material) and deplete oxygen needed by aquatic species.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Changes in the amount of freshwater species in bioenergy producing areas
would enable policy makers to understand at a broad level the degree of impact
bioenergy production has on water quality and fresh aquatic ecosystem
functioning.
121
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
122
98
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 effluent discharges from oil refineries (compared with biofuel conversion
facilities); no comparison can be made for the agricultural phase

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

Availability of data
sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Number of sample freshwater species in a given water body (time series) –
up-stream and down-stream of energy crop producing areas and bioenergy
production facilities discharges
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 UN Water indicators (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/sparrow/)

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Physical, biological or chemical measurements in given water bodies
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):

99

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts123
 Physical and/or biological measurements

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Changes in the amount of freshwater species in bioenergy producing areas
would enable policy makers to understand at a broad level the degree of impact
bioenergy production has on water quality and fresh aquatic ecosystem
functioning.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 124
 ...
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which125
one(s).
(It may prove difficult to derive to what extent bioenergy production is
responsible for a change in the amount of sample freshwater species in a
123
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
124 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
125 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
100
water body, as decreases or increases in their amount can be caused by
other factors.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy)
( UN-Water Task Force on Indicators, Monitoring and Reporting (Draft
2009): Monitoring progress in the water sector: A limited indicator set to
inform on the situation
( WWF
( UNEP WCMC
126
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
101
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV5A
Proposed indicator
Conversion of high biodiversity areas and of unique ecosystems - Proportion
of land area recognized nationally of high biodiversity importance converted
and number of unique ecosystems at risk due to bioenergy production
expansion
Suggested unit127
(if applicable)
% of total land area recognized nationally as being of high biodiversity
importance that has been converted
number of unique ecosystems
Criterion
Biological diversity
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 128 for which it is being proposed
 Deforestation and land use change is a major cause to loss of biological
diversity and is related to agricultural expansion. Identifying and
monitoring the rate of conversion of areas of high biodiversity importance
to bioenergy feedstock production is the first step towards preventing loss
of habitats and species that may be caused by these activities.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The conversion of areas of high biodiversity importance is likely to have
significant negative impacts on species and habitats and is therefore
generally considered as environmentally unsustainable. By gaining insight
into the annual conversion rates of areas of high biodiversity importance
due to bioenergy feedstock production, national governments can start to
develop and implement policies to address this aspect of sustainability of
bioenergy. If no conversion within areas of high biodiversity importance is
detected, this would mean that areas of high biodiversity importance are
not being protected against conversion for bioenergy production and
127
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
128
102
action needs to be taken; a corresponding environmental sustainability
standard is in place and is complied with. If conversion occurs, this may
very likely be unsustainable production of bioenergy, i.e. at the cost of
areas of high biodiversity importance.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 This indicator is linked with criterion 6

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 The indicator can be used without comparison with the fossil reference.
However, if considered useful, a comparison could be made as mining for
or extraction of fossil energy sources can put pressure on areas of high
biodiversity importance as well (measurement: ha/yr converted for fossil
fuel production).

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Land-use related biodiversity impacts can also arise from e.g. landbase PV, concentrating solar power (CSP), inundated areas caused by
hydropower, and impacts from on- and offshore wind, For nuclear, mining
impacts similar to coal should be considered, and also land use from
conversion, storage, and final repository (above-ground part) facilities and
their respective infrastructures (measurement: ha/yr converted for nonfossil energy production). Practicality of the comparison does depend on
data availability
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. A list and accurate maps of areas of high biodiversity importance. 129
2. Annual monitoring data on conversion rates of those areas, including
information on the newly established crops. If the newly established crop
is not a bioenergy crop it may (or may not) indicate indirect land use
change due to bioenergy production elsewhere.
3. Country-wide maps showing conversion for energy crops. This can
Some potentially relevant datasets are listed in ENV0B – whether they will be provided depends on data
availability.
129
103
provide information on the increase of biomass production for energy
purposes in the region surrounding the areas of high biodiversity
importance and could prove useful to assess the pressure, prior to the
actual conversion.130
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Maps of areas recognized nationally as being of high biodiversity
importance (data from ENV 0B)
 IBAT (Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool):
http://www.ibatforbusiness.org/
 WDPA (World Database on Protected Areas):
 Large Intact Forest Landscapes
 Wetlands: Global Lake and Wetland Database
(FAO Geonetwork ( HYPERLINK
"http://www.fao.org/geonetwork/"
www.fao.org/geonetwork/ )
(The U.S. Geological Survey website has recently (January 9th 2009)
released their LandSat 1-5 and 7 archives to the public for free and are
available at: HYPERLINK
"http://landsat.usgs.gov/"
http://landsat.usgs.gov/
(RAMSAR
(CBD Protected areas gap analysis
( Google forest monitoring tool: http://blog.google.org/2009/12/seeingforest-through-cloud.html131

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Remote sensing data analyses to identify areas that are potentially of
high importance for biodiversity and ground-truthing132
Arial photography
 On-side mapping of habitat areas of high biodiversity importance (field
surveys)
( Distribution data of species and existing mapping of areas of high
biodiversity importance
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
FORMCHECKBOX
Statistical (national/international accounts)
FORMCHECKBOX
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
FORMCHECKBOX
measurements
Physical, biological or chemical
Interviews and surveys
There are several aspects to consider – whether bioenergy production has caused direct conversion (e.g. a forest is cleared and a crop
planted), which may pose challenges in terms of attributing the crop to bioenergy, as well as whether increases in demand for bioenergy have
displaced other uses into high biodiversity areas (this indirect impact is the subject of much debate over the ability to correlate and quantify)
131
For further information on ready-available national or international data sources see also ENV 0B.
132
Remote sensing will not be appropriate for many ecosystem services. This needs a lot of site-level research, sufficient to feed the data into a
model and create a country-wide map.
130
104
Other, specify which one(s):
 Remote sensing and field surveys

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 Natural and agro ecosystems
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 RSB indicators – “conversion shall not occur prior to the land use
impact assessment” Criterion 7.a
 EU Renewable Energy Directive – no production on high biodiversity
lands
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts133
 On a national scale information on the areas nationally recognized as
being of high biodiversity importance and the corresponding maps
should form the baseline. The selected areas should then annually be
monitored to detect any conversion. Subsequently it should be
determined for which purpose the conversion took place and whether
there is a direct or indirect causal link between conversion and the
expansion of the bioenergy feedstock production in that region.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Conversion of areas of high biodiversity importance for bioenergy
feedstock production is likely to have negative impacts on biodiversity,
such as fragmentation, increase in invasive species, and turnover of
landscape. If such land conversions are detected early on and the driving
forces behind them are identified, then steps can be undertaken to
diminish their adverse effects on biodiversity.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 134
133
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
105
 Establishment of a national database with the data collected from/for
the specific areas of high biodiversity importance, ensuring maximum
representation of ecosystems threatened by conversion (considering
available national and international data)
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which135 one(s).
 Mapping and monitoring can mean a considerable effort, especially
when remote sensing is not sufficient alone and field surveys are needed.
Some areas of high biodiversity importance may not be inventoried: their
possible conversion to bioenergy feedstock production could then go
unnoticed
 Secondly a solid causal link between the conversion of areas of high
biodiversity importance and bioenergy feedstock production will have to
be established. It will be difficult to differentiate in many cases between
land conversions for agricultural crops relating to food production to
crops used for bioenergy production.
The proposed methodological approach is very challenging and would
require producers to report to the national government. It may be more
appropriate to undertake estimates and averages based on national
consumption of domestically produced bioenergy and allocate to high
biodiversity change, rather than try to draw direct links.
 The proportion to date part of the measurement of this indicator implies
the use of a reference year. Such reference year will have to be
established by national authorities, understanding that the history of
development is very different from one country/region to another and
therefore situations cannot be compared: for example there are countries
that continue experiencing a rapid expansion of their agricultural frontier
for economic development and will have to take other biodiversity
conservation measures as countries that have reached their optimal
agricultural expansion centuries ago. In both situations sound agroecological management and biodiversity conservation measures are
necessary.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)136
 In part, the EU monitoring of NATURA2000/FFH areas, and the EU indicator
system for agriculture cover some of the data
Work of Holly Gibbs (Stanford University), to be published in March 2010
Case studies on available spatial information on biodiversity on the global
and (selected) national scale – see UNEP/Oeko/IUCN et al. 2nd Paris
Workshop 2009
www.bioenergywiki.net/index.php/2nd_Joint_International_Workshop_Mapping
to be completed
134
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
136 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
135
106
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV5B
Proposed indicator
Crop genetic diversity - Physical availability of crop genetic diversity as a
result of the introduction of bioenergy feedstocks
Suggested unit137
(if applicable)
Number of species
Criterion
Access to land, water and other natural resources
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion138 for which it is being proposed
 The indicator proposed will help determine, in combination with two
other indicators related to cost of access (add final number of the
indicator) and to the information available (add final number of the
indicator), the accessibility to crop genetic diversity and ultimately
contribute to identifying policies and instruments needed to guarantee a
sustainable use of crop genetic resources. A sustainable use of crop
genetic resources, for which the first dimension to consider is the physical
availability of genetic diversity, implies avoiding genetic erosion while at
the same time achieving both private and local public benefits, as better
explained next.
 Private benefits are achieved via the consumption and production
"services" that genetic resources (in interaction with human and
environmental factors) provide;
 Global public benefits refer to the reduction of genetic erosion
(maintaining genetic option values);
 Local public benefits serve at reducing genetic vulnerability (increasing
resilience).
The scale at which these benefits are realized varies. In the first category
the unit is the farm. For the second, the relevant unit is a generic
population over time and for the third the relevant scale is regional or
national. Trade-offs between the three categories of benefits are likely, but
these can be assessed through the methodology proposed for the set of
137
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
138
107
three indicators that measure access to crop genetic diversity.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The sustainability of bioenergy in relation to the proposed criterion
should be assessed in two different dimensions: 1) inasmuch as it does
not interfere with a sustainable utilization of CGRs (i.e. extent to which
bioenergy crops might substitute other crops or varieties leading to
genetic erosion); 2) to the extent that the accessibility to CGRs facilitate or
obstruct access to bioenergy crops or varieties.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Biological diversity

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Variety (or crops) numbers and amounts – within and between
households, communities, sellers and markets.
The number of varieties and the quantities grown, available or sold
provides the basis for estimating variety diversity in terms of richness and
evenness and for comparing diversity present across households,
communities, sellers and markets.
2. Agro-morphological variation for selected traits – within and between
varieties, households, communities, sellers and markets.
Field trials (preferably carried out with the community) will provide
information on variation within and between samples for agromorphological traits of interest.
3. Molecular (or biochemical) genetic data – within and between varieties,
households, communities, sellers and markets.
Molecular markers will prove particularly useful for determining such
questions as:
108
- The extent to which different samples of a variety (from sellers,
households, locations etc.) differ
N. B. Data and analysis regarding agro-morphological variation as well as
molecular analysis are crucial when the interest is at variety level.
Physical availability can then be measured through using one of the
biological indeces of diversity (such as the Shannon, Simpson, Margalef
etc)
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 A specific project to measure access to CGRs has been conducted
within FAO in the ESA division. Data set are available for selected areas of
5 different countries: Bolivia, India, Mexico, Mali and Kenya. A number of
other studies that measure physical availability at farm level but not at
market level have also been conducted by IFPRI and Biodiversity
International among others.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Data collection strategy would require:
Market observation of varieties and crop sold, key informant interviews
and seed and grain retail market surveys in addition to selecting seed and
grain sample for agro-morphological characterization and for field trials as
indicated above.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
109
 The specific level of analysis would greatly depend on the interest of the
country as well as on the potential competition with bioenergy crops.

Information about other
international processes
If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 This specific approach aims at achieving some of the ITPGRFA and of
the CBD's objectives while taking into account Country Specific Seed
sector regulation and seed interventions.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one to
assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from other
possible impacts139
A more specific explanation of the scientific basis is provided on a separate file
(see….). However, as briefly mentioned earlier the impact of bioenergy production
with regard to this indicator should be assessed with reference to the potential
competition between bioenergy crop production as opposed to common practice. It
would also be very interesting, if possible, to estimate the impact of bioenergy i.e.
Does the Physical availability of genetic diversity diminish or increase or does it
remain stable comparing before and after bioenergy projects? If the before and
after approach is not feasible there are computational methods that can be used.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding criterion
 The main objective to reach should be to maintain or attain people's
wellbeing while maintaining biodiversity (genetic, species, ecosystem
diversity and ecosystem services). As long as bioenergy production does
not interfere with these two objectives, there should be no objection to its
production. In this first dimension, physical availability, of the three
proposed to measure access to crop genetic diversity we aim at measuring
the impact bioenergy production on the physical availability of other crops
and varieties with the purpose of conserving a sustainable level of diversity.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national
level for data that are not collected at that level140
 A good sampling strategy should allow to extrapolate data at regional or
national level
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which141 one(s).
 A rather strong requirement of data and information
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support the
139
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
140 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
141 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
110
chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than bioenergy) 142
 As explained above there's a specific project run by FAO-ESA. Most of the
indication on data requirements and approaches are directly taken from the
methodology developed for the project.
See:
http://www.fao.org/economic/esa/seed2d/projects2/marketsseedsdiversity/en
/ for further reference.
The methodology is available at:
ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esa/lisfame/Market_CGR_method.pdf (Lipper et al., 2009)
142
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
111
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV5C
Proposed indicator
Invasive alien species - Number of bioenergy feedstocks used within a country
that are documented as invasive alien species, area covered and evaluation of
possible damage to biodiversity
Suggested unit143
(if applicable)
Number of species,
Criterion
Biological diversity
ha
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 feedstocks that are classified as invasive alien species
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion144 for which it is being proposed
 Invasive alien species (IAS) can threaten biodiversity, food security, human
health, trade, transport and economic development. Globally, they pose the
second biggest threat to biodiversity; in certain ecosystems (notably islands),
they represent the greatest threat to biodiversity. (2010 Biodiversty Indicators
Partnership, http://www.twentyten.net/invasivealienspecies)
McGeoch et al. ("Global indicators of biological invasion:
species numbers, biodiversity impact and policy responses", Diversity and
Distributions, 2009; for citations in following paragraph, see ibid.) explain:

"Invasive alien species (IAS) pose a significant threat to biodiversity. Moreover,
compelling evidence exists, based on global trade and movement patterns, that
the magnitude of this threat is increasing globally (Hulme, 2009). Invasive alien
species alter ecosystem processes (Raizada et al., 2008), decrease native
species abundance and richness via competition, predation, hybridization and
indirect effects (Blackburn et al., 2004; Gaertner et al., 2009), change community
structure (Hejda et al., 2009) and alter genetic diversity (Ellstrand &
Schierenbeck, 2000)."
Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 Given the threat posed by invasive alien species to a number of factors
143
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
144
112
affecting sustainable development (e.g. biodiversity, food security, human
health, and economic development), this indicator will provide an
indication of the scale of the risk presented by invasive alien species being
used as bioenergy feedstocks and the degree to which this risk is being
managed by policy responses. Since invasive alien species can cause
transboundary environmental harm, this indicator could also inform the
risk of such harm as a result of trade in bioenergy feedstocks. The global
total cost of damage per year caused by invasive species has been
estimated at US$ 1.4 trillion per annum (around 5% of GDP), which
indicates a significant potential impact on economic development.
The Global Invasive Species Program's report "Biofuel crops and the use
of non-native species: mitigating the risk of invasion" states that "some of
the most commonly recommended species for biofuel production,
particularly for biodiesel, are also major invasive alien species in many
parts of the world. Thus, their likelihood of becoming invasive needs to be
assessed before being cultivated on a large-scale for biofuel production in
new areas. Some of these species are spread by birds, small mammals and
other animals, making their control difficult or impossible, with impacts
increasing over time and long-term production prone to greater financial
losses than gains." This implies that the risk posed by the introduction of
invasive alien species should be measured separately from policy
measures adopted to mitigate risks, since some of the risks can only be
mitigated by preventing the introduction of the species.
(http://www.gisp.org/publications/reports/BiofuelsReport.pdf.pdf)
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Food security, human health and safety, economic development.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Not directly, though since a cost to society due to invasive alien species
can be estimated, this could be used to compare net (monetisable) impacts
of bioenergy production with those of fossil fuel production.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 See above.
113
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. List of species used as bioenergy feedstocks in the country in question;
list of documented invasive alien species (i.e. a species outside of its
indigenous geographic range whose introduction and/or spread threatens
biodiversity) for the country in question (see McGeoch et al. for
methodological approach - to be inserted below); area planted with
feedstocks identified as invasive alien species; plus, to facilitate
interpretation of results, a measure of data availability, calculated using a
combination of previously published estimates of research effort on alien
species by region (major continents and their surrounding islands; see
Pysˇek et al., 2008, cited in McGeoch et al.) and information provided in
Third National Reports to the CBD, would be useful.
2. Information on decline or disappearance of species from areas that are
invaded.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Work of Global Invasive Species Programme (e.g. the Global Invasive
Species Program's report "Biofuel crops and the use of non-native
species: mitigating the risk of invasion", available at
http://www.gisp.org/publications/reports/BiofuelsReport.pdf.pdf) and
"Global indicators of biological invasion: species numbers, biodiversity
impact and policy responses", McGeoch et al., Diversity and Distributions
(2009).
 List of species used or being considered for biofuel production and countries
where they are invasive from http://www.gisp.org/whatsnew/docs/biofuels.pdf or
http://www.sprep.org/att/IRC/eCOPIES/Global/155.pdf
 Global Invasive Species Database (GISP)
http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/
 IUCN Red List
 IABIN Invasive Species Information Network and related country
specific databases (http://i3n.iabin.net/index.html)
 Country level information where available, see e.g. http://www.seeppc.org/alabama/greedstatement.pdf

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Scientific research on site level should be part of the data collection
strategy
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
114
 Assessment of damage to biodiversity using impact information from
GISP and references listed under references and links. Review of
scientific literature on impacts in the country in focus.
 Based on information provided by GISP and scientific sources it
should be possible to develop a simple classification system, such as 1)
invasive but no evidence for biodiversity damage, 2) invasive and
evidence for biodiversity damage, 3) invasive and serious biodiversity
damage reported

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 Due to poor data availability, local studies on the impacts of invasive
alien species used in bioenergy production should also be undertaken to
support the measurement of the GBEP indicators.
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 The Global Invasive Species Program has developed four indicators,
upon which the GBEP indicators are based, in order to track progress
towards the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity to ‘control
threats from invasive alien species’ and its two targets to (1) control
pathways for major potential alien invasive species and to (2) have
management plans in place for major alien species that threaten
ecosystems, habitats or species. (See United Nations Environmental
Programme's Report of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and
Technological Advice on the work of its tenth meeting (Bangkok, 7-11
February) - documentation made available for Conference of the Parties to
the Convention on Biological Diversity, eighth meeting, Curitiba, Brazil, 2031 March 2006 as UNEP/CBD/COP/8/2 and available at:
http://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/cop/cop-08/official/cop-08-02-en.pdf.) The
indicators have been measured and analysed for a sample of 57 countries
(see McGeoch et al.).
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts145
 Consult the GISP and documents mentioned under data availability
145
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
115
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species will be interrogated (and/or
literature surveyed to the same effect) to determine if any bioenergy
feedstock species are cited as the cause of a change in conservation
status, on account of their invasiveness. If these species are also being
used for other purposes in a country, the methodological approach does
not envisage differentiating between the impacts on biodiversity of the
particular invasive alien species when used for bioenergy as opposed to in
aggregate. The aggregate impact is deemed sufficient to indicate the
impact caused by the introduction or spread of the species.

Global invasive species database:
http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/Briefly explain the link between the
measurement given by this indicator and the assessment of the aspect of
sustainability addressed by the corresponding criterion
 The indicator shows explicitly the risk from invasive alien species to
biodiversity and the impact of invasive alien species used for bioenergy
production on biodiversity in terms of the change in conservation status of
species.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national
level for data that are not collected at that level146
 The data is to be collected at the national level by identifying all species
used for bioenergy production in a country that are documented invasive
alien species. Hence the only aggregation would be summing species used
by different bioenergy feedstock producers and processors in a country.
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which147 one(s).
 Whilst there are no anticipated difficulties in measuring the documented
number of IAS per country used for bioenergy production and area covered
by these, other than perhaps where field trials are being conducted by
private firms, this indicator has been proposed precisely because there is
currently inadequate information in many countries for trends in invasive
alien species.
 There is currently a lack of data on the impacts of invasive species used
in bioenergy production on biodiversity. It is difficult to trace changes back
to one driver only, e.g. one invasive alien bioenergy crop that is spreading.
Hence it is not deemed feasible to assess the impacts until a significant
improvement in data availability is achieved.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support the
chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than bioenergy) 148
 See McGeoch et al, cited above, and references therein, plus "Biofuel
crops and the use of non-native species: mitigating the risks of invasion",
146
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
148 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
147
116
available at
http://www.gisp.org/publications/reports/BiofuelsReport.pdf.pdf, and the
references therein.
IUCN (2009). Guidelines on Biofuels and Invasive Species. Gland,
Switzerland: IUCN. 20pp. Available at
http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/iucn_guidelines_on_biofuels_and_invas
ive_species_.pdf GISP Assessing the risk of invasive alien species
promoted for biofuels: Available at
http://www.gisp.org/whatsnew/docs/biofuels.pdf
 GISP (2008) Biofuels run the risk of becoming invasive species.
Available at
http://www.gisp.org/publications/reports/BiofuelsReport.pdf.pdf
 Barney, J.N., DiTomaso, J.M. (2008) Non-native species and bioenergy:
Are we cultivating the next invader? Bioscience 58: 64-70
 S. Raghu, R. C. Anderson, C. C. Daehler, A. S. Davis, R. N. Wiedenmann,
D. Simberloff, R. N. Mack (2006) Adding Biofuels to the Invasive Species
Fire? Science 313, 1742. Available at
http://arsweeds.cropsci.illinois.edu/raghusci.pdf
 Low, T., Booth, C. (2007, updated March 2008) The weedy truth about
biofuels. Invasive Species Council, Melbourne, Australia. Available at
http://www.lifeofthelandhawaii.org/Bio_Documents/2007.0346/LOL_EXH_7_
Weedy_Truth.pdf
 DiTomaso, J. et al. (2007) Biofuel Feedstocks: The Risk of Future
Invasions. CAST Commentary QTA 2007-1. Available at http://www.castscience.org/websiteuploads/publicationpdfs/biofuels%20commentary%20w
eb%20version%20with%20color%20%207927146.pdf
Mack, R.N. (2008) Evaluating the Credits and Debits of a Proposed Biofuel
Species: Giant Reed (Arundo donax). Weed Science 56(6): 883-888.
Abstract available at http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1614/WS-08-078.1
117
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV5D
Proposed indicator
GMO/LMO - Number of GMO/LMO used within a country as bioenergy
feedstock and area covered
Suggested unit149
(if applicable)
Number of GMO/LMO,
Criterion
Biological diversity
% of total bioenergy cultivated land area
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 all bioenergy feedstocks that are living modified organisms or parts thereof ,
e.g. rape, soybean, corn, others
Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 150 for which it is being proposed
 Due to Article 2 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety the parties shall
ensure that the development, handling, transport, use, transfer and release of
any living modified organisms are undertaken in a manner that prevents or
reduces the risks to biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human
health.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The indicator shows whether and to what extent LMOs are used as
feedstocks for bioenergy in the country in question and whether they have an
impact on biodiversity and/or on centres of origin and centres of genetic
diversity.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Food security, human health and safety, economic development.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
149
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
150
118
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. List of LMO species or varieties or material derived from LMO used as
bioenergy feedstocks in the country in question;
2. Parts of information required in Annex II concerning living modified organisms
intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing under Article 11 of the
Cartagena Protocol:
(c) Name and identity of the living modified organism.
(d) Description of the gene modification, the technique used, and the resulting
characteristics of the living modified organism.
(e) Any unique identification of the living modified organism.
(f) Taxonomic status, common name, point of collection or acquisition, and
characteristics of recipient organism or parental organisms related to biosafety.
(g) Centres of origin and centres of genetic diversity, if known, of the recipient
organism and/or the parental organisms and a description of the habitats where
the organisms may persist or proliferate.
(h) Taxonomic status, common name, point of collection or acquisition, and
characteristics of the donor organism or organisms related to biosafety.
(i) Approved uses of the living modified organism.
(k) Suggested methods for the safe handling, storage, transport and use,
including packaging, labelling, documentation, disposal and contingency
procedures, where appropriate.
3. Parts of information required in Annex III of the Cartagena Protocaol (Risk
Assessment):
Depending on the case, risk assessment takes into account the relevant
technical and scientific details regarding the characteristics of the following
subjects:
(a) Recipient organism or parental organisms. The biological characteristics of
the recipient organism or parental organisms, including information on taxonomic
status, common name, origin, centres of origin and centres of genetic diversity, if
known, and a description of the habitat where the organisms may persist or
proliferate;
119
(b) Donor organism or organisms. Taxonomic status and common name, source,
and the relevant biological characteristics of the donor organisms;
(c) Vector. Characteristics of the vector, including its identity, if any, and its
source or origin, and its host range;
(d) Insert or inserts and/or characteristics of modification. Genetic characteristics
of the inserted nucleic acid and the function it specifies, and/or characteristics of
the modification introduced;
(g) Information relating to the intended use of the living modified organism,
including new or changed use compared to the recipient organism or parental
organisms; and
(h) Receiving environment. Information on the location, geographical, climatic
and ecological characteristics, including relevant information on biological
diversity and centres of origin of the likely potential receiving environment.
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that
you are aware of
( FORMTEXT
Relevant national and international databases of the
competent authorities capable for the decisions according to national
Biosafety legislation as well as under the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety.
With the assistance of the Parties, the Secretariat of the Cartagena
Protocol is currently compiling information to prepare a set of country
profiles. The objective is to provide for each country, the most relevant
national information related to the Convention on Biological Information
and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically
implemented to address key gaps in the available data
( FORMTEXT
In many countries there are monitoring obligations
for LMOs that are not yet placed on the marked. These data could be used
if public available.
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Interpretation of existing data under the Cartagena Protocol or under national
legislation concerning LMOs;
molecular analysis if necessary;

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
120
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 only if necessary examplary on individual organisms
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 The risk assessment of invasive alien species could partly be comparable.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts151
 Information about possible impacts are given in the databases mentioned
above. If the possible adverse effects of an LMO are known it is possible to
decide whether or not and to what extent a certain region would be suitable for
the cultivation of this LMO (e.g. no cultivation should take place in a centre of
origin). The scale of the cultivation of an LMO influences the likelihood of the
occurrence of any impact.
In some cases it will be possible to separate the impacts from others by
molecular analysis.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 The conservation of biodiversity and genetic diversity are major goals of
sustainability. LMOs include a general risk of cross pollination that could
destroy both.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 152
 to be completed
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which153 one(s).
 The public availability of data may not be given in all countries.
Some GMOs are used in the processing stage and are not captured through
the current definition of the indicator and the measurement units proposed.
151
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
152 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
153 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
121
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)154
 http://www.cbd.int/biosafety
to be completed
154
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
122
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV6A
Proposed indicator
Land use and bioenergy - Bioenergy land area, and as compared to total,
arable and cultivated land areas
Suggested unit155
(if applicable)
Ha
% of Total land area
% of Arable land area
% of Cultivated land area
Criterion
Land-use change, including indirect effects
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

If only some, please list them:


Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 156 for which it is being
proposed
 It analyzes how much arable land is still available in the country when
compared to land that is already cultivated

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at
the national level with regard to the that criterion
 The indicator will help to first gauge the possibility of expanding the
production area of bioenergy without jeopardizing other land uses.
List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also
inform
 Food security; Economic development; Economic viability and
competitiveness of bioenergy; Energy Security

Comparison with
alternative energy
options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
Yes
No
155
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
156
123
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 For bioelectricity, comparison can possibly be made with land used for
other alternative renewable: footprint for solar and wind equipment,
balance of agricultural land flooded/made available through increased
irrigation systems with dams for (small) hydro systems
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. land areas by categories
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that
you are aware of
 National statistics usually centralized within Ministry of Agriculture and
specialized institutes (geographic data and national statistics)

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically
implemented to address key gaps in the available data
 Remote sensing or aerial photographs, bottom-up data collection -or
survey through agricultural extension services- for shares of a same
feedstock used for energy and other purposes (food, feed)

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
II. Practicality
Type of measurements
and scale
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):

( Remote sensing, aerial photographs
Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

124
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator,
please provide relevant information


Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will
allow one to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and
separate it from other possible impacts157
 This indicator will allow to put the impact of bioenergy production in
prospective at the national level

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator
and the assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the
corresponding criterion


Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 158


Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement
of the indicator
Yes
No Do not know

If Yes, indicate which159 one(s).
 land attribution uncertainty associated to multi-purposes feedstock
(bioenergy and other uses) as data may not be always reliable and
would need to be cross checked against yields in the particular areas
 data errors in interpretation of land use

List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy) 160
III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach
Anticipated limitations
References
157
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
158
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
159
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
160
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
125
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV6B
Proposed indicator
Agro-ecological zoning and bioenergy - Share of bioenergy land area
within the limits of nationally defined agroecological zoning or similar
land suitability regulatory scheme for bioenergy crop expansion
Suggested unit161
(if applicable)
% bioenergy production land area within agroecological zoning perimeters vs.
total bioenergy production land area
% bioenergy production originating from lands under agroecological zoning vs.
total bioenergy production
Criterion
Land-use change, including indirect effects
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 all feedstocks derived from land- or coastal-water-based cultivation
systems (i.e., not those using residues or wastes).
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 162 for which it is being
proposed
 The indicator is related to land-use change (including indirect effects) as
bioenergy production often leads to land-use change which in many cases
has negative environmental impacts. Agro-ecological zoning and other land
suitability assessments for bioenergy feedstock production helps to take
informed decisions and therefore to avoid negative environmental impacts.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at
the national level with regard to the that criterion
 The indicator consists in monitoring land use changes at the national
level, inside predefined agricultural and natural zones where energy crops
are allowed to grow. The existence of a national agro-ecological zoning
implies that the expansion of energy crop outside of the zones is prohibited.
These restrictions help avoiding/minimizing negative environmental impacts
from bioenergy feedstock production.
List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also
inform


161
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
162
126

Comparison with
alternative energy
options
Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 As LUC can also occur in fossil or non-fossil systems due to upstream
processes (e.g. mining, milling, impacts from respective waste sites), and
siting of conversion systems (e.g., concentrating solar power, onshore wind
parks, hydropower reservoirs), there are also “zoning” policies for e.g. wind
farms (on- and offshore)..

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 see above
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. area of the agro-ecological zoning where bioenergy feedstock
expansion is allowed163
2. national agricultural area3
3. land use distribution inside the agro-ecological zone, before conversion
to bioenergy feedstock production3
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that
you are aware of
 national land suitability assessments (e.g. agro-ecological zoning)164
 land use at a local level can be monitored by spatial planning
documents, (GPS-supported) on-site inspections and surveys, or remote
sensing

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically
implemented to address key gaps in the available data
 remote sensing or aerial photographs

Indicate which measuring methods are used
II. Practicality
Type of measurements
and scale
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Maps and assessments
163
164
Data will be provided by ENV 0B.
For further information on ready-available national or international data sources see ENV 0B.
127

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator,
please provide relevant information
 experimentations carried out to enhance the economic value of
ecological services provided by tropical forests

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will
allow one to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and
separate it from other possible impacts165
 The energy crops expansion will be restricted to predefined zones. It
will be monitored in order to manage its expansion rate and pattern at the
national level.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator
and the assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the
corresponding criterion
 The indicator deals with spatial planning, and will help to control the
energy crop extension at the national level.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 166
 Data will be collected at a local level, then aggregated at regional and
national level

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement
of the indicator
Yes
No Do not know

If Yes, indicate which167 one(s).
 non-availability of annual land monitoring in sparsely populated areas
 the value of this indicator depends for a large part on how
environmental protection and national economic development sometime
conflicting considerations have been taken into account to choose the
specific parameters for defining zones considered suitable for bioenergy
production

List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach
Anticipated limitations
References
165
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
166
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
167
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
128
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy) 168
 EEA sustainable bioenergy potential studies (2006-2007); IIASA
studies; FAO; Degree of President Lula (Sep. 17, 2009) for sugarcane
in Brazil
168
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
129
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ENV6C
Proposed indicator
Land use change and bioenergy
Suggested unit169
(if applicable)
- Shares of bioenergy from yield increases, residues and wastes and
degraded or contaminated land;
- Net annual rates of conversion of arable and pasture land and of
deforestation and forest degradation caused by bioenergy feedstock
production
Criterion
Land-use change, including indirect effects
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

If only some, please list them:


Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 170 for which it is being
proposed
 The indicators 6C1.1 - 6C1.3 refer to bioenergy feedstocks without LUC
(both direct and indirect), while 6C2 and 6C3 are related to bioenergy
feedstocks causing LUC (including indirect effects). 6C4 is related to
bioenergy feedstock production causing direct LUC (if converted or
degraded forests were not providing timber or similar products).

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at
the national level with regard to the that criterion
 The indicators 6C1.1 - 6C1.3 show the shares of bioenergy feedstocks
without LUC (at national level), thus measuring the LUC-free bioenergy. The
indicators 6C2 and 6C3 specify the shares of bioenergy feedstocks causing
both direct and indirect LUC, while indicator 6C4 concerns the share of
bioenergy with direct LUC only.
 List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also
inform
 in part, ENV0B and 5A cover some of the issues
Comparison with
alternative energy

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
169
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
170
130
options
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison with traditional bioenergy may be possible when it is
displaced by modern bioenergy for comparative purposes. The rate of
avoided deforestation and forest degradation e.g. due to gathering wood for
fuelwood and charcoal would be measured in this case
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
6C1.1: annual data on crop yields (for bioenergy feedstocks)
6C1.2: annual data on residues and wastes used as bioenergy feedstocks
6C1.3: annual data on bioenergy feedstocks from degraded or
contaminated land
6C2: annual conversion rate of arable land, and share for bioenergy
feedstock production on converted land
6C3: annual conversion rate of pasture land, and share for bioenergy
feedstock production on converted land
6C4: annual data on areas being subject to deforestation and forest
degradation, and respective shares for “modern” bioenergy feedstock
production from those lands
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that
you are aware of
 FAO data on crops yield
 national statistics on feedstocks for bioenergy
 land cover and land cover change data from remote sensing and census
data in forestry

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically
implemented to address key gaps in the available data
 remote sensing or aerial photographs

Indicate which measuring methods are used
II. Practicality
Type of measurements
and scale
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Maps and assessments
131

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator,
please provide relevant information
 REDD and REDD plus schemes, and respective monitoring and projectlevel evaluations, including smallholder aggregates

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will
allow one to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and
separate it from other possible impacts171
 The non-LUC bioenergy feedstocks are preferable, while changes in
arable and pasture lands for bioenergy crops expansion will cause both
direct and indirect LUC. The conversion or degradation of forests will
cause direct LUC.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator
and the assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the
corresponding criterion
 The indicators help to distinguish between bioenergy feedstocks with
and without LUC implications.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 172


Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement
of the indicator
Yes
No Do not know

If Yes, indicate which173 one(s).
 restricted availability and uncertainty of statistical data on bioenergy
feedstocks from residues and wastes
 residues and wastes cannot always be considered as non-ILUC
feedstocks since their use for bioenergy may entail the displacement of
existing uses for other purposes
 non-availability of annual land monitoring, especially for degraded and
contaminated land, and restrictions in representativeness of lowresolution remote sensing data for smaller areas
III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach
Anticipated limitations
171
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
172
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
173
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
132
 data errors in interpretation of land cover changes
 missing definition and monitoring of forest degradation
References
174

List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy) 174
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
133
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC0
Proposed indicator
Formal mechanisms regarding social impacts
- Existence of a formal mechanism (e.g. legislation, policy, strategy or protocol) at the
national (or regional integration or sub-national, where appropriate) level to (1) assess,
(2) monitor and (3) address social impacts of bioenergy production and/or use.
- Extent to which these formal mechanisms include or aim at the following, in the
context of bioenergy feedstock production, conversion and/or bioenergy use:

national policy measures to assess food security, periodically monitor impacts
of bioenergy on food security and manage potential impacts of bioenergy
production/use on food security, including clauses to review the
policy/regulatory framework in line with assessment findings, such as flexible
mandates enabling switching between food and fuel use

land allocation procedures for bioenergy, including:
o public land allocation procedures following due process, including
free, prior and informed consent; and
o land rental and sales contracts including contracts for temporary use
agreements are accessible to all;

periodic monitoring of the impacts of bioenergy on changes in access to and
use of natural resources by local communities;

periodic monitoring of the impacts of bioenergy on access to education for
local communities (schooling and training);

public policies to respect, applicable to the bioenergy sector, to promote and
to realize the principles mentioned in the ILO Declaration on the Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work, namely:
a) freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective
bargaining;
b) the elimination of forced or compulsory labour;
c) the abolition of child labour; and
d) the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation;

policy to encourage bioenergy industry to adhere to a code of conduct

policy aimed at promoting participation of small-scale farmers in bioenergy
feedstock production;

education and awareness-raising about bioenergy and its contribution to
sustainable development;

measures to reduce the risk of occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities,
such as standard measures to reduce occupational hazards, codes of conduct,
implementation of bans of agrochemicals;

social impact assessments (including public participation); and
regular collection and analysis of data on the social impacts of bioenergy production at
the farm, processor, supplier or other economic operator level.
Suggested unit175
(if applicable)
Criterion
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use
175
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
134

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 176 for which it is being proposed
 A solid policy framework is the necessary basis to implement any
sustainability criteria. This indicator gives governments insight if the
necessary policy instruments are available to adequately addressing the
social impacts of bioenergy production and/or use, or if they should be
introduced or adjusted.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The existence of the formal mechanisms listed above will affect a
country's ability to assess, monitor and address (and also prevent in some
cases) the social impacts (of bioenergy production and/or use) that the
indicators included in the Social basket aim to measure. The existence of
such a framework would help to reduce the risks and increase the
opportunities (ex ante), and to mitigate the negative social impacts (ex
post), associated with bioenergy production and/or use.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 All social criteria, plus most of the criteria included in the other baskets.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison with fossil fuel equivalent gives information about the
relative completeness of social relevant policies relating to fossil fuels and
to bioenergy production and use and may highlight where one or the other
needs to be strengthened. It will help to identify the possible positive and
negative social effects of using bio-energy or fossil fuel

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
176
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
135
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. In-depth cross-sectorial stock-taking (at a minimum), review and
analysis (preferable: see anticipated limitations) of existing formal
mechanisms (e.g. legislations, policies, strategies or protocols) at the
national level which are relevant for bioenergy. This will require contacting
the different branches of government (agriculture, energy, environment,
etc.) and levels of administration (national and sub-national) involved.
2.
3.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 National legislation, policies, strategies or protocols

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 National governments could make an inventory which legislation,
policies, strategies or protocols on production and use of bioenergy that
are in place and make an evaluation if they are sufficient to anticipate the
possible positive and negative social aspects of introduction or expansion
of bio-energy production and/or use (e.g. by a social impact assessment
incl. public participation). It is also important to consider existing
legislation that is not specific to bioenergy but may govern its production
and use, such as more general social standards, regulations governing
land ownership, etc. Further an assessment of the measures/tools/means
for implementation of the abovementioned policy framework would give
valuable insight.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

136
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts177
  The policy environment determines the range of impacts that are in
theory acceptable. It does not determine the actual impacts.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Sustainable bioenergy legislation, policies, strategies and protocols
contribute to maintaining or improving the other social indicators.
 The combination of this indicator with quantitative indicator gives
insight in the effectiveness of sustainable bioenergy policies and can
monitor progress.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 178

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which179 one(s).

References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)180

177
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
178 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
179 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
180 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
137
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC1A
Proposed indicator
Food insecurity and vulnerability mapping and assessment - Food insecurity
and vulnerability mapping and assessment carried out by the national
government
Suggested unit181
(if applicable)
Criterion
Food Security
Component
(if applicable)
All food security components (cross-cutting)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 182 for which it is being proposed
 A food insecurity and vulnerability mapping and assessment is required
in order to identify the areas and groups that are - or are at risk of
becoming - food insecure (and the reasons for this).
Definition of food security = Food security exists when all people, at all times, have
physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets
their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life)
Important indicators for food security:
prevalence of underweight children under-five years of age (MDG 1.8) and
proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption
(MDG 1.8);
geographic areas characterised by transitory or chronic food insecurity;

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Through a food insecurity and vulnerability mapping and assessment it
is possible to identify the most food insecure and vulnerable areas and
groups. When assessing the impacts of bioenergy production on food
security, these areas and groups should be given particular attention. If
this mapping/assessment is repeated over time, it is possible to observe
how food insecurity and vulnerability change over time in and around
bioenergy production areas. If the assessment shows that prevalence of
undernourishment aggravates in areas where biofuels/energy plants are
produced this may indicate the lack of social sustainability of bioenergy
181
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
182
138
production.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Rural and social development; Economic development; and Human
health and safety

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Mapping and assessing food insecurity and vulnerability requires a
considerable amount of data, including:
1. prevalence of underweight children under-five years of age (MDG 1.8);
2. proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy
consumption (MDG 1.9);
3. identification of food insecure and vulnerable groups and of the crops
that are key to their diets (main staple crops);
4. % of income of poor and vulnerable households spent on food;
5. geographic areas characterised by transitory or chronic food insecurity;
and
6. causes/drivers of food insecurity.
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 1. National statistics;
2. FAOSTAT database on Food Security; and
3. The FAO Hunger Map.
4.WFP
5. UNICEF
6. Data collected by surveys to households or community

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 National and/or local assessments can be conducted to address any
139
potential gaps in the available data. Detailed information on how to
conduct a food insecurity and vulnerability assessment is available on the
FAO web-site at the following address:
http://www.fivims.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory
&id=20&Itemid=37
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 MDGs; World Food Summit (progress monitoring) although at different
scales
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts183
 A food insecurity and vulnerability mapping and assessment allows
one to identify the most food insecure and vulnerable areas and groups,
which should be given particular attention when assessing the impacts of
bioenergy production on food security. If the mapping and assessment is
conducted regularly over time, it is possible to observe whether and how
food insecurity and vulnerability changes in and around bioenergy
production areas.
In addition, a food insecurity and vulnerability assessment should identify
the main staple crops, the availability and price of which (including the
influence of bioenergy production on them) are measured by indicators
SOC 1B, SOC 1C and SOC 1D. In regard to undernourisment highly
prevalent in a specific country and a specific geographic area it could be
advisable that governments give priority to the needs of the food insecure
(promotion of availability, access use&utilization of food) before biofuel
promotion. If undernourishment aggravates in regions where bioenergy is
183
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
140
produced and if undernourishment does not aggravate in regions where
bioenergy is not produced this could indicate an impact of bioenergy
production on undernourishment

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Food insecure and vulnerable areas and groups are (for obvious
reasons) of particular concern from a food security perspective. For this
reason, it is important to measure changes in the food in-security and
vulnerability especially in these areas and for these groups. The impacts
of bioenergy production on these areas and groups can therefore have
significant repercussions on the overall food security of a country.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 184

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which185 one(s).
 Data intensive
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)186
 Publications presented by Vulnerability Assessment Committees
(VACs) in the wake of the 2002 food crises. Documents of major agencies
such as WFP, FAO, FEWs, Care International, Save the Children that
assess these publications.
184
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
186 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
185
141
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicators SOC1B
Proposed indicator
Change in domestic production of main staple crops - Change in domestic
production of main staple crops used domestically for:
• food (as % of consumption);
• feed; and
• fuel (as % of total production).
Suggested unit187
(if applicable)
tonnes
Criterion
Food Security
Component
(if applicable)
Food availability
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 188 for which it is being proposed
 Bioenergy production may lead to changes (both nationally and locally)
in the amount of land used for the production of certain crops, including
main staple crops, and in the average productivity (i.e. yields/ha) of such
crops. This will result in changes in the production and availability of these
crops, both nationally and locally. The availability of main staple crops for
food in a certain area is an important food security parameter.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The availability of main staple crops for food in a certain area (which
depends, among other things, on local production of these crops) is an
important food security parameter, as food availability is one the four
dimensions of food security.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Land use change, including indirect effects; Access to land, water and
other natural resources; Resource use efficiencies; Economic viability and
competitiveness; and all environmental criteria.189
187
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
189
JG - There is an increasing belief that direct and indirect land use change are too complex to be related to bioenergy
production per se and moving the debate forward from the position put forward by Searchinger et al. (Klepper, G.
(2009). The Challenge of Accounting for Land Use Change in the Assessment of Bioenergy Production, at
http://www.iscc-project.org/e275/e627/Klepper-land_use_change_081024_ger.pdf
188
142
Comparison with alternative
energy options


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 any fuel that requires land in the production process and that may
therefore result in changes in the amount of land used for the production
of main staple crops.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 same as above.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Production of main staple crops (both nationally and regionally/locally);
2. Export of main staple crops;
3. Share of these crops used for food, feed and fuel (both nationally and
regionally/locally); and
4. Consumption of main staple crops for food (both nationally and
regionally/locally). .
5.Information on policy changes (local, national, international) that overlap
with the period of change associated with the development of bioenergy
crops
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 1. In the vast majority of countries, detailed data is available on both
domestic production, consumption and exports of crops (especially main
staple crops). In most cases, data is available by region/area. Through this
data, combined with expert judgment, it should be possible to estimate the
share of production used (both nationally and regionally/locally) for food,
feed and fuel.
2. FAOSTAT (http://faostat.fao.org/default.aspx) is a global database
managed by FAO. It provides time-series and cross sectional data relating
to food and agriculture, including production and trade of main staple
crops, for some 200 countries.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
Mathews, J.A. and Tan, H. (2009). Biofuels and indirect land use change effects: the debate continues.
www.interscience.wiley.com ; DOI: 10.1002/bbb.147; Biofuels, Bioprod. Bioref.
143
to address key gaps in the available data
 1. Through this data (see point 1 above), combined with expert
judgment, it should be possible to estimate the share of production used
(both nationally and regionally/locally) for food, feed and fuel.Computation
of existing data from National statistics; and
2. FAOSTAT provides up-to-date specific data for food and feed
(combined). In order to disaggregate them and identify the share of staple
crops used for fuel production, it is necessary to consult with local
stakeholders (including governments).
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 In addition to the national level, the focus should be on regions/areas
with significant bioenergy production levels and on food insecure
regions/areas.
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 Data on production of main staple crops is widely used in a number of
international processes.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts190
 This indicator allows one to monitor changes in the domestic
production of main staple crops and in the share of these used for food,
feed and fuel. It can therefore show whether the production of these crops
for fuel is additional or whether it partly replaces (thus reducing) the
availability of these domestically-produced crops for food.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
190
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
144
criterion
 If bioenergy production leads to a significant reduction in the share of
domestic/local consumption of main staple crops that is meet through
domestic/local production, it is important to ensure that this gap between
demand and supply can be met through imports.
At the same time, however, bioenergy production may lead to either
extensification or intensification (or both) of agricultural production,
resulting in an increase in the production of main staple crops. In this
case, the share of domestic/local consumption met through
domestic/local production may remain stable or even increase, with
neutral or positive effects on food availability and security.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level191
 Estimates of crop production are usually made at district level and
then combined at national level
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which192 one(s).
 Crop production estimates in much of Africa are produced without
formal surveys, on the basis of the expert judgments of locally-based
agricultural officers. Not only may there be errors of judgment, but also
they have incentives to overstate production since it reflects well on them
if production is rising.
Most countries in Africa would do well to hold either an agricultural
census or sample surveys at least once every 5 years, to improve the
accuracy of the data
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)193
 FAO has documentation on agricultural statistics
http://faostat.fao.org/site/339/default.aspx
191
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
193 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
192
145
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC1C
Proposed indicator
Change in net imports of main staple crops - Change in net imports of main
staple crops used for food
Suggested unit194
(if applicable)
tonnes.
Criterion
Food Security.
Component
(if applicable)
Food availability.
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion195 for which it is being proposed
 Domestic/local production (see indicator SOC 1B) and net imports of
main staple crops will determine the domestic/local availability of these
crops, including for food. Food availability is one of the four dimensions of
food security.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The domestic availability of main staple crops for food (which depends,
among other things, on net imports of these crops) is an important food
security parameter, as food availability is one the four dimensions of food
security, which is an important component/aspect of social sustainability.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Economic development.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 any fuel that requires land in the production process and that may
therefore result in changes in the imports of main staple crops (through
changes in: the amount of land used for the production of main staple
194
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
195
146
crops, the domestic production of these crops, and gaps between the
domestic demand and supply of them).

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 same as above.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Imports of main staple crops; and
2. Exports of main staple crops.
3.
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 1. In the vast majority of countries, detailed data is available on imports
and exports of crops (especially main staple crops).
2. FAOSTAT (http://faostat.fao.org/default.aspx) is a global database
managed by FAO. It provides time-series and cross sectional data relating
to food and agriculture, including trade of main staple crops, for some 200
countries.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 In order to calculate the imports of main staple crops foor food, the
same share of domestically-produced main staple crops used for food
should be used.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
147
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 Data on imports and exports of main staple crops is widely used in a
number of international processes.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts196
 Bioenergy production may lead to a reduction in the share of domestic
consumption of main staple crops that is met through domestic
production. If this is the case (as measured by indicator SOC 1B), imports
(and changes in them) will show whether the domestic demand for main
staple crops can be met.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 This indicator, combined with indicator SOC 1B, shows whether
imports of main staple crops for food are sufficient to fill any gaps
between domestic demand and supply of these crops for food. If, after
imports, the availability of these staple crops is still lower than the
domestic demand for them, there is a risk for food security.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level197

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which198 one(s).

References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)199

196
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
197 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
198 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
199 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
148
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC1D
Proposed indicator
Change in prices of and share of income spent on main staple crops - Change
in prices of main staple crops and % of income spent on main staple crops
Suggested unit200
(if applicable)
US$ (%)
Criterion
Food Security
Component
(if applicable)
Food access
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 201 for which it is being proposed
 Changes in the price of food (particularly of main staple crops) will
affect people's ability to access food. Food access is one of the four
dimensions of food security. Changes in the prices of food (particularly of
main staple crops) will affect people’s ability to access food. The indicator
considering the change of the prices of food in conjunction with the
change of purchasing power of people (as % of income spent on main
staple crops) gives a more complete information about access to food
(increases in prices of food may be counterbalanced by national
programmes supporting people’s access to food )

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Changes in the price of food (particularly of main staple crops) will
affect people's access to food. Food access is one of the four dimensions
of food security, which is an important component/aspect of social
sustainability.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Economic viability and competitiveness of bioenergy; Economic
development; and Energy security.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
200
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
201
149
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 any fuel that requires land in the production process and that may
therefore result in changes in the availability and the price of main staple
crops for food.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 same as above.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Prices of main staple crops and changes in them, both nationally and
locally.
2. Disposable income of householders cross- checked with their
expenditure on main staple crops
3. Income data is needed (together with food price data) in order to assess
the accessibility of food
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 1. In the vast majority of countries, detailed data is available on prices of
main staple crops, both nationally and locally.
2. FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) provides
detailed, up-to-date data on food prices for all developing countries.
3. official statistics , at national and local level, on disposable income and
expenditure on main staple crops
4. National Household Surveys

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Market surveys could be conducted to fill any (unlikely) gaps in the
data.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
150
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 In additional to the national level, data should be collected at the
regional/local level as well.
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 Data on prices of main staple crops is widely used in a number of
international processes, although not all main staple crop are considered
in these process.
.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts202
 Some main staple crops are used as feedstock for bioenergy which
raises demand and hence influences prices. If different (non-main-staple)
crops are used for bioenergy, bioenergy feedstock production still
requires the same inputs (land, water, fertilizers and so on) that are used
in the production of main staple crops. This leads to an increase in the
demand for these inputs, which influences their prices. Part of this price
change can be transmitted to the final price of the main staple crops.
Various options exist to assess the influence of bioenergy production on
the prices of main staple crops, including:
a) Historical assessment: Econometric techniques;
b) Forward looking/projections: The OECD-FAO Outlook provides a 10
year forecast of demand, supply, trade and prices for intenrational and
national agricultural commodity markets. It highlights challenges and
opportunities that might materialize in some countries/commodity
markets as it analyzes key relationships and trends that could develop in
agricultural markets. The Outlook is produced with a partial equilibrium
model called AGLINK-COSIMO and both allow one to conduct policy and
market analysis of agricultural markets, including biofuels. Aglink-Cosimo
can isolate the impact of growing biofuel demand on individual
202
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
151
commodity prices;
c) alternatively, a bottom-up approach could be followed in order to
assess to which extent bioenergy feedstock production competes with
the production of staple crops for food, thus affecting their availability
and price.
If main staple crops are used as bioenergy feedstocks, it is important to
determine whether the required additional production is obtained through
increased yields (by using the same amount of land). In this case,
bioenergy production is unlikely to influence the availability and price of
main staple crops for food, unless the additional production can be
determined by the use of more inputs or resources (water and fertilisers)
that contribute to the rise of prices..
If additional land is brought into production (of main staple crops), or if
different (non-main staple) crops are used, the likelihood of an influence
of bioenergy production on the availability and the price of main staple
crops for food will depend on the extent of the competition over
productive inputs (particularly land and labour) between the production of
bioenergy feedstocks and of main staple crops for food.
Concerning crops which are used for both food and fuel it will be more
difficult to assess the impact of bioenergy production (effects of
increased demand) but comparison between different periods may
provide some information

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Main staple crops are the major components of dietary intake. The
prices of main staple crops (together with income levels) determine the
ability of households to ensure food security. For this reason, it is
important to keep track of changes in the prices of these crops.
As discussed above, bioenergy production (in combination with other
factors) may influence the price of main staple crops.
The methodologies mentioned above can help to estimate the influence of
bioenergy production on changes in the price of main staple crops. The
measurement of the increase of income derived from bioenergy
programme/initiatives contributes to assess food accessibility

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 203

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which204 one(s).
 Lack of reliable series of staple food prices across most of Africa,
especially for areas other than the main cities
References
203
204
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
152
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)205

205
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
153
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC1E
Proposed indicator
Change in household dietary diversity - Change in household dietary diversity
as a result of bioenergy production
Suggested unit206
(if applicable)
Criterion
Food Security
Component
(if applicable)
Food utilisation
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 207 for which it is being proposed
 Dietary diversity is a qualitative measure of food consumption that
reflects household access to a wide variety of foods. Studies have shown
that an increase in dietary diversity is associated with socio-economic
status and household food security (household energy availability)
(Hoddinot & Yohannes, 2002; Hatloy et al., 2000).

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The availability of (and access to) adequate variety of foods - i.e. dietary
diversity - is an important food security parameter.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Human health and safety

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
206
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
207
154
 any fuel that requires land in the production process and that may
therefore result in changes in the variety of available (and accessible)
foods.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 same as above
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. In order to assess (and monitor) dietary diversity, a household dietary
diversity score (HDDS) can be used.
For the household dietary diversity score, 12 food groups are used for the
household level questionnaire:
1. Cereals;
2. White roots and tubers;
3. Vegetables;
4. Fruits;
5. Meat;
6. Eggs;
7. Fish and other seafood;
8. Pulses, legumes and nuts;
9. Milk and milk products;
10. Oils and fats;
11. Sweets;
12. Spices, condiments and beverages.
To score the HDDS some food groups in the dietary diversity questionnaire
are combined. The score for these combined food groups is either 1 (if one
or more of the original food groups used to create the combined group
were consumed during the day before the questionnaire) or 0 (if none of
the original food groups used to create the combined group was
consumed during the same day).
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 A number of surveys have been conducted, in selected areas, by FAO
as part of the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance (FANTA) project.
In some countries, part of the data could be available in national statistics.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Periodical household questionnaires (among a sample of households)
can be conducted in and around bioenergy production areas.
155
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts208
 Bioenergy production may, through its land requirements, affect the
availability of an adequate variety of foods in a certain area. At the same
time, bioenergy production may have an impact on incomes, thus
affecting the ability of households to access an adequate variety of
crops/foods. Although in some instances it might not be possible to
isolate the impact of bioenergy production on these changes, changes in
dietary diversity should be closely monitored, given their implications for
food security.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 This indicator, through the household dietary diversity score, can
show whether, in areas with "significant" bioenergy production levels,
access to an adequate variety of foods by local households changes. A
reduction in dietary diversity might have negative repercussions on local
food security, while an increase in dietary diversity would have a positive
impact on the latter.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
208
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
156
national level for data that are not collected at that level 209

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which210 one(s).
 Obtaining detailed data on household food access or individual
consumption can be time consuming, expensive, and requires a high level
of technical skill both in data collection and analysis. The dietary diversity
questionnaire is a tool providing a more rapid, user-friendly and costeffective approach to measure changes in dietary quality at the household
and individual level. Administration and scoring/analysis of the tools are
straightforward and quick.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)211
 FAO. 2008. Guidelines for Measuring Household and Individual Dietary
Diversity. http://www.foodsec.org/tr/nut/guidelines.pdf
209
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
211 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
210
157
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC2A
Proposed indicator
unit212
Security of land rights - Security of land rights in bioenergy production areas
Suggested
(if applicable)
% of land with secure tenure in a specific region
% of households in bioenergy production areas holding land rights that are
secure.
Criterion
access to land, water and other natural resources
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 213 for which it is being proposed
 Insight in the level of secure land rights in a region where biomass
production for energy purposes is expanding can be the first step to avoid
negative impacts of that expansion for the land rights of the local
population.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 see above

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 It is closely connected with SOC 2B and SOC 2C

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 This indicator basically stands on its own. However in areas where
fossil fuel extraction takes place there are also possible land conflicts with
the local population. When the need arises it is possible to compare the
extend in which land rights are secured in both situations.
212
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
213
158

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Establish the boundaries of the biomass production area concerned.
2. Establish the % of the land in that area that has a secured tenure
3. Establish the % of households in that area that hold secure land rights.
Information needed that establish the above mentioned percentages:
• Rights granted by constitutions, statutes, and official tribunals
• Rights granted by other laws - customary, informal, secondary,
temporary
• Security of the aforementioned rights in terms of enforcement and
application
• Land-related or subsidiary rights that women and men are free to
practice without specific mention in formal or informal laws
• Effective access to fair adjudication including the court systems or
other dispute resolution processes
legal processes concerning land rights incl. the adherence to free, prior
and informed concent and due compensation
(source: FAO monitoring and evaluating access to land)
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of

- FAO: monitoring and evaluating access to land
(http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y4308E/y4308e06.htm)
- World Bank: Land Policies for Growth and Poverty Reduction
(http://go.worldbank.org/6DGPKCHX40)
- national land registry, concession registry

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Interviews and surveys
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
159


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 Un Habitat, Global Land Tool Network, Standards such as RSB, RSPO,
RTRS, ISCC
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts214
 This indicator is aimed at establishing the extend to which land right
problems might occur in an erea of expanding biomass production. Once
the level of land security is established national governments can develop
policies that decrease the risk level of land conflicts. Therefore this
indicator can be a first step in securing this aspect of sustainability.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 The level of secure land rights is directly related to the criterion access
to land.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 215
 Data needs to be collected at the regional scale (biomass production
areas) and can then be aggregated in a national database.
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which216 one(s).
 Possible difficulties when measuring this indicator are:
• few documents or registers may exist
• registers may not be up-to-date or complete
• registers and documents may not reflect the de facto situation
• documents and registers probably do not reflect the variety of formal
214
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
215 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
216 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
160
and informal rights that exist through custom and tradition
(source: FAO monitoring and evaluating access to land)
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)217

217
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
161
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC2B
Proposed indicator
Incidence of land evictions and number of people/households displaced Incidence of land evictions and number of people/households displaced
without due legal process/compensation on land used for bioenergy
production
Suggested unit218
(if applicable)
number of evictions per specific region/year
number of people/households displaced per specific region/year
Criterion
Access to land
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion219 for which it is being proposed
 Access to land which is linked to land tenure and property systems
according to each country Laws

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 Avoid involuntary evictions from bioenergy projects

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 SOC2A Security of land

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

218
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
219
162

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. # of legal procedures and verdicts on violation of landrights.
2. # evictions per specific region/ year
3. # people displaced without legal process and compensation in a specific
region / year
4. Type of initiative (private/state), locations and size bioenergy production
areas (BEPA): company registry, concessions
5. survey in BEPA on land evictions and displacements (EIA of companies,
NGO reports on land evictions)
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 ILO Convention 169 (articles 13-16): States are required to report on
measures taken to ensure the implementation of ratified ILO Conventions
on any problems encountered in their implementation, at intervals of one
to five years, depending on which Convention is concerned.
Advisory Group on Forced Eviction, Survey on Forced Evictions
http://www.gltn.net/en/home/eviction-guidelines/report-on-findings-ofpreliminary-global-survey-of-organizations-that-monitor-forcedevictions/details.html
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Government data and it is suggested that NGOs working in the country,
region area should also be linked to this work.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
163
 Collection of data at local level (e.g.number of households affected,
numer of people per household, ressetlement programmes if state's
initiative)

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 The World Bank has worked for more than 20 years on involunatry
ressetlement and evictions and has guidelines.
World Bank, Involuntary Resettlement OP (OP 4.12, December 2001;
revised April 2004.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts220
 The baseline should include the number of households and number of
people per household/ha in the area selected for the projects.
This should also include the review of Regulations and Laws regarding
land tenure in the area.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 The relevance is directly related to access to land

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 221
 No aggregation is suggested here as the data should be per area
(region) and not National level which could diminish the importance of the
indicator.
220
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
221 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
164
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which222 one(s).
 No reports provided by the Government and no reports provided by
NGOs.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)223
 The World Bank has several reports on involuntary settlement by
different sectors (e.g. transport, damns). These publications are available
on the web site. One example is the Regulation from the World Bank
"Involuntary Resettlement OP (OP 4.12, December 2001; revised April
2004).
Victoria Florian S. Lazaro, et al. 2008. Indigenous Peoples Rights Act:
Legal and Institutional Frameworks, Implementation and Challenges in the
Philippines. Discussion papers, East Asia and Pacific Region. Social
Development, and Rural Development, Natural Resources and
Environment Sectors. Washington DC: World Bank.
222
223
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
165
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC2C
Suggested unit224
(if applicable)
Incidence of conflict over natural resources - Incidences of conflict over
natural resources (land, water, forests) as a result of bioenergy production
number or cases and people or households/ha
number of cases and people or households/MJ
Criterion
Access to land, water and natural resources
Proposed indicator
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 225 for which it is being proposed
 Acces to land "might" also be related to access to natural resources
(e.g. forests) and water.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 If number of cases of conflicts for access to natural resources increase
due to bioenergy projects will be considered as an unsustainable option

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 If there is fossil fuel production (extraction) in the country and it creates
conflicts to access to natural resources at regional and local level

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
224
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
225
166
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Number of cases reported of conflicts with access to natural resources
(including water) per population size/ha/year in a particular region.
2. Review of Laws , Regulations , Policies and Programmes related to
natural resources use and management (forestry, land, water) and land
property at National, Regional and local level
3. Social surveys regarding conflicts between different social/ethnic
groups regarding the use and management of natural resources
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Population size in project area
Number and type of registered disputes on natural resources (e.g.
communal land, water, forests, others).

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Consultation with NGOs and other civil groups related to natural
resources uses
Local governments registered complaints, disputes.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Regional and local level is necessary for disputes, customary and other
claims

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
167
 Local
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 The World Bank has different reports dealing with conflicts of natural
resources as well as FAO and the UN.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts226
 Monitoring and follow up of already registered disputes and conflicts
in the regions where bioenergy plans exist. If available data exist it should
be for at least the last 10 years.
Number of disputes indicating type of resource and number of people
involved per year. Indicate if conflict has been violent.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Conflicts on natural resources among within one community or among
different communities or with the State are not new. They can be
exacerbated by new projects such as those linked with bioenergy. These
are at the same time also linked to land issues.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 227
 No aggregation method is envisaged for this indicator
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which228 one(s).
 If there are no registered lists of conflicts or not detailed, there will be
need to collect data through surveys.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)229
 Clark, S (Ed). 2004. More Than Just Ownership Ten Land and Natural
Resource Conflict Case Studies from East Java and Flores. The World
Bank office Jakarta. Indonesia.
FAO 2000. Conflict and Natural Resource Management
226
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
227 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
228 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
229 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
168
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC2D
Proposed indicator
Change in land prices - Change in land prices as a result of bioenergy
production
Suggested unit230
(if applicable)
$/ha
% change
Criterion
access to land
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 231 for which it is being proposed
 Access to land for the local population is amongst other things
determined by the price of that land. It is therefore relevant to monitor
increase in land prices in areas where biomass production expands.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Sustainability of bioenergy includes no adverse impacts on access to
land by the local population. When the land prices rise excisively due to
expansion of biomass production the local population loses acces to the
land. On the other hand, when land rights are secured, the increase of the
value of land due to bioenergy projects can bring an appreciation of land
owned by small farmers involved in the bioenergy project

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
230
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
231
169
 This indicator basically stands on its own. However in areas where
fossil fuel extraction takes place it can lead to possible land prices
increase . When the need arises it is possible to compare the increase of
prices of land occurred in both situations.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. land prices in specific areas of biomass production at baseline ($/ha)
2. Annual land prices in specific areas of biomass production ($/ha)
3. Predicted autonomous rise in land prices (without extra pressure from a
specific sector).
Annual biofuel related rise in landprices = annual average land price in
areas of biofuel production - (baseline land price ($/ha) + predicted yearly
autonomous rise in land prices)
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 national Cadasters

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 surveys
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
170

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts232
 Baseline is the level of land prices at (date of choice). The increase of land
prices is also influenced by a variety of factors (below are indicated some of
them), therefore attribution to biofuel is not direct and easily traceable







Competing demands for other uses. This includes urban influence on
farmland near cities.
Proximity or access to markets
Increasing commodity prices
Government policy. For example direct payments or credits that are
capitalized (accounted for as assets) can increase crop values. Changes in
programs will impact land value changes depending on the crop-type in
the region (and whether this was part of a program).
Interest rates. Interest rates used as proxies for the discount rate
determine the current value of expected future earnings from land: for a
given pattern of future earnings, higher interest rates imply lower land
values and vice versa.
Currency. Devaluation of a currency can lead to an attractive investment
potential in that country from other regions and a weak currency assists in
export competitiveness.
Magnitude of changes in land prices can also be a factor of available land.
Land constrained regions will likely have a greater price/value response
to land unconstrained regions,
Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Changes in land prices affect the affordability and hence access to
land for poor land users if they have to lease land

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 233

232
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
233 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
171
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which234 one(s).
 Possible difficulties when measuring this indicator are:
• few documents or registers may exist
• registers may not be up-to-date or complete
• registers and documents may not reflect the de facto situation
• documents and registers probably do not reflect the variety of formal
and informal rights that exist through custom and tradition
(source: FAO monitoring and evaluating access to land)
Few low income countries have transparent land markets. Attribution of
any land value increases to biofuels will be difficult to establish.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)235

234
235
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
172
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC2E
Proposed indicator
Change in access to water and other natural resources by local communities
as a result of bioenergy production, e.g. change in quantity of water use and
change in time spent collecting water by households below the poverty line as
a result of bioenergy developments
Suggested unit236
(if applicable)
For water: quantity of water use by household before and after the bioenergy
inititative/programme (lt/household/year)
For other natural resources: to be defined
Criterion
Access to land, water and natural resources
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 237 for which it is being proposed
 Water resources (as well as other natural resources such as land and
forests) are considered within the Ecosystem services and new
initiatives/programmes on agriculture for bioenergy crops and plants to
transform the feedstcoks may affect the availability and quality of these
resources at local level.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 Many countries are already under water constraints for natural reasons
and climate change has exacerbated the access to water as well. Similar
constraints are being experienced in relation to other natural resources
such as land and forests.
At National level the government will be able to consider particular regions
where some feedstocks will jeopardise water resources and/or exacerbate
pressures on other natural resources such as forests.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
236
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
237
173
 sENV 4A, B and C
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 With any alternative that require any of the natural resources included in
this indicator in the production process

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 With any alternative that require any of the natural resources included in
this indicator in the production process
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. For water:
water used per household (lt) per year (drinking water and for other uses)
2. water quality in the region according to national data
3. time spent for collecting water before bioenergy initiative /programme
(hrs/week)
For other natural resources: to be defined
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 For water: UNWater annual reports and statistics
World Water Assessment Program (UNESCO) reports
Auqastat from FAO on water for agriculture
For other natural resources: SOFA 20007, Paying farmers for
environmental services, Millennium Ecosystem Services Assessment
Report

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Household surveys at local level where they do not exist. UNESCO and
UNwater already have some household surveys that could be used.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
174
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 For water: UNWater
UNESCo WWAP
Aquastat FAO
For other natural resources: ………………………
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts238
 The link with the environmental indicators on water will be used to
clearly determine the use of water at household level.
Litres of water needed/household/week (then per year)
Time spent to collect water (hours/week)

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Conflicts of water use for human consumption and needs versus water
use for bioenergy crops in areas where water availability is limited.
If water was previously a constraint the bioenergy project may affect it
negatively or positively (e.g. water access where it was not before).

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 239
238
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
239 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
175
 It can be linked to the water foot print estimated for all countries
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which240 one(s).
 According to the WWAP knowledge of use of water is still limited
worldwide and this could be a limitation for gathering the data.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)241
 For water: WWDR. 2009. The 3rd United Nations World Water
Development Report: Water in a Changing World (WWDR3).http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/tableofcontents.shtml
WHO, 2008. Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality 3rd Edition. Volume 1
Recommendations. Geneva, Switzerland.
World Water Development Report indicators
http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/indicators/
For other natural resources: SOFA 20007, Paying farmers for
environmental services, Millennium Ecosystem Services Assessment
Report
240
241
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
176
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC2F
Proposed indicator
Change in land tenure - Change in land tenure as a result of bioenergy
activities
Suggested unit242
(if applicable)
Amount (ha. and %) of land used by local population given in concession to
bioenergy investors
Criterion
Access to land, water and other natural resources
Component
(if applicable)
a. changes in agricultural land tenure as a result of bioenergy activities
b. changes in forest land access as a result of bioenergy activities
c.
changes in pasture land tenure as a result of bioenergy activities
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion243 for which it is being proposed
  Land access is a consequence of land tenure. If land tenure is
privatized, local communities might hardly have access to lands that
previously have used through customary or formal mechanisms. When
missing land access (and thus, access to food, feedstock and livestock
feed), local communities risk their own livelihoods. From a social
sustainability prospective, this might be one of the major concerns
associated with bioenergy development.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The social sustainability of bioenergy development is directly related to
changes in forest, agricultural and pasture tenure and access.
Access to forests and forest resources, pasture land and agricultural land
is key to local communities livelihood, .

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
SOC 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
242
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
243
177

Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 A direct comparison will not be possible in all cases. However, if data
would be collected in aggregate, it might be possible to assess how much
both bioenergy production and fossil fuel production may limit local
population's access to agricultural, pasture and forest land. In the latter
case, for instance, both coal mining and laying of pipelines for gas and oil
may affect access to forests and forest resources.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
As above, a direct comparison might not be possible in all cases, but all
infrastructure development (e.g. construction of wind turbines) could in
some cases affect the access to forests and forest resources as well as
agricultural and pasture land tenure.
In addition, direct comparison of the legal framework regarding planning
permission and land rights should be possible for all forms of energy.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1 The indicator will be based in the data collection of:
1. amount (ha. and %) of agricultural/pasture/forest land used as common or
open access land by local population then given in concession to bioenergy
investors. Information on forest tenure and forest use (maps) e.g. from the
forest ministry in bioernegy production areas (BEPA). Special relevance
should be given to the overlap of BEPA and community forests and
indigenous or poor communities as these are likely to be most dependent on
forest resources.,
2. titles, contracts and any other formal registration of land tenure held by
bioenergy investors and companies that have been registered in a national or
local registry/cadastre
3. existence of community/local population rights to lands (Y/N), amount (ha.
and %) of agricultural/pasture/forest lands legally recognised as
community/common lands
Component b) of this indicator will need particular information as follows:
1. identification of forest-dependent communities;
2. identification of property and/or use rights of forest-dependent communities
on the forest and its resources; and
3. changes in policy, legislation and regulations that regulate access, use and
management of forests by local communities that might have consequences in
people livelihoods.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Local, regional or national government registers (where might be found
titles, contracts and any other formal registration of land tenure held by
bioenergy investors and companies)
178
Component b) of this indicator would have baseline information needs to be
first obtained (or derived) to know the number of people dependent on the
forest and for what, the existing rights for access and how these are exercised.
At national level might be analysed government forest policy, legislation and
regulation through:
 registered land titles


registered management agreements

forest statistics showing size (acreage) and location of forests
converted or utilised for bioenergy. forest tenure maps, forest use
maps and further information from forestry departments (or
respective department).

Important information can also be drawn from international
initiatives such as The Rights and Resources Initiative
Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 If titles, contracts and management agreements are not available,
surveys should be conducted to assess the change in agricultural land
tenure and forest access as a consequence of bioenergy activities.
Surveys carried out by NGO/research organisation (coupled with
interviews at households and focus group discussions) would enable
capture of changes, especially in qualitative terms.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 villages, local government units (District or Regions) since these
resources tend to stretch beyond geographic boundaries
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
179
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts244
 This indicator aims to measure how much land previously accessed to
and tenured through customary mechanisms has been leased by the State to
an investor from outside the community. It assumes that land previously
tenured by local population (without written and legal titles) is given on
concession or sold to bioenergy investors or companies. Therefore, these
investors will want to secure their new lands and will intend to receive some
kind of formal contract or titles from the government (which in some cases
will issue these titles or contracts directly). This indicator would serve as a
proxy to assess how bioenergy production and use influence land tenure as
well as local communities livelihood conditions and land customary rights.
Measuring changes in land tenure might help to assess how bioenergy
activities might affect social sustainability of local populations in developing
countries.
Component b) of this indicator aims to measure land access through land
tenure, in particular regarding access to forest resources. “Access” is meant
in a broad sense, for subsistence use, but also change in management
responsibilities. Changes in forest tenure, and therefore access to forest
resources depend on many variables, happening at the same time. It has to
be seen if the changes in land use designation or changes in access to
forest, are a primary result of the introduction of bioenergy. Component b) is
focused in particular to measure any bioenergy production that takes place
in or near forests or uses forest resources (the use phase is relevant for
bioenergy whose production reduces access of forest-dependent
communities to forests and forest resources since if these communities are
able to use the bioenergy produced, this compensating factor should be
taken into account).
Conceptual definitions:
“Land tenure” is the relationship, whether legally or customarily defined,
among people, as individuals or groups, with respect to land. It involves
property, access, right of use, and concession of the land (FAO).
“Common or open access land tenure by local population” refers to land
used without written and legal titles by local communities, households,
and/or inhabitants.
“Communal or common land tenure” refers to a right of commons that may
exist within a community where each member has a right to use
independently the holdings of the community. For example, members of a
community may have the right to graze cattle on a common pasture (FAO).
“Open access land tenure” means that specific rights are not assigned to
anyone and no-one can be excluded. This typically includes marine tenure
where access to the high seas is generally open to anyone; it may include
rangelands, forests, etc, where there may be free access to the resources for
244
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
180
all. (An important difference between open access and communal systems is
that under a communal system non-member of the community are excluded
from using the common areas) (FAO).
Baseline information needs to be first obtained (or derived) to know the
number of people dependent on the forest, agricultural and pasture land
and for what, the existing rights for access and how these are exercised.
Then surveys (coupled with interviews at households and focus group
discussions) would enable capturing of changes, especially in qualitative
terms.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Agricultural land tenure and access are highly important for local
population and communities. In many developing countries no land
market has been established. Poor local population grow agro-products
(food and feed mainly) even without having any kind of legal title or secure
of the land used. Similarly, common pasture lands are essential to
communities’ livelihoods that depend on breeding livestock and
consuming livestock sub-products. When both agriculture and pasture
lands are given on concession or leased to bioenergy private investors,
local poor population might lose their capabilities to ensure their life
subsistence.
As well, access to forests and forest resources is key to local communities
livelihood, especially of forest-dependent communities, since more than
1.6 billion people worldwide depend on forests for fuel, medicinal plants,
and subsistence income from forest products. Nearly 3 billion people—
mostly poor—depend on wood as their main energy source for household
heating and cooking (World Bank 2006). Since bioenergy development
might limit poor people’s access to forest resources, component b) of this
indicator is focused on measuring the social sustainability of the
bioenergy production that takes place near forests and can affect forest
communities’ everyday life.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 245
 National level information should be built on the basis of policy analysis
and legal framework. In addition, local level might help to the indicator’s
build-up by providing with examples and empirical information that prove or
dismiss bioenergy impact in social sustainability and land tenure. However,
information regarding protected areas or forest concession might not be
available or already collected by the government. In this case, NGO/research
organisation could develop researches at very local level.
245
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
181
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which246 one(s).
 The assessment of this indicator’s practicality is challenging, since land
held or used informally by local poor population might be difficult to measure.
As mentioned above, many developing countries have not set a land market
where land tenure had been completely organized and registered. However, it
might not be omitted that many poor people in developing countries guarantee
their livelihoods thanks to the possibility of using non-privatized lands. Thus,
the main assumption of this indicator is that by cross-cutting the amounts of
land used by local communities given to bioenergy private purposes, the
number of formal registration made by these new owners and the secure
community rights to land still being kept, it will show a picture of the land
situation and bioenergy impacts in a country. Nevertheless, it should be kept
in mind that the liaison between land tenure and bioenergy activities might
remain difficult to monitor and to measure since it would be difficult to
separate the effect of bioenergy activities from other factors.
In addition, access to forest land is a pretty sensitive matter in some
countries, where governments and civil society lock horns (the latter
in defence of local communities). If data collection were left to
governments, the risk of getting distorted information would arise.
An independent monitoring mechanism or a multi-stakeholder
monitoring team would enhance objectivity in such situations.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)247
- The World Bank, “Biodiversity and Forests at a Glance”, 2006
- FAO, Land tenure and rural development, 2002

246
247
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
182
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC2G
Proposed indicator
Economic benefits to rural population - Economic benefits to rural population
in areas providing genetic material of importance to bioenergy production
(benefit sharing)
Suggested unit248
(if applicable)
Criterion
Access to land, water and other natural resources
Component
(if applicable)
Access to genetic resources
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 249 for which it is being proposed
 The indicator allows to determine the economic benefit that arise from
the direct use of genetic resources: to produce food and fiber or to help
the creation of new varieties of crops and livestock.
Genetic resources may also have economic value even if they are not
currently being used. By preserving resources, people can retain the
option to use them in the future, when they may become important for
agricultural, pharmaceutical, ecological, or industrial applications—even if
people do not currently know precisely what those resources or
applications are (Kaplan,1998). Even if they are never used, diverse genetic
resources may be valued by some people simply for their existence, or as
a bequest left intact to future generations (Barbier et al., 1995).
The ultimate direct-use benefits of crop genetic resources are measured in
the increased output, higher quality, better resistance to pests, diseases,
and other stress, and other characteristics found in improved crop
varieties.
A sustainable use of crop genetic resources, needs availability and access
to information related to genetic material, and implies avoiding genetic
erosion while at the same time achieving both private and local public
248
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
249
183
benefits, as better explained next.
- Private benefits are achieved via the consumption and production
"services" that genetic resources (in interaction with human and
environmental factors) provide.
- Global public benefits refer to the reduction of genetic erosion
(maintaining genetic option values);
- Local public benefits serve at reducing genetic vulnerability (increasing
resilience).
The scale at which these benefits are realized varies. In the first category
the unit is the farm. For the second, the relevant unit is a generic
population over time and for the third the relevant scale is regional or
national. Trade-offs between the three categories of benefits are likely but
these can be assessed through a specific methodology that measures
access to crop genetic diversity.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The sustainability of bioenergy in relation to the proposed criterion
should be assessed in two different dimensions: 1) inasmuch as it does
not interfere with a sustainable utilization of CGRs (i.e. extent to which
bioenergy crops might substitute other crops or varieties leading to
genetic erosion); 2) to the extent that the accessibility to CGRs facilitate or
obstruct access to bioenergy crops or varieties.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 SOC 2H
Biological diversity
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Number of varieties (or crops) available
184
2. Distribution of varieties available
3. Types of attributes available from crops or varieties offered in market
4. Total quantity of seed flowing thru outlet/season
5. Distinction/mixing of varieties by outlet (only applicable to varieties and
certain crops)
6. Information on genetic content by outlet
7. Market structure and access to crop genetic diversity
8. Information on types, origin and source of seeds (mixing or separated)
9. Pricing
10. Contract/client type served
11. Relationship between vendor dominance in markets and genetic
diversity and related transaction costs.
Records on the information provided by sellers to prospective seed
buyers, as well as the degree to which varieties are distinguished provide a
basis for measuring information in the marketplace.
We Mainly refer to varieties but the same concepts can be applied to
crops.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 A specific project to measure access to CGRs has been conducted
within FAO in the ESA division. Data set are available for selected areas of
5 different countries: Bolivia, India, Mexico, Mali and Kenya.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Data collection strategy would require, in addition to a value chain
analysis for the crops or varieties of interest, a vendor survey and market
observation to determine information flows. Because it is extremely
important to understand how the flow and the level of information available
impact the households it is also important to collect household level
information.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
185
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):


Information about other
international processes
If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 This specific approach aims at achieving some of the ITPGRFA and of
the CBD's objectives while taking into accound Country Specific Seed
sector regulation and seed interventions.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one to
assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from other
possible impacts250

A more specific explanation of the scientific basis can be found at
ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esa/lisfame/Market_CGR_method.pdf. However, as briefly
mentioned above the impact of bioenergy production with regard to this
indicator should be assessed with reference to the potential competition
between bioenergy crop production as opposed to common practice. Does
the flow of information available for bioenergy production impact that of
other crops and varieties commonly grown? Is there more focus on
bioenergy crops? Are there incentives or sourcing more differentiated and
identifiable? Does the formal seed sector have a stronger or weaker role for
the diffusion of seeds and information of bioenergy crops as opposed to
crops commonly grown? How about the informal seed sector? These are the
kind of issues to take care of when looking at this type of indicator.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding criterion
 A sustainable bioenergy production has to maintain or attain people's
wellbeing while maintaining genetic diversity. As far as bioenergy production
does not interfere with these two objectives, there should be no obstacles to
its production. The indicator proposed here, or better the methodology
proposed here, aims at measuring the impact of access to CGRs both on its
sustainable utilization as well as on people's wellbeing. This latter is
250
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
186
measured in such a way to guarantee farmers' welfare (in terms of food
security, resilience and productivity) as well as conservation of CGRs.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national
level for data that are not collected at that level 251
 A good sampling strategy should allow to extrapolate data at regional or
national level
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which252 one(s).
 A rather strong requirement of data and information
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support the
chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than bioenergy) 253
 Specific project run by FAO-ESA. Most of the indications on data
requirements and approaches are directly taken from the methodology
developed for the project.
See:
http://www.fao.org/economic/esa/seed2d/projects2/marketsseedsdiversity/en
/ for further reference.
The methodology is available at:
ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esa/lisfame/Market_CGR_method.pdf (Lipper et al., 2009).
251
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
253 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
252
187
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC2H
Proposed indicator
Change in access to crop genetic resources for non-energy purposes - Change in
access to crop genetic resources for non-energy purposes as a result of bioenergy
production
Suggested unit254
(if applicable)
Criterion
Access to land, water and other natural resources
Component
(if applicable)
Access to genetic resources
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 255 for which it is being proposed
 The indicator proposed will help determine, in combination with the
indicator related to benefits sharing, the accessibility to crop genetic
diversity for non energy-purposes and ultimately contribute to identify
policies and instruments needed to guarantee a sustainable use of crop
genetic resources. A sustainable use of crop genetic resources, for which
the first dimension to consider is the physical availabilty of genetic
diversity, implies avoiding genetic erosion while at the same time
achieving both private and local public benefits.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The sustainability of bioenergy in relation to the proposed criterion
should be assessed in two different dimensions: 1) inasmuch as it does
not interfere with a sustainable utilization of CGRs (i.e. extent to which
bioenergy crops might substitute other crops or varieties leading to
genetic erosion); 2) to the extent that the accessibility to CGRs facilitate or
obstruct access to bioenergy crops or varieties.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 SOC 2G
254
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
255
188
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes,
(

specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
FORMTEXT
Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
FORMCHECKBOX
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Number of varieties or crops (local and improved) available in the market
2. Total quantity of seed flowing through outlet/season
3. Mean and variance of price by variety (or crops) and by outlet
4. Relationship between vendor dominance in markets and genetic
diversity and related transaction costs.
5. Source and type of seed
6. Contract/client type served
All points refers to genetic crop for non energy purposes.
In addition, survey data and secondary observations on general market
characteristics such as entry and exit costs, numbers of buyers and
sellers, regulation, and infrastructure. Also, information is needed on: the
characteristics of the exchange (where, with whom, price, quantity, timing,
etc.), of the market (number of other buyers and sellers, products, location,
variety, frequency, etc.) and the physical and informational transaction
cost constraints.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 A specific project to measure access to CGRs has been conducted
within FAO in the ESA division. Datasets are available for selected areas of
5 different countries: Bolivia, India, Mexico, Mali and Kenya.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
189
to address key gaps in the available data
 Data collection strategy would require, in addition to a value chain
analysis for the crops or varieties of interests and to an evaluation of the
seed policy and regulatory framework of the country of interest, market
observation, key informant interviews and vendor surveys (to be combined
with data collection for measuring the indicator of physical availability of
genetic diversity). Because it is extremely important to link the market
costs to the cost afforded by farmers buying planting material in addition
to measure the impact of access to CGRs on poverty, it is appropriate to
collect household level data (these can either be directly collected or in
many countries LSMS conducted by the world bank contains already a
number of information and data on seed sourcing by crops type.
Nevertheless, the GAP often found in these surveys, is the lack of a
distinction at variety level).
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):


Information about other
international processes
If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 This specific approach aims at achieving some of the ITPGRFA and of
the CBD's objectives while taking into accound Country Specific Seed
sector regulation and seed interventions.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one to
assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from other
possible impacts256
 A more specific explanation of the scientific basis can be found at
256
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
190
ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esa/lisfame/Market_CGR_method.pdf. However, as briefly
indicated above, the impact of bioenergy production with regard to this
indicator should be assessed with reference to the potential competition
between bioenergy crop production as opposed to common practice. In
particular it would be essential to determine whether and to what extent
bioenergy crop production would impact the cost of accessing other crops
and their genetic content.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding criterion
 The main objective to be reached in term of social sustainability is to
maintain or attain people's wellbeing while maintaining genetic diversity. As
far as bioenergy production does not interfere with these two objectives,
there should be no obstacles to its production. In term of measuring access
to crop genetic, the impact of bioenergy production on the cost of other
crops and varieties need to be assessed. The ultimate purpuse is to make
sure that bioenergy production does not interfere with the conservation of a
sustainable level of diversity.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national
level for data that are not collected at that level 257
 A good sampling strategy should allow to extrapolate data at regional or
national level
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which258 one(s).
 A rather strong requirement of data and information
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support the
chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than bioenergy) 259
 A specific project run by FAO-ESA. Most of the indication on data
requirements and approaches are directly taken from the methodology
developed for the project.
See:
http://www.fao.org/economic/esa/seed2d/projects2/marketsseedsdiversity/en
/ for further reference.
The
methodology is available at:
ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esa/lisfame/Market_CGR_method.pdf (Lipper et al., 2009)
257
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
259 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
258
191
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC3A
Proposed indicator
Wages and trade union membership - Wages and trade union membership in
bioenergy production in relation to comparable sectors
Suggested unit260
(if applicable)
Average wages/sector ($/year)
% workers associated with trade unions / sector (%/year)
Criterion
Labour conditions
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 261 for which it is being proposed
 Changes in bioenergy production labour conditions are a dynamic
indicator that may help to understand tendencies created by the
development of the bioenergy sector regarding workers' labour conditions.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 Labour conditions are a core indicator to assess the social
sustainability of the bioenergy production.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 SOC 0, 4A, 4B, ECO 2F

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison may be made to labour conditions in the fossil fuels
industry.
260
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
261
192

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison may be made to labour conditions in other renewables
processing industries (such as wind, solar, hydro, CHP, geothermic)
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Changes in average wages in bioenergy production in relation to similar
sectors. Compile data on average wages:
- bioenergy feedstock production / the agricultural sector ($/year)
- biomass transportation sector / transportation sector ($/year)
- biomass conversion and processing sector / manufacturing sector
($/year)
2. Changes in the % of workers belonging to workers’ organizations in
relation to similar sectors. Compile data on % of associated workers:
- bioenergy feedstock production / agricultural sector (%/year)
- biomass transportation sector / transportation sector (%/year)
- biomass conversion and processing sector / manufacturing sector
(%/year)
3.
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of


Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Data collection strategies implemented by trade unions, ministries of
finance/economy (or equivalent), national statistics institutes, ministries of
production/development/industry (or equivalent), universities, research
centers, and certification reports.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
193
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts262
 Average wages and % of workers associated with trade unions are
proxies that may help to assess the impact of the bioenergy production in
labour conditions. Comparison with other similar activities may lead to
the comprehension of the bioenergy sector itself, as different from other
economic activities.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Consideration of labour conditions is essential when assessing the
social sustainability of the bioenergy production. Measuring average
wages may also lead to obtaining further data (such as unemployment
level in the sector and income level of workers). It gives an idea of how
the bioenergy sector impacts on the country economic activity as a
whole. In addition, this indicator proposes to measure how many workers
are associated with trade unions, since it assumes that when trade unions
have a strong presence, workers will enjoy better labour conditions. In
sectors where union workers represent a medium-high percentage of total
sector, impacts on the sector growth will likely affect workers living
conditions. Thus, the social sustainability of the bioenergy sector
development is indirectly linked to the wages level and trade unions
associated workers.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 263
 The comparative method will enable to contrast information from
different economic sectors and will allow to define how the bioenergy
sector impacts on labour conditions and average wages, separately from
other sectors growth.
262
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
263 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
194
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which264 one(s).
 It may be difficult to assess if a considerable share of the working
sector works under illegal or non-formal situations.
The % of workers belonging to workers’s association is usually too
sensitive to report because a worker’s association is not a genuine
independent expression of workers interest.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)265

264
265
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
195
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC4A
Proposed indicator
Change in household income - Change in household average income level and
in income distribution as a result of bioenergy production in bioenergy
production areas
Suggested unit266
(if applicable)
$/household/year in the bioenergy development area
For the income distribution: Gini Index comparing two regions/municipalities
in terms of inequalities of income or other approaches can be used as the
LSMS
Criterion
Rural and social development
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 267 for which it is being proposed
 At the production level the creation of jobs or the participation as
outgrowers is expected to provide a better income to the local producers.
Gini coefficient and/or the Living Standard Measurement Surveys allow to
evaluate income distribution and compare two regions (with and without
bioenergy production) to show inequalities/advantages of income linked to
bioenergy production

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 Better income level is expected to contribute to rural development
among other issues at regional and local level.
The Gini index allows to measure the change in income distribution as a
result of bioenergy production in the bioenergy production area ( i.e. if the
Gini index is lower in the area with bioenergy production than in areas with
no bioenergy production, it will indicate that the bioenergy development in
that area has promoted a well-balanced rural and economic development)

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Link with 1B but not to be substituted or combined
266
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
267
196
 4B
Comparison with alternative
energy options


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

GINI Index comparing bioenergy industry versus fossil fuels
industry. Although this would be difficult if there is no data for the
bioenergy industry

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 GINI Index comparing bioenergy industry versus other energy sources
industry. Although this would be difficult if there is no data for the
bioenergy industry
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Data baseline (socio-economic) of income level per household
(including not only currency but also equivalents in goods (e.g. bag of rice)
before bioenergy initiative starts.
2. Number of households and persons per household in the region/area of
bioenergy initiative
3. National Databases of minimum wages
4. Comparison with other rural activities
5. In countries where the Gini index is available at regional/district/municipal it
can be used as reference data in order to make comparison among different
regions/municipalities in terms of inequalities and measure the attribution of
bioenergy development. For those countries where Gini index is not available
it has to be calculated according to standard formula and will require a
database of income per household/individuals in regions with or without
bioenergy production (data in 5 quintiles of 20% from poorer to richer).
6. In addition to the Gini index, another way to calculate the change in
income distribution that could better measure the attribution is through the
Living Standard Measurements Surveys. This second option is based on
standardized gathering of actual data on income level per
household/individuals in the sample selected areas (with and without
bioenergy) SELEZIONE AREE: The selection of different areas (with
and without bioenergy production) allows to evaluate the contribution of
bioenergy activities on income distribution in comparison to other types
of activities
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
197
are aware of
 National databases of minimum wages (for comparison)
National databases on Standard formula for Gini Index
Data and information collected at national level through the Living
Standard Measurements Surveys (to be conducted ideally in some
developing countries at least once every 5 years)

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Surveys at household level in the area will be needed and/or carry out
the Living Standards Measurements Surveys in the area of interest
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
For the Gini Index it is recommended to group the data in the 5 quintiles of
20% from poorer to richer.
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one to assess
the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from other possible impacts 268
 It is necessary to dispose of a data baseline (socio-economic) of income level per
household (including not only currency but also equivalents in goods (e.g. bag of rice)
before bioenergy initiative starts and compared to other rural activities per year (e.g.
other crops) .
Gini Index (for inequality) allows to compare income per households/individiuals in
different areas/regions (e.g. with or without bioenergy production), if it exists at
regional/district and municipal level . If it does not exist in order to calculate it,
268
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
198
according to standard formula, surveys will have to be carried out in order to obtain a
database of income per household/individuals in regions with and without bioenergy
production (for that purpose the LSMS standard household questionnaire can be
carried out in the areas- with and without bioenergy production- selected as sample to
be analyzed over time).
The selection of different areas (with and without bioenergy production) allows to
evaluate the contribution of bioenergy activities on income distribution in comparison
to other types of activities.
The change in income distribution derived from bioenergy programme/initiatives can
also be calculated through other statistical methods and test on the basis of data
availability.
LSMS are designed to produce a comprehensive monetary measure of welfare and its
distribution. LSMS surveys are integrated surveys covering a number of topics. The
household questionnaire always produces comprehensive measures of consumption,
usually comprehensive measures of income, and always covers a variety of sectoral
issues, usually health, education, nutrition, and fertility.
Moreover Demographic information such as gender, age, household composition is
needed to valuate this indicator and to put it in the right context

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the assessment
of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding criterion
The increase of income that is expected to occur to farmers and poor households
involved in bioenergy activity improves their livelihood, therefore this indicators
clearly measures the contribution of bioenergy development to rural and social
development

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national level for
data that are not collected at that level269

Anticipated
limitations
Standard formula for Gini Index

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which270 one(s).
 If there are not national, regional or local databases and Gini index is not availabve
at regional/district and municipality level, surveys will need to be conducted
If statistical data is not available
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies, technical
manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support the chosen
methodological approach (including from sectors other than bioenergy) 271
 Bellu, L et al. 2006. "Inequality Analysis. The Gini Index". Analytical Tools. Module
40. EasyPol online resources. FAO. www.fao.org/tc/easypol.
Walter, A et al. 2008. Analysis of Environmental and Social Impacts of Bio-ethanol
Production in Brazil. UNICAMP, DEFRA, UK Embassy in Brazil.
On Living Standard Measurement Surveys Study:
http://www.wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2000/02/2
4/000009265_3961219093409/Rendered/PDF/multi_page.pdf
269
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
271 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
270
199
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC4B
Proposed indicator
Net quantity and quality of jobs created
- Net job creation as a result of bioenergy production and use
- Disaggregated by quality, such as seasonality
Suggested unit272
(if applicable)
number, quality and type (temporality) of jobs created and displaced/ year
Criterion
Rural and social development
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 273 for which it is being proposed
 Change in number, quality and type of job by bioenergy production and use
is fundamental to understand the social sustainability of bioenergy development.
In order to have a more complete picture of the impact of bioenergy development
on rural and social development the indicators measures also number and
quality of jobs displaced due to bioerngy development

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 the creation of different types and forms of employment is related to
rural and social development by creating more forms of income nfor the
local population

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
E

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know
272
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
273
200

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Compare number and costs of jobs creation versus job creation in the
fossil fuel industry (see Walter et al, 2008.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Compare number of job creation in the bioenergy sector versus number
of job creation in other renewable sources sectors
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Number and quality of jobs/year (National databases if available) in the
dedicated crop and along the whole supply chainb
2. Rate of increment /reduction of jobs /year in the agriculture sector of the
bioenergy crop and/or the industrial phase (if exists) and in the area
involved in the bioenergy development
3.
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 National Statistics for number of people employed per sector

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Review national and regional statistics. If these do notexist data can be
collected at regional/local level ( producers and industrail sector).
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

201
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts274
 Previous studies have calculated the rate according to the differences
per year; the difference in the number and quality (seasonality) of jobs
can be compared per scale (national, regional, level) per sector (rural,
industrial) and in the agricultural sector per type of crop. The agriculural
sector jobs will be expected to be reduced if there is more mechanisation
depending on the type of crop, the country and the producer initiative.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 This is considered a positive impact in terms of sustainability at
national level although the regional level is more difficult to assess.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level275

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which276 one(s).
 Data at local, site and production level may not be available. So it could
be necessary a collection of data from dedicated surveys
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)277
 Macedo IC. Sugar cane's energy, Twelve studies on Brazilian sugar cane
agribusiness and its sustainability. UNICA; 2005, p. 237
Smeets E, Junginger M, Faaij A, Walter A, Dolzan P. The sustainability of
Brazilian ethanol. Utrecht. the Netherlands: Utrecht University.
Copernicus Institute; 2006. p. 97 + Appendices.
Walter, A et al. 2008. Analysis of Environmental and Social Impacts of Bioethanol Production in Brazil. UNICAMP, DEFRA, UK Embassy in Brazil.
274
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
275 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
276 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
277 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
202
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC4C
Proposed indicator
Change in time spent by women and children collecting biomass - Change in time
spent by women and children collecting biomass as a result of switching to modern
bioenergy services
Suggested unit278
(if applicable)
Time saved by women and children collecting biomass as a results of
switching to modern bioeenergy services
Criterion
Rural and Social development
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 The use of biomass (solid or liquid) at household level due to change
from traditional to modern
Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 279 for which it is being proposed
 Change from traditional to modern biomass use at household to
promote rural development

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 The number of households with modern bionergy use at household can
be considered a clear indicator of improvement in sustainable
development at local level, particularly household level

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Soc 4A and 4E are related to this one although the data will not be
directly used but is a cross-cutting area.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
278
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
279
203
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 If it is compared more in economic terms than in time (hrs) it could be
possible to measure similar benefits that might result from a switch to
other energy sources e.g. kerosene and compare these with those from a
switch to modern bioenergy services

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. data at household level on the time saved collecting biomass (hrs/week)
2. amount of biomass collected per time unit (kg/hr/week)
3.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 fuelwood surveys at FAO

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 household fuelwood surveys
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
204
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):


Information about other
international processes
If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one to
assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from other
possible impacts280
 surveys at household level to state the time saved (and distance) to gather
fuelwwod as the result of a bioenergy initiative/programme

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding criterion
 The change from traditional use of biomeass to modern as part of rural
development

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national level
for data that are not collected at that level281
 no aggregation is expected
Anticipated
limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which282 one(s).

References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies, technical
manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support the chosen
methodological approach (including from sectors other than bioenergy) 283
 FAO and UNDP have done surveys in the past.
280
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
281 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
282 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
283 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
205
Different NGO's have worked on this topic
Hedon. Boiling Point.
http://www.hedon.info/BP14:WomenAndRuralFuelwoodCollection
Energia
http://www.energia.org/resources/newsletter/en_051998_artib.html
http://www.esocialsciences.com/data/articles/Document118122009100.0300104.pdf
206
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC4D
Proposed indicator
Participation of small-scale farmers - Participation of small-scale farmers in
bioenergy feedstock production
- number of farmers; and
- % of feedstock provided.
Suggested unit284
(if applicable)
Number of farmers
% of bioenergy feedstock / total agricultural production produced by smallscale farmers
% of bioenergy feedstock provided by small-scale farmers / total bioenergy
feedstock domestic market
Criterion
Rural and social development
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 Agricultural feedstocks and residues
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 285 for which it is being proposed
 If small-scale farmers participate in the development of the bioenergy
sector, their living conditions and their social development will probably
increase. Fostering small-scale farmers inclusion in the bioenergy
production process may be a useful policy tool to increase their rural and
social development.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 If the bioenergy sector growths, small-scale farmers that are the first
stage in the production chain will probably improve their living conditions.
Small-scale farmers' social development is key to assess the social
sustainability of the bioenergy production

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 SOC 2A, 2G
284
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
285
207
Comparison with alternative
energy options


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Number of small-scale farmers and small-scale farmers cooperatives in
the bioenergy sector/ region (i.e. administrative divisions: state, province
or region)
2. % of bioenergy feedstock provided by small-scale farmers cooperatives /
total bioenergy feedstock produced in national agricultural land
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of


Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Data collection strategies implemented by ministries of
economy/finance (or equivalent), ministries of
production/industry/development (or equivalent), ministries of agriculture,
national statistics institutes, bioenergy cooperatives, research centers,
universities
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
208
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts286
 Measuring land tenure is the starting point to know if small-scale
farmers have a big, medium or minimum participation in the share of
national land (this information is provided with indicator SOC 2F). Once
established small-scale farmers relevance in the country map, the
question is if they are providing with bioenergy feedstock to the
bioenergy industry and how much. Since it is very difficult to know exact
percentages, it is assumed that small-scale farmers cooperatives bring
together and buy their own feedstock. Thus, the more cooperatives, the
more small-scale farmers will be part of the bioenergy market. As a result,
the biggest proportion of the bioenergy feedstock will enter into the
production chain through these cooperatives, if they have became active
stakeholders. Consequently, if cooperatives provide the market with `x'
percentage of bioenergy feedstock, this figure will help to assess the
participation of small-scale farmers in the bioenergy industry.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 This indicator assesses situations in which small-scale farmers are the
first stage of the production chain (at least in a minimum proportion of the
national bioenergy sector). Taking this context as starting point, it is
assumed that bioenergy sector growth will increase bioenergy feedstock
demand. This demand will be partially satisfied by small-scale farmers
that will increase their sells to the bioenergy production chain and thus,
their own living conditions. Small-scale farmers' social development is
key to assess the social sustainability of the bioenergy production

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 287

286
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
287 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
209
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which288 one(s).
 It may be difficult to define how small-scale farmers participate in the
bioenergy sector if:
- small-scale farmers own a minimum, marginal or dispersed share of
national agricultural land
- they are not associated within some type of cooperative association
- the proportion of bioenergy feedstock that they provide is minimum or
dispersed in relation to the bioenergy feedstock market
- agricultural land is not owned but rented by small-scale farmers (i.e.
they will probably have to sell their bioenergy feedstock production to
land owners and comply external requirements)
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)289

288
289
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
210
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC4E
Proposed indicator
Change in the local Human Development Index (HDI) as a result of bioenergy
Suggested unit290
(if applicable)
HDI before and after the bioenergy development/programme
Criterion
Rural and Social development
Component
(if applicable)
Human development Index is a summary measure of human development. Itt
measures the average achievement at country level in three dimesnions as an
aggregated index (long and healthy life, knowledge and decent standard of
living).
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 291 for which it is being proposed
 As a disaggregated index it can provide information on the GDP at
regional level. A country's overall index can mask the different levels of
human development of different groups within the same country.
Disaggregated HDIs are arrived at by using the data for the HDI
components pertaining to each of the separate groups; treating each group
as if it was a separate country.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 With the HDI it will be possible to monitor at national level is bioenergy
production have increased some of the disaggregated indicators such as
life expectancy, education, GDP.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Soc 4A, ECO 2D?

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
290
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
291
211
No
Do not know

If Yes,
(

specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
FORMTEXT
Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
FORMCHECKBOX Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Demographic, income and health data at household level
2. Household assets
3. adult literacy and all the indicators for the HDI (see links below)
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Some data on households (demographic, health and income) must be in
the majority of countries due to the census data.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Implementing the LsMs and the HDI guidelines for gathering data
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
212
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 The HDI is an approach by the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP).
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts292
 It will be difficult to separate it from other possible impacts unless the
region/local area has presented a very low HDI before the
bioenergy/initiative and it can be monitored after it.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Sustainable development can not only bemeasured in economic terms
and that is the reason the the HDI was developed by UNDP, to consider
social development as well.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level293

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which294 one(s).
 The main problem of the HDI to be used for bioenergy developments is
that it is not a short term index because it incorporates life expectancy. It
can still provide some useful information if considered in a disaggregated
form.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
292
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
293 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
294 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
213
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)295
 The different Human developmentr reports are found in the UNDP
Human Development web site. They include:
http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/indices/hdi/
And the technical note
http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_20072008_Tech_Note_1.pdf/
A
study estimating impact on HDI: "Guidelines to Assess Sustainability of
Biomass Utilisation in East Asia", Economic Research Institute for ASEAN
and East Asia, ed. Masayuki Sagisaka, 2008:
http://eria.org/research/y2008-no8-2.html
295
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
214
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC4F
Proposed indicator
Change in the local Gender Development Index (GDI) as a result of bioenergy
Suggested unit296
(if applicable)
GDI before and after the bioenergy development/programme
Criterion
Rural and Social development
Component
(if applicable)
The Gender-related development Index adjust the average development to look
at inequalities between men and women in the three dimensions of the HDI
(long and healthy life; knowledge and decent standard of living).
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 297 for which it is being proposed
 It can contribute to look at the inequalities between genders in a countr.
It can also be linked to the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) to look at
the progress in advancing women to participate in political and economic
fora.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 It is difficult to be related at the local level but it can contribute to onitor
women's participation.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 Soc 4A, ECO 2D?

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know
296
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
297
215

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Demographic, income and health data at household level
2. Household assets
3. adult literacy and all the indicators for the HDI (see links below)
All above making the difference between genders.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Some data on households (demographic, health and income) must be in
the majority of countries due to the census data.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Implementing the LsMs and the GDI guidelines for gathering data
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
216

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 The GDI is an approach by the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP).
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts298
 It will be difficult to separate it from other possible impacts

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Sustainable development can not only be measured in economic terms
and that is the reason all HDI's (including GDI) were developed by UNDP,
to consider social development as well.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 299

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which300 one(s).
 The main problem of the GDI to be used for bioenergy developments is
that it is not a short term index because it incorporates life expectancy. It
can still provide some useful information if considered in a disaggregated
form.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)301
 The different Human developmentr reports (including the GDI) are
found in the UNDP Human Development web site. They include:
http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/indices/hdi/
http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/indices/gdi_gem/
And the technical note
http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_20072008_Tech_Note_1.pdf/
A
study estimating impact on GDI: "Guidelines to Assess Sustainability of
298
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
299 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
300 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
301 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
217
Biomass Utilisation in East Asia", Economic Research Institute for ASEAN
and East Asia, ed. Masayuki Sagisaka, 2008:
http://eria.org/research/y2008-no8-2.html
218
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC5A
Proposed indicator
Quantity and share of modern bioenergy used to expand access to modern
energy services - Quantity and share of modern bioenergy used to expand
access to electricity, mechanical power, heating and cooking to households
and small businesses (disaggregated by bioenergy type)
Suggested unit302
(if applicable)
Kg, Tonnes and proportion in form of percentage
Criterion
Access to energy (defined as the expansion or provision of reliable and
affordable electricity for multiple energy services, mechanical power for
productive end-uses, fuels and technologies for cooking and heating to those
who currently do not have access)
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 303 for which it is being proposed


Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 “Modern energy services are an essential component of providing
adequate food, shelter, water, sanitation, medical care, education and
access to communication. Lack of access to modern energy services
contributes to poverty and deprivation and limits economic and human
development. Adequate, affordable and reliable energy services are
necessary to guarantee sustainable economic and human development
and also achievement of the Millennium Development Goals” (“Indicators
of Sustainable Development, Guidelines and Methodologies, Third Edition,
Methodology Sheets”, CSD, 2006)
It is more relevant from the social perspective to measure the number of
households and small businesses to which bioenergy brings access to
modern energy services (including stability of supply) than the quantity of
energy delivered in total which may be very unequally distributed. But the
latter provides useful complementary information.
Ideally, quality of service should also be reflected (continuity/level of
302
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
303
219
service).
In measuring the proportion, it is possible to determine the bio-energy
used for transport or for non-energy access purposes.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ECO5A, ECO 5C

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
Equivalent in tonnes of fossil oil use by the local population and the
volume of fossil fuel used by the population

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Amount of energy in Kilo Watt hours or in tonnes of non-fossil fuel used
by the local population
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Amount of bioenergy used
2. Amount of fossil (in litres) fuel use by beneficiary population for
comparison and calculation of share of bioenergy in use.
3. Number of households and small businesses to which bioenergy brings
access to modern energy services
An alternative way to measure this indicator is through use of households
survey to capture what energy sources they use for the main energy use
such as cooking, lighting, heating/cooling, or personal transport (LSMS
approach).
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Global data on energy access in the UNDP WHO 2009 document of
"energy access situation in Developing countries. IEA data on energy in
developed and developing countries.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Inclusion of bioenergy as a variable in energy use and production data
collection in developing countries
220
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 Indicators of Sustainable Development, Guidelines and Methodologies,
Third Edition, Methodology Sheets”, CSD, 2006
Relevant indicators: CSD “Indicators of Sustainable Development” (third
edition): Share of population without electricity, modern fuels and
technologies for cooking and heating and mechanical power...
Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development (EISD) indicator SOC1 for
definition of modern energy services. (EISD SOC1: Share of households
(or population) without electricity or commercial energy, or heavily
dependent on non-commercial energy)
Indicators of achievement of Millennium Development goals based on
national and global targets.
Depending on the amount of data being collected for these CSD and EISD
indicators, it could be more practical to measure the change in them
caused by bioenergy.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts304
The CSD indicator “Share of population without electricity or other
304
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
221
modern energy services” is defined by the share of households without
access to modern energy or electricity and by the share of households
that are heavily dependent on ‘traditional’ non-commercial energy
options. Where possible, the share of households without access to
electricity should be calculated separately from the share of households
that rely on traditional fuels as their primary energy option for cooking
and heating. The indicators should be calculated for both urban and rural
households where this is relevant. Traditional bioenergy refers here to the
direct combustion of fuelwood, charcoal, agricultural wastes and animal
dung.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 The indicator measures are linked with sustainability by the fact that
adequate, affordable and reliable energy services are necessary to
guarantee sustainable economic and human development and also
achievement of the Millennium Development Goal.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level305
 The national energy data on local use and production is agregated
from field (village) to form the national indicator. Depending on the level
of importance as determined by the number of producers or users, the
indicator can be aggregated and presented separately at the national
scale.
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which306 one(s).
 Lack of existing baseline data at the local level especially in developing
countries. Not available information in most low income countries. It can
be useful to design the LSMS
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)307
1) Indicators of Sustainable Development, Guidelines and
Methodologies, Third Edition, Methodology Sheets”, CSD, 2006
2) EISD:
http://wwwpub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1222_web.pdf
3) CSD: http://www.un.org/esa/
sustdev/natlinfo/indicators/methodology_sheets.pdf
4) UNDP WHO Energy access status in least development Countries, 2009
305
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
307 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
306
222
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC5B
Proposed indicator
Number of households and small businesses using modern bioenergy - Number of
households and small businesses that use modern bioenergy as part of their energy
mix in form of electricity, mechanical power, cooking and heating fuels and
technologies
Suggested unit308
(if applicable)
Figures and percentages
Criterion
Energy access
Component
(if applicable)
% change in price of modern energy services (to be defined) as a result of [modern]
bioenergy) is now covered by SOC5C
Change in the availability of (and access to) fuelwood, charcoal and
forestry/agricultural residues for local use, as a result of [modern] bioenergy
production and use) has been dropped
% change in price of fuelwood and charcoal as a result of [modern] bioenergy
production) is now covered by SOC5C
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 309 for which it is being proposed
 Access to modern energy services is linked to access to a range of modern
energy choices and relevant for improving human development.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 By asssing the number of households and small scale business, it will help to
determine the sustainability of bioenergy since access to modern energy
services is linked to access to a range of modern energy choices and therefore
diversity in livleihood stragies fostering sustainability.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
308
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
309
223

Comparison with
alternative energy
options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Number of households and small business that use other energy sources as
part of their energy mix

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Number of households and small business that use other energy sources as
part of their energy mix
II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. National censuses data captures energy mix of populations
2. Number of benficaries participating in production and use of bioenergy .
3. Number of people using bioenergy at retail level and household level.
2. Number of people without moden energy services
3. Number of people using modern energy in the small business sector/local
commercial sector
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Global data on energy access in the UNDP WHO 2009 document of "energy
access situatiion in Developing countries. IEA data on energy in developed and
developing countries.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Inclusion of bioenergy in national social survey data collection in developing
countries
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
224
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts310
 As the production and use would highly likely occur in a specific region(s) of
countries in the initiatl stages, targetting the local area for data collection is
important.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 The higher the number of local producers and users of bioenergy, the better
the sustainability criteria on energy access . The national energy data on local
use and production is aggregated from field (village) to form the national
indicator.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 311
 Depending on the level of importance as determined by the number of
producers or users, the indicator can be aggregated and presented separately
at the national scale.
310
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
311 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
225
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which312 one(s).
 Lack of existing baseline data at the local level especially in developing
countries
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)313
“
1) Indicators of Sustainable Development, Guidelines and Methodologies,
Third Edition, Methodology Sheets”, CSD, 2006
2) EISD: http://wwwpub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1222_web.pdf
3) CSD: http://www.un.org/esa/
sustdev/natlinfo/indicators/methodology_sheets.pdf
4) UNDP WHO Energy access status in least development Countries, 2009
312
313
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
226
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC5C
Proposed indicator
Suggested unit314
(if applicable)
Criterion
Share of income spent on energy by poor households - Change in % of income
of households below the poverty line spent on energy ser vices as a result of
modern bioenergy production and use
$/year in the bioenergy development area, percentage
Access to energy
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 315 for which it is being proposed
 The indicator allows to determine the change in the % of income spent
by poor households on energy services as result by use of modern
bioenergy production and use. So, the indicator provides important
information that show the change in the access level to modern bioenergy
sources by poor people A decrease of the share of energy in the total
spending of low-income households due to cheaper and more reliable
bioenergy modern sources would show an important impact in term of
social sustainability of bioenerfgy development

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 “Modern energy services are an essential component of providing
adequate food, shelter, water, sanitation, medical care, education and
access to communication. Lack of access to modern energy services
contributes to poverty and deprivation and limits economic and human
development. Adequate, affordable and reliable energy services are
necessary to guarantee sustainable economic and human development
and also achievement of the Millennium Development Goals” (“Indicators
of Sustainable Development, Guidelines and Methodologies, Third Edition,
Methodology Sheets”, CSD, 2006)
This indicator in conjunction with the other two energy access indicators
helps to measure the access to energy services. SOC 5C in particular is
more relevant from the social sustainability point of view since it measures
the quota of income spent by households below the poverty line (less
$ per day) to get access to modern energy services
314
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
315
227
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
SOC 5A, SOC 5B

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Change in the % of income spent by poor households on fossil fuel
used for access to electricity, mechanical power, heating and cooking

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made
Change in the % of income spent by poor households on other energy sources
used for access to electricity, mechanical power, heating and cooking
II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. total quantity of energy items (fuel, electricity, other energy products)
purchased by Household/month
2. price of unit of energy item purchased by household/month
3. official statistics on disposable income
4. energy services and socio-economic survey
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you are
aware of
 LSMS surveys at national level can provide data to assess the indicator
Other relevant information on methodology and data availability can be found
in the CSD and EISD experience and publications
The CSD indicator “Share of population without electricity or other modern
energy services” is defined by the share of households without access to
modern energy or electricity and by the share of households that are heavily
dependent on ‘traditional’ non-commercial energy options. Where possible, the
share of households without access to electricity should be calculated
separately from the share of households that rely on traditional fuels as their
primary energy option for cooking and heating. The indicators should be
calculated for both urban and rural households where this is relevant
CSD:http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/natlinfo/indicators/methodology_sheets.pdf

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Depending on the amount of data being collected for the CSD and EISD
indicators, it could be more practical to measure the change of the value of
those indicators caused by bioenergy.
228
EISD indicator SOC2: “Share of household income spent on fuel and
electricity” could be of use in providing a methodology and data, from
which the impact of bioenergy on the total energy could be derived.

Type of measurements
and scale
Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):


Information about other
international processes
If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one to
assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from other
possible impacts316
The indicator can be measured cross-checking data on total quantity of energy
items purchased by Household/month, multiplied by the price of unit of energy
item purchased by household /month with data on disposable income (data to
be collected through survey carried out in the selected areas, with or without
bioenergy production). The attribution can not be easily assessed since certain
fuels are sometimes lumped together in ways that make it difficult to
disaggregate expenditures on individual fuels.
A standardized approach to gather energy data at household level is through
LSMS. In fact, through the LSMS household questionnaire information on
expenditure on commercial fuels can be obtained (i.e. a specific question is “Has
your household used any of the following
(firewood coal, coal oil or
kerosene/diesel) for heating or lighting in the past 12 months? If so, how much have
you spent on average per month?”)
The responses reveal whether the household purchased a particular fuel and the
monthly expenditures on it. Certain fuels are sometimes lumped together in ways
that make it difficult to disaggregate expenditures on individual fuels, so it can be
difficult to get the attribution of bioenergy impact.
316
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
229
A proposed indicator for energy expenditure by LSMS is the price of each fuel,
multiplied by the quantity consumed. When summed for all energy sources, one can
estimate the aggregate household energy expenditures as a percentage of
household expenditure or income (See Energy Policies and Multitopic Household
Surveys. Guidelines for Questionnaire Design in Living Standards Measurement
Studies.2006)
Other useful suggestion for the methodology of this indicator are provided by
the EISD indicator SOC2: “Share of household income spent on fuel and
electricity” that could be of use in providing a methodology and data, from
which the impact of bioenergy could be derived.
EISD: http://wwwpub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1222_web.pdf

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding criterion
 The indicator measures are linked with sustainability by the fact that a
decrease of the amount of expenditure by poor householders to access
adequate, affordable and reliable energy services as a result of modern
bioenergy production and use, can greatly contribute to sustainable economic
and human development and also to the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goal.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national level
for data that are not collected at that level317
 It is difficult to aggregate at the national level due to lack of data
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which318 one(s).
 Lack of data on expenditures of households on energy services. Actual data
need to be collected through survey
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies, technical
manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support the chosen
methodological approach (including from sectors other than bioenergy) 319
 The energy access situation in developing countries, WHO and UNDP, 2009
EISD and CSD publications
EISD: http://pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1222_web.pdf
CSD:http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/natlinfo/indicators/methodology_sheets.pdf
317
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
319 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
318
230
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC6A
Proposed indicator
Change in mortality and burden of disease attributable to indoor smoke Change in mortality and burden of disease attributable to indoor smoke from
solid fuel use, and changes in these as a result of the replacement of
traditional bioenergy sources with biomass-based stoves
Suggested unit320
(if applicable)
Mortality, prevalence and/or incidence of (certain) diseases per unit energy (J1 etc.)
Criterion
Human health and safety
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 321 for which it is being proposed
 Lack of access to clean, efficient, modern energy in the home can
impact health in many ways. The most important direct health effects result
from the air pollution caused by burning solid fuels, often indoors on open
fires and simple stoves (Bruce et al. 2000; WHO 2006). The indoor use of
open fires or inefficient stoves in households releases large amounts of
smoke from incomplete combustion of solid fuels—primarily wood, but in
many cases coal, animal dung, and/or crop wastes. This smoke contains a
range of health-damaging pollutants including small soot or dust particles
that are able to penetrate deep into the lungs. Breathing this smoke affects
the health of all members of the family, but especially that of women and
their young children. (UNDP/WHO 2009)

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 A shift towards cleaner and more efficient modern fuels, such as
biogas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), biopropane, kerosene and ethanol
gelfuel could largely eliminate health risk and prevent 1.5 million deaths a
year globally. In the short-term, the promotion of more fuel-efficient and
cleaner technologies, such as improved cooking stoves, smoke hoods and
insulated retained heat cookers, could substantially reduce indoor air
pollution and would bring about many other convenience and
socioeconomic benefits (WHO:
320
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
321
231
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np20/en/).

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 SOC5: Access to energy
Direct effects include burns to children falling into fires, household fires,
and respiratory illnesses from indoor air pollution. Indirect effects include
the opportunity cost of time spent by women and children in collecting
fuel, injuries from carrying large amounts of wood, restrictions on
economic and educational activity due to poor air quality or lighting,
environmental degradation due to increased resource stress from
fuelwood collection, and the vulnerability of women to violence when
collecting fuel in areas of civil unrest and war (Schirnding et al. 2002).4
http://are.berkeley.edu/courses/envres_seminar/s2004/eyeh-swea.pdf
Comparison with alternative
energy options


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 coal

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 the comparison can be made with the most common forms of rural
household energy in the developing world: charcoal, firewood, dried dung
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. share of households for which dependence on non-commercial
(traditional) fuel exceeds 75% of total energy use
2. deaths and DALYs for ALRI, COPD and lung cancer, by age group
3. relative risk of ALRI, COPD and lung cancer when exposed to indoor air
pollution
4. acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI)
5. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
6. disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY)
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Proportion of population using solid fuels
World Health Organization. Fuel for life: household
energy and health. Geneva, WHO, 2006. Available
232
at http://www.who.int/indoorair/publications/fuelforlife/
en/index.html
World Health Organization, World Health Survey 2003.
Available at http://surveydata.who.int/index.html
Population data
United Nations estimates of the de-facto population
(2002 revision). Available at http://www.un.org/esa/
population/unpop.htm
Estimates of deaths and DALYs from ALRI, COPD and
lung cancer
World Health Organization, Death and DALY estimates
for 2002 by cause for WHO Member States. Available
at http://www.who.int/healthinfo/bod/en/index.html

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 The most important source of data on commercial and non-commercial
fuel and electricity consumption is household surveys. The results of
these surveys can be obtained from reports published by government
statistical agencies. About two-thirds of the developing countries have
conducted sample household surveys that are representative nationally,
and some of these provide high-quality data on living standards.
International agencies such as the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) also carry out their own surveys of households. Data on
household fuel and electricity consumption by average population are
available from the International Energy Agency (IEA) Energy Balances of
OECD Countries and Energy Balances of Non-OECD Countries.
Desai M, Mehta S, Smith KR. Indoor smoke from
solid fuels: assessing the environmental burden of
disease at national and local levels. Geneva, WHO,
2004. Environmental Burden of Disease Series No. 4.
Available at http://www.who.int/indoorair/publications/
indoorsmoke/en/index.html
Smith KR, Metha S, Feuz M. Indoor air pollution from
household solid fuel use. In: Ezzati M et al., eds.
Comparative quantification of health risks: global and
regional burden of disease attributable to selected
major risk factors. Geneva, WHO, 2004.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):

233

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 WHO’s Programme on Indoor Air Pollution
To combat this substantial and growing burden of disease, WHO has
developed a comprehensive programme to support developing countries.
WHO's Programme on Indoor Air Pollution focuses on:
- Research and evaluation
- Capacity building
- Evidence for policy-makers
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts322
 Burning solid fuels produces extremely high levels of indoor air
pollution: typical 24-hour levels of PM10 in biomass-using homes in
Africa, Asia or Latin America range from 300 to 3000 micrograms
per cubic metre (μg/m3). Peaks during cooking may be as high as 10 000
μg/m3. By comparison, the United States Environmental Protection
Agency has set the standard for annual mean PM10 levels in outdoor air
at 50 μg/m3; the annual mean PM10 limit agreed by the European Union is
40 μg/m3.
Inhaling indoor smoke doubles the risk of pneumonia and other acute
infections of the lower respiratory tract among children under five years
of age. Women exposed to indoor smoke are three times more likely to
suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), such as
chronic bronchitis or emphysema, than women who cook
with electricity, gas or other cleaner fuels.
"Fuel for life - Household energy and health" World Health Organization
2006

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 As cooking takes place every day of the year, most people using solid
322
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
234
fuels are exposed to levels of small particles many times higher than
accepted annual limits for outdoor air pollution. The more time people
spend in these highly polluted environments, the more dramatic the
consequences for health. Women and children, indoors and in the vicinity
of the hearth for many hours a day, are most at risk from harmful indoor
air pollution.
Switching to cleaner fuels and increasing fuel efficiency through better
stoves can reduce health risks for all family members. Beyond
curbing respiratory problems, a more secure household energy situation
enables water to be boiled and thus helps reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases. It can also increase the number of hot meals consumed
per day and thus improve food safety and nutrition. A closed, raised stove
prevents infants and toddlers falling into the fire or knocking over pots of
hot liquid and being
burned or scalded.
Closing the household energy gap can therefore be a springboard for
achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals.
Introducing household energy practices that, in addition to decreasing
levels of indoor smoke, save fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
can make an important contribution to achieving
Millennium Development Goal 7.
"Fuel for life - Household energy and health" World Health Organization
2006

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 323

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which324 one(s).
 Availability of data on the number of households or share of the
population without access to commercial energy or electricity may be a
limitation. Heavy dependence on non-commercial energy, defined as 75%
dependence on traditional energy, is an arbitrary benchmark for this
indicator.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)325
 Global indoor air pollution database
This Access database on indoor air pollution, commissioned by WHO and
developed by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley, aims
to provide the scientific community with an overview of measured
household indoor air pollution levels in about 250 communities around
the world. Researchers can review and analyze findings within and across
studies, and can either query the database directly or export the files into
323
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
325 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
324
235
a statistical programme for in-depth analysis.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=dcp2&part=A6048
The absence of pollution or exposure measurement in health studies
required use of a binary classification: the use or nonuse of solid fuels.
The authors obtained estimates of solid fuel use for 52 countries from a
range of sources, mostly household surveys, and statistical modeling was
used for countries with no data (the majority) (Smith, Mehta, and Feuz
2004). They assumed, conservatively, that all countries with a 1999 per
capita gross national product (GNP) greater than US$5,000 had made a
complete transition either to electricity or cleaner liquid and gaseous fuels
or to fully ventilated solid fuel devices. To account for differences in
exposure caused by variation in the quality of stoves, they applied a
ventilation factor (VF), set from 1 for no ventilation to 0 for complete
ventilation. In China, a VF of 0.25 was used for child health outcomes and
0.5 for adult outcomes, reflecting a period of higher exposure (to open
fires) before the widespread introduction of chimney stoves. Countries
with a 1999 GNP per capita greater than US$5,000 were assigned a VF of
0, and all other countries a value of 1, reflecting the very low rates of use
of clean fuels or effective ventilation technologies. The authors obtained
the final point estimate for exposure by multiplying the percentage of
solid fuel use by the VF. They arbitrarily assigned an uncertainty range of
±5 percent to the estimates.
236
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator SOC6B
Proposed indicator
Incidence of occupational injury, illness and fatalities - Incidences of
occupational injury, illness and fatalities in the production of bioenergy
Suggested unit326
(if applicable)
per ha (for comparison with other agricultural activities) or per MJ^-1 (for
comparison with alternative energy sources)
Criterion
Human health and safety
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 327 for which it is being proposed
 The indicator refers to safety and health at work and can help providing a
framework for assessing the extent to which workers are protected from
work-related hazards and risks (which relates to sustianbility of production in
general terms).
The indicator is used to assess the risk to human health derived from
bioenergy systems, with reference to other energy production sectors.
This kind of indicators are usually used by enterprises, governments and
other stakeholders to formulate policies and programmes for the prevention
of occupational injuries, diseases and deaths as well as to monitor the
implementation of these programmes and to signal particular areas of
increasing risk such as a particular occupation, industry or location. They
include the following:
Indicators of outcome: number of occupational injuries and diseases,
number of workers involved and work days lost;
Indicators of capacity and capability: number of inspectors or health
professionals dealing with occupational safety and health;
Indicators of activities: number of trainee days, number of inspections;
( http://www.ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Statistics/topics/Safetyandhealth/lang-en/index.htm)

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
326
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
327
237
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The indicator, properly calculated within the bioenergy production sector,
would help assess the sustainability of bioenergy production in general and
compared to other agricultural productions
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent measured
by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison can be made with occupational injury, illness and fatalities
that can occur in the energy production from fossil fuel

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison can be made with occupational injury, illness and fatalities
that can occur in the energy production from other energy sources
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Data on occupational injuries from National Organisations for Labour
Injury Insurance.
2. Bioenergy production sector in the country data.
3.
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Occupational Injuries/Illnesses and Fatal Injuries Profiles :
The Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities (IIF) program provides data on
illnesses and injuries on the job and data on worker fatalities. (The United
States Deparment of Labout http://www.bls.gov/IIF/#tables)
Most countries compile statistics on occupational injuries. In general these
come from the administrative reports of injuries submitted to agencies
responsible for compensation, labour inspection or occupational safety
and health. About 110 countries regularly send their data to the ILO for
publication in its Yearbook of Labour Statistics.
Current international statistical guidelines on occupational injuries are
238
found in the “Resolution concerning statistics of occupational injuries
(resulting from occupational accidents) - [ILO], adopted by the Sixteenth
International Conference of Labour Statisticians in 1998.
( http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---integration/--stat/documents/normativeinstrument/wcms_087528.pdf).
The Major Accident Reporting System (MARS) was set up by the European
Commission (EC) and is operated by the Major Accident Hazards Bureau
(MAHB) at the EC’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy. The Worldwide
Offshore Accident Databank (WOAD) was established by the Norwegian
organization Det Norske Veritas.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 within data collection regarding the agricultural sector a deeper analysis
by crop production could be evaluated
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

239
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts328


Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion


Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 329
 Data on occupational injuries combined with data from the State
Statistics Institute to highlight the interaction between the injury
frequency index trend and the production cycle—that is, the evolution of
industrial production throughout the years. Multiple regression with log
transformed rates can be adopted to model the trends of occupational
fatalities for each industrial group
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which330 one(s).
 Usually data on occupational injuries are collected by sector (for
bioenergy it is the agricultural sector) and it is not easy to disaggregate
impacts regarding energy crops from other crops.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)331
 Methodological descriptions of the national statistics of occupational
injuries disseminated by the ILO are produced and updated on the basis
of information supplied by the relevant national organizations in response
to special questionnaires. Information is also drawn from other sources,
including national and international publications and Web sites, and other
official documents provided to the ILO.
The main aim of producing these descriptions is to provide basic
information on the sources and methods used in each country in
compiling the statistics of occupational injuries disseminated by the ILO,
so as to enhance the usefulness of these data for different purposes, and
to indicate the differences between the national series as regards their
coverage, definitions, methods of measurement, methods of data
collection, reference periods, etc.
http://laborsta.ilo.org/applv8/data/SSM8/E/SSM8.html
328
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
329 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
330 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
331 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
240
New Methodologies for Collecting Occupational Injury Data
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/download/ktisi.pdf
241
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO0
Proposed indicator
Formal mechanisms regarding economic and energy security impacts
- Existence of formal mechanisms (e.g. legislation, policy, strategy and
protocol) at the national (or regional integration or sub-national, where
appropriate) level to (1) assess, (2) monitor and (3) address economic and
energy security impacts of bioenergy production and use.
- Extent to which these formal mechanisms include or aim at the following, in
the context of bioenergy feedstock production, conversion and/or use:
a stable regulatory framework for the bioenergy sector
support for bioenergy production and/or use, including: blending
quotas, tax measures (e.g. excise tax, eco-tax, value added tax, tax
exemptions), production incentives, reduced purchase price of goods, capital
grants, subsidies prices, tradable green certificate system, quota obligation,
tendering system, price bonus, feed-in-tariffs (and the extent to which these
measures are time-limited);
incentivization of technological improvements in the bioenergy sector,
and in particular those that explicitly address energy efficiency and resource
use efficiency;
creating a skilled workforce;
technology cooperation;
economic impact assessments, cost-benefit analyses or similar
(including public participation); and
regular collection and analysis of data on the economic impacts of
bioenergy production at the farm, processor, supplier or other economic
operator level.
Suggested unit332
(if applicable)
This indicator may entail the provision of a matrix of “yes”, “no” or other types
of such straightforward answers and invite users to provide more detail
(duration and nature of policy in place) and analyze in more depth the
coverage and balance of their legal, policy and institutional framework should
they deem this relevant to an assessment of the sustainability of their
bioenergy sector in their national (or regional integration or sub-national)
context.
Criterion
ECO 0: Legal, policy and institutional framework and governance regarding
the economic and energy security impacts of bioenergy
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application
332

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
242
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 333 for which it is being proposed
 This cross-cutting indicator addresses legal, policy, instiutional
framework and governance regarding economic sustainability through a
qualitative analysis of national formal mechanisms that address the
bioenergy sector.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 Public incentives and formal stable mechanisms may help to achieving
economic sustainability in the bioenergy sector and promote energy
security. However, government support without any foreseen time limit
may provide a disincentive for the sector to achieve efficiency gains, which
may result in a sector which is not sustainable in the long term since it
depends on government support.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 This indicator should include information on the policy instruments
relevant to the other economical indicators, as well as ENV 0 & SOC 0

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Existence of official policies and public incentives for the fossil fuels
industry.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 It might be a comparison between formal mechanisms supporting
bioenergy development and policies supporting other renewable energies
(such as wind, hydro, solar, geothermic).
333
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
243
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. In-depth cross-sectoral stock-taking (at a minimum), review and analysis
(preferable: see anticipated limitations) of existing formal mechanisms
(e.g. legislations, policies, strategies or protocols) at the national level
which are relevant for bioenergy. This will require contacting the different
branches of government (agriculture, energy, environment, etc.) and levels
of administration (national and sub-national) involved
2.
3.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 National legislation, policies, strategies or protocols related to
economic and energy security aspects of bio-energy.
IEA Database: Global Renewable Energy - Policies and Measures.
Available at: http://www.iea.org/textbase/pm/?mode=re

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Analysis of annual official gazette and annual national legislation
reports. Data collection strategies implemented by ministries of economy
and finance (or equivalent), ministries of production/ development (or
equivalent), national statistics institutes, national central banks, national or
regional bioenergy chambers, regional organizations.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Qualitative analysis of national legislation, policy and formal
mechanisms

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
244
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts334
 Qualititive analysis of national current legislation may contribute to
build a cross-cutting indicator that assess the impact of public policy in
the bioenergy production and use.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 National formal mechanisms may ensure a stable framework for private
and/or public investments in the bioenergy sector. Thus, if policy
addresses and/or supports the bioenergy production and use, it may
contribute to the economic sustainability and viability of the bioenergy
sector. Analysing policies may help to assess if the economic
sustainability of bioenergy is addressed and/or fostered by the
government. Although a stable institutional framework would not be
enough to guarantee economic sustainability, its absence may make its
development more complex.
Moreover, if a government is providing subsidies to the bioenergy sector
without foreseeing a gradual phasing out of these subsidies, this can
inform analysis of the long-term efficiency and therefore sustainability of
the sector.
Besides, "Energy security" can be described as "the uninterrupted
physical availability at a price which is affordable, while respecting
environment concerns” (IEA). Policy and stable institutional frameworks
pointed on energy security may address economic as well as
environmental and social concerns about the bioenergy use and
production. Analysing policies may also help to assess how energy
availability, access, source diversity and stability are addressed at
national level.
The combination of this indicator with quantitative indicators gives
334
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
245
insight in the effectiveness of sustainable bioenergy policies and could
be used as a tool to monitor progress.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 335

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which336 one(s).
 This indicator is a compilation of economic and energy security
information relevant to bioenergy production, conversion and use. It gives
information if legislation, policies, strategies or protocols are available
and is not necessarily quantifiable. In order to get more clarity on the
goals and anticipated effects of these policy instruments descriptive
information of these policies would be needed. The fact that policies do
exist does not indicate how comprehensive and effective they are or how
well they are implemented and therefore the extent to which the indicator
will contribute to inform decision making for sustainable bioenergy sector
development could be limited.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)337
 IEA-OECD "Deploying Renewables: Principles for Effective Policies",
2008
335
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
337 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
336
246
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO1A
Proposed indicator
Total Public Investment in Bioenergy
domestic investment and foreign investment
as % of total public investment in energy (for comparison within the
energy sector) and as % of GDP (for comparison outside of the energy sector,
e.g. with agriculture or another industrial sector)
total public investment in RD&D in bioenergy
Suggested unit338
(if applicable)
$/year and %
Criterion
Resource Availability and Use Efficiencies in Bioenergy Production,
Conversion, Distribution, and End-use
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 339 for which it is being proposed
 The indicator shows the amount of resources made available from the
public sector that is or could be directly applied to the development
(RD&D, production and use) of bioenergy.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Total public investment encompasses investment made by national
government, local government and public corporations. Availability of
public resources for investment in bioenergy provides important
information on domestic means of implementation and development of the
bionergy industry.
The separate figure for RD&D shows the extent to which the government is
investing in the future development and improvement of its bioenergy
sector, and hence is a key indicator for the longer-term sustainability of the
sector.
338
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
339
247
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ECO 4, ECO 5

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes,
specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
( FORMTEXT
Could be compared with Total Public Investment in
fossil fuel production and use

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
( FORMTEXT Could be compared with Total Public Investment in
the non-fossil fuel equivalent industry. For example, Total Public
Investment in renewable energies production and use.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Investments in bioenergy made by national and international
Governments
2. Investments in bioenergy made by local Governments
3. Investments in bioenergy made by national and international public
corporations
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Data on public investment by economic sectors and sub-sectors is
usually available from national budget documents, national statistical
yearbooks and reports, as well as from country economic review reports.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 In the absence of data from these reports specific technical studies
need to be undertaken using a standardized methodology as guidelines.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
248
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts340


Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion


Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level341

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which342
one(s).
( FORMTEXT
Separating out investment in bioenergy feedstock
RD&D and production from investment in agriculture as a whole may be
problematic, though simplifying assumptions could be made to apportion
340
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
341 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
342 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
249
investments to bioenergy.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy)
(
343
FORMTEXT
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
250
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO1B
Proposed indicator
Total private investment in bioenergy
domestic investment and foreign investment
as % of total private investment in energy (for comparison within the
energy sector) and (possibly) as % of value added (for comparison outside of
the energy sector, e.g. with agriculture or another industrial sector)
total private investment in RD&D in bioenergy
Suggested unit344
(if applicable)
$/year and % (in addition to the above suggestions, private investment in
RD&D could be expressed as % of value added or turnover for comparitive
purposes)
Criterion
Resource Availability and Use Effciencies in Bioenergy Production,
Conversion, Distribution and End-Use
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 345 for which it is being proposed
 The indicator shows the provision of private domestic and foreign
financing resources in the form of direct investments at the recipient
economy that is used or could be used to the development (production and
use) of bioenergy.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Both domestic investment and foreign investment are relevant to
resource availability, as well as to access to technology, technological
capabilities, and investments in R,D&D in the recipient country. For many
developing countries, foreign inflows are a major and relatively stable
source of external financing and thereby provide important means of
implementation of development goals and growth of the private sector. A
344
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
345
251
private sector that invests a significant proportion of its turnover into
RD&D might be considered to be contributing to the sustainable
development of the sector.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Total private investment in bioenergy can be compared with total private
investment in fossil fuel production and use in the recipient country.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Total private investment in bioenergy could be compared with total
private investment in the production and use of other sources of renewable
energy.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Domestic Investment in Bioenergy: Direct investment in bioenergy +
Investments in R,D&D for bioenergy + investments in capacity building for
bioenergy
2. Foreign investment in Bioenergy: Direct foreign investment in bioenergy
+ Investments in R,D&D for bioenergy + investments in capacity building
for bioenergy
3.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 The IPTS report 2009 on “R&D Investment in the Priority Technologies
of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan” discusses data
sources for biofuel R&D investment in EU countries. Availabe at:
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/jrc_reference_report_2009_
10_investment_set_plan.pdf
252

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data

Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts346
 Rather than mesuring the impact of bioenergy production and use this
indicator gives insights of the level of investment in bioenergy from
private sources, and its contribution to the economic sustainability of the
bioenergy sector in the recipient country.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
346
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
253
 Sustained economic growth, fuelled by investment, is needed for the
private sector to create more jobs and increase incomes of the poor. In
turn, this will generate the revenues that governments need to expand
access to health, education and infrastructure services and so help
improve productivity and promote sustainable development.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 347

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which348
one(s).
( FORMTEXT
Access to private sector data on investments,
especially in developing countries, could present a practical issue for the
development and accurate assessment of this indicator. A survey on
investments could be undertaken, although it may still present gaps on
investment data from the private sector.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)349
 Promoting Private Investment for Development , OECD:
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/23/40/36566902.pdf
347
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
349 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
348
254
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO1C
Proposed indicator
Production yields
bioenergy feedstocks (by feedstock)
conversion efficiencies (by technology and feedstock)
bioenergy end product (volume or energy content per hectare per year)
Suggested unit350
(if applicable)
- Bioenergy Feedstocks (by feedstocks): tonne/ha.year; l/ha.year
- Conversion Efficiencies (by technology and feedstocks): MJ/tonne; MJ/l
- Bioenergy end product (average): l/ha.year, MJ/ha.year (where feedstock
production is land-based)
Criterion
Resource Availability and Use Efficiencies in Bioenergy Production,
Conversion, Distribution and End-use
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 351 for which it is being proposed
 Production yields measures the efficiency that inputs are trasnformed
into end products. The indicator is formed by three values, indicating
namely the efficiency of the feedstock production, conversion and endproduct of biofuels for bioenergy purposes. A more efficient use of
resources and a more efficient production increases availability of
resources, reduces negative environmental impacts, and promote
economic sustainability.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Increasing production yields translate in more efficient use of inputs,
increasing resources availability and reducing the burden on the
environment. Decreased need of imputs reduces costs of production and
consequently increases profits. Both aspects are crucial for the
350
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
351
255
environmental and economic sustainability.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ENV 2

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Production yields of bioenergy feedstocks
2. Conversion Efficiencies of bioenergy feedstocks
3. Bioenergy end product
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Production yields of agricultural crops is available for main crops and
countries by FAOSTAT.
Available at: http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/default.aspx#ancor
Conversion efficiencies of bioenergy feedstocks need to capture the
trasnformation of feedstocks into liquid fuels, as well as for heat and
power generation. This also need to be applied to the calculation of
bioenergy end product.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data

Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
256
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 Conversion Efficiencies: Energy Indicators for Sustainable
Development: Guidelines and methodologies, IAEA, UN Department of
Economic and Social Affairs, IEA, Eurostat, and European Environemnt
Agency. IAEA 2005
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts352
( FORMTEXT
The indicator as defined relates to the productivity
of bioenergy feedstocks and the efficiency of their conversion,
distribution and end-use. However, in recognition that much bioenergy
feedstock production involves non-bioenergy feedstock production on
the same land or farm (e.g. through crop rotation, intercropping,
integrated crop and livestock production, or landscape management), the
indicator might be expanded in scope from production yields for
bioenergy feedstocks to all agricultural production on land used for
bioenergy feedstock production. The same principle could also be
applied to the conversion phase.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator
352
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
257
and the assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the
corresponding criterion
(
FORMTEXT
Bioenergy feedstocks yields indicates how efficient
inputs are being used for the production of feedstocks. The conversion
efficiency measures the efficiency of conversion by technology and
feedstocks into final product. Average bioenergy end product measures
the efficiency of the two previous factors. The more yields and more
efficient the transformation of feedstocks into end product, the less
inputs will be needed to obtain the same amount of end product. In other
words, a more efficient use of resources and a more efficient production
increases availability of resources, and reduces negative environmental
impacts.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 353
 The data could be collected at the national (or regional) level if
assessment on agricultural performance exist, otherwise at the field level,
on the basis of a determined criterion (es. considering the "n" biggest
producers of the considered feedstock in the country)
Similarly the data for the coversion phase could be collected at the
national (or regional) level if reports on efficiency of biofuel production
plants exist, otherwise at the processing plant level, on the basis of a
determined criterion (es. considering the n newest bioenergy processing
plants running in the country)
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which354 one(s).

References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)355

353
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
355 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
354
258
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO1D
Proposed indicator
Net energy balance
- Ratio of useful energy output to (fossil) energy input for available bioenergy
feedstocks and processing technologies
- Full lifecycle and/or
Ratio of energy needed for the production of one unit of feedstock to
energy value of inputs required for its growth
Ratio of energy content of one unit of biofuel produced (and coproducts) to energy content of feedstock input
Average energy efficiency of internal combustion engines of the
national car fleet and of national bioenergy plants for heat and power
generation
Suggested unit356
(if applicable)
ratio (no units)
Criterion
Resource availability and use efficiencies in bioenergy production,
conversion, distribution and end-use
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 The indicator also assesses the conversion phase of biofuels. This
doesn't apply to those biofuels that don't need to be processed (usually
other than gaseous and liquid biofuels)
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 357 for which it is being proposed
 Production of bioenergy requires energy as an input. Primary energy
needs of bioenergy production may be met through consuming biomass,
coal, natural gas, petroleum products, wind power, solar power or
hydropower. The more energy consumed during the bioenergy lifecycle,
the less energy is available to meet the nation’s competing energy needs.
356
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
357
259
The ratio of energy output to energy input is a useful indicator of the
relative energy efficiency of a given bioenergy production pathway.
Efficient use of energy is essential for improving energy security. Energy
security is enhanced through maximizing the amount of energy produced
per unit of bioenergy and minimizing the amount of energy consumed from
a lifecycle perspective.
The indicator directly relates with resource use efficiencies of the
bioenergy chain from an energy balance perspective.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 The higher the value for the energy balance of the production,
conversion (processing phase) and use of a certain bioenergy feedstock,
the more sustainable is the overall production from an energy balance
perspective. A value over one indicates that the quantity of energy that the
biofuel can release (in each of its production and use phases) is higher
than the amount of (non-renewable) energy needed for its production.
The third sub-indicator value gives a rough idea of the overall efficiency of
the two largest modern bioenenergy (biofuel) consumer sectors:
transportation and power generation.
The indicator will provide a basis for indentifying the most energy efficient
ways to produce bioenergy among a given set of options. In nations where
energy security is a heightened concern, the indicator may be used to
select appropriate feedstocks, technologies and practices.
The net energy balance can be computed as the ratio of useful energy
output to energy input or the ratio of useful energy output to fossil energy
input. In the latter case, the indicator also gives information on the
depletion of the nation's fossil fuel reserves and/or their dependence on
fossil fuel imports, which are other factors relevant to energy security
(criteria ECO 5 and 6).

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ENV 1A, ECO 1C, ECO 5

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes,
specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
( FORMTEXT
Refineries' efficiencies could be compared with
bioenergy processing plants (hence the second part of the indicator) and
the third part could apply to fossil fuels alike. Comparisons can be made
to fossil fuels including crude oil, tar sands, shale oil and heavy oil and
other alternatives contingent on available datasets or methods of
estimation.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
Yes
No
260
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
( FORMTEXT The overall life-cycle energy balance could be assessed
but indirect (embedded) energy inputs should be considered for a
comprehensive comparison with non-fossil alternatives
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Feedstock-specific agricultural yields
2. Energy needed for the production of chemicals and fertilizers production
and application
3. Indirect energy embedded in machinery
4. Other info on quantity and energy value of total primary and secondary
inputs
5. Efficiencies of conversion plants
6. Energy content of the feedstocks employed
7. Energy content of biofuels produced and relative co-products
8. Segmentation of national car fleet and about efficiencies of vehicles over
time
9. Efficiencies of "n" newst bioenergy power plants, as reported by the
plant owners
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 National and international reports about efficiency of car fleet,
efficiencies of bioenergy plants, national assessments on agricultural
performance, could be used as ready-available data sources, when
available

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 GREET or similar models could be used to estimate the energy of the
final product on the basis on the info about energy content of other inputs
Surveys at the "n" newest power plants and to car manufacturers or
monitoring end use data such as vehicle mileage
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
261
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological
approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one to assess the
impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from other possible impacts 358
 The energy output would be calculated by assessing the energy content of the
bioenergy under consideration. The energy inputs would be estimated by summing all the
energy required at each stage of bioenergy production and use using available data and
models.
Different metrics for net energy balance have been proposed. Some studies report energy
efficiency as a ratio of output to input while others report net energy value by subtracting
energy inputs from energy outputs. The U.S. government most commonly uses the net
energy ratio as its metric for energy efficiency of bioenergy production. Standardization of
metrics would be helpful for comparisons.
Most recent national survey of agricultural resources (less than 10 years old); energyrelated inputs averaged for at least 3 years could be used.
Lower heat value (LHV) of inputs and outputs should be considered in order to compare
methodologies on a common basis.
Energy content of fossil fuel inputs should be agreed (and referred)
How to calculate and account for energy for seeds production?
Energy value of fossil fuel inputs, basis for co-products allocation etc. should be
transparent (e.g. their energy value with relative methodology).
Data about energy requirements for fertilizer production should be based on a well known
methodology for GHG LCA.
The GBEP GHG Methodological Framework is to be used as a reference and common basis
to explicitely identify the assumption made and the steps covered in the bioenergy
production chain.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the assessment of the
358
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
262
aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding criterion
 The indicator is formed by up to four values, indicating namely the full lifecycle energy
balance, and then separately the efficiency of the feedstock production, conversion and
end-use of biofuels for bioenergy purposes. Regarding the end-use, cars and power plants
are considered as the main users for biofuels. Although in many regions of the world
traditional bioenergy is intended for household purposes, no modern biofuels (or a very
minor part) are used to this end. When traditional bioenergy is consumed only the first part
of the indicator has to be considered.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national level for data
that are not collected at that level359
 The data could be collected at the national (or regional) level if assessment on
agricultural performance exist, otherwise at the field level, on the basis of a determined
criterion (e.g. considering a sample of producers of the considered feedstock in the
country covering small-scale, large-scale, old and new etc.)
Similarly the data for the coversion phase could be collected at the national (or regional)
level if reports on efficiency of biofuel production plants exist, otherwise at the processing
plant level, on the basis of a determined criterion (e.g. considering a sample of bioenergy
processing plants running in the country or comparing different sample populations where
old and new technology is employed etc.)
Likewise info about bioenergy use could consider a sample of power plants in the country,
while info about the car fleet can be collected by private or public surveys.
Anticipated
limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which360 one(s).
 No reference methodology exist. Variations in the definition of net energy balance could
hinder comparisons. The suggestion is to use "well-known" methodologies for
calculations, clearly specifying which methodology has been used for the calculation of net
energy balances and the GBEP GHG Methodological Framework as a reference and
common basis to identify in a transparent way the assumption made and the steps covered
in the bioenergy chain.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies, technical manuals, or
case studies that you are aware of that explain or support the chosen methodological approach
(including from sectors other than bioenergy) 361
( FORMTEXT
The Energy Balance of Corn Ethanol: An Update. By Hosein
Shapouri, James A. Duffield, and Michael Wang. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office
of the Chief Economist, Office of Energy Policy and New Uses. Agricultural Economic
Report No. 814. http://www.usda.gov/oce/reports/energy/aer-814.pdf
USDA Economics Research Service: Agricultural Productivity in the United States
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/agproductivity/
GREET Model Documentation
http://www.transportation.anl.gov/modeling_simulation/GREET/publications.html#report
359
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
361 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
360
263
s
Well-to-wheels analysis of future automotive fuels and powertrains in the European
context - EUCAR CONCAWE JRC http://www.globalbioenergy.org/bioenergyinfo/biofuels-fortransportation/detail/en/news/6319/icode/2/
Farrell, A., Plevin, R., Turner, B., Jones, A., O’Hare, M, and D. Kammen: Ethanol Can
Contribute to Energy and Environmental Goals. Science, 27 January 2006 VOL 311,
Science. rael.berkeley.edu/EBAMM/FarrellEthanolScience012706.pdf
Huo, H., Wang, M., Bloyd, C., and V. Putsche. Life-Cycle Assessment of Energy and
Greenhouse Gas Effects of Soybean-Derived Biodiesel and Renewable Fuels. Argonne
National Laboratory, Energy Systems Division. 2008.
www.transportation.anl.gov/pdfs/AF/467.pdf - 2008-08-15
264
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO1E
Proposed indicator
"Rate of return" on bioenergy production (including co- and by-products)
Suggested unit362
(if applicable)
It is not yet clear and it will need to be decided if this ratio will be considered
or if the ECO 1G is indeed more adequate and this could be expressed as a
ratio as well
Criterion
Resource efficiencies in bioenergy production, conversion, distribution and
end-use
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion363 for which it is being proposed
 The efficiency of use of the bioenergy crop (according to pathway)
determining co-products and by-products

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 The efficiency in terms of energy and genereal use of the crop will range
it s sustainability if more co-producst and by-products are obtained and
related to the efficiency and the reduction on GHG

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 With the environmental GHG and with ECO 1G

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

362
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
363
265

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1.
2.
3.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of


Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data

Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

266
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts364


Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion


Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 365

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which366 one(s).

References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)367

364
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
365 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
366 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
367 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
267
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO1F
[Note: The Sub-Group leaders propose that the Task Force discuss whether ECO 1F should be a single indicator on
agrochemical input use efficiencies with ECO 1F.1-1F.3 presented as options for measuring this single indicator. The proposed
classification of 1F.1-1F.3 is therefore bracketed and applies only in the case that the Task Force wishes to retain these as
separate indicators.
The Task Force might also like to consider another approach (for example a combined indicator on fertiliser use efficiency or
comparing the levels of land productivity with the levels of inputs – see ENV 2A above).]
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO1F.1
Proposed indicator
Phosphorus (P) use efficiency
Suggested unit368
(if applicable)
g/MJ
Criterion
Resource availability and use efficiencies in bioenergy production, conversion,
distribution and end-use
Component
(if applicable)
Agrochemical input use efficiencies
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 Bioenergy produced from agricultural feedstock
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 369 for which it is being proposed
 P is a limited natural resource not possible to replace. Application of P as a
fertiliser involves cadmium (CD) as a contaminant to the soil. Hence, the both the
quantity and the efficiency of P application is of importance to the criterion.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 At national level the amount of P necessary to compensate cultivation
harvesting is a good indicator of the degree of recycling established - is biomass
ash clean and recycled as a mineral fertiliser or are organic residues recycled via
fodder - manure chain. For exported products the P in exported biomass can be
compensated in the indicator.
 When a larger fraction of added P fertiliser is found in harvested crops the
cultivation is more efficient.
368
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
369
268
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ENV 2, ENV 4

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

Availability of data
sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. content of P in harvest and fraction recovered/recycled
2. amount of P applied
3. amount of energy produced
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 P content of crops and other biomass

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data

Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
269
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):
 Can be farm specific but ash recycling from final user of solid biofuels more
realistic on national or regional scale.
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 UN DESA Indicators of Sustainable Development use a combined fertiliser
use efficiency indicator.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts370
 Ideally the indicator would be calculated as the mass (g) of Phosphorus applied to
the land which is not found in the harvested biomass or otherwise recycled per MJ of
energy to final consumer or MJ (or dry tonne) harvested energy crop produced by this
land.
Alternatively and more simply, one could measure the mass (g) of P applied to the
land per MJ of energy to final consumer or MJ (or dry tonne) harvested energy
cropThe co-incineration of crop residues with coal versus the use of the same
material within closed agricultural recycling (to be developed)

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 The ratio of the mass of Phosphorus applied to the land to the mass not
absorbed by the feedstock shows the efficiency of use of the (finite) resource of
Phosphorus. If the alternative (simpler) indicator is used, the indicator shows the
pressure on the finite supply of this resource due to bioenergy production and
can be used to compare different bioenergy production pathways on the basis of
the amount of Phosphorus they require in order to produce one unit of useful
energy.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the national
level for data that are not collected at that level371

370
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
371 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
270
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which372 one(s).
 It might be difficult to find aggregated information about P use (especially
for bioenergy feedstock production only), since farmers and agrocompanies might be reluctant to provide this information hence their use
may affect the environment.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)373

372
373
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
271
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO1F.2
Proposed indicator
Suggested unit
(if applicable)
374
Nitrogen (N) use efficiency
g N/MJ harvested crop or bioenergy
Criterion
Resource availability and use efficiencies in bioenergy production, conversion,
distribution and end-use
Component
(if applicable)
Agrochemical input use efficiencies
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 Bioenergy produced from agricultural feedstock
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 375 for which it is being proposed
 This indicator measures the use of N fertilizers in agriculture which are
linked to the intensification of agriculture (used as bioenergy feedstock)
(UN DESA, 2007)
.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 In cultivation N fertilisers represent a significant fraction of energy input and nitrous
oxide is formed both in fertiliser production and from N metabolism in soils. Measuring
the amount of N used in agriculture - especially bioenergy feedstock production - in
can help to assess their increase or decrease in relation to changes in the agricultural
production system. Efficient monitoring of N fertiliser use (kg N/ha) is required)
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ENV 4

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know
374
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
375
272

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. amount of N used as fertiliser for bioenergy feedstock production
2.
% of applied N incorporated in harvested crops
3.
% of this N ending up in fodder by product and/or being recycled as
fertiliser
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Amount of N used as fertiliser is available at farm level or nationally as
averages.
Fraction of N included in harvest can be calculated from harvested volume and
its composition.
Recycling via fodder-manure from regional/national statistics.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data

Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 mixed data from farm to national level

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
273
Other, specify which one(s):
 mixed data from farm to national level
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 UN DESA Indicators of Sustainable Development use a combined fertiliser
use efficiency indicator.
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts376
 When a larger fraction of added N fertiliser is found in harvested crop the
cultivation is less polluting via N leaching to water courses and resulting in
secondary formation of nitrous oxide. A crop fixing atmospheric nitrogen and
delivering this in food/feed co/by-products for recovery in food-manure recycling
is more effective.
N in fuel products will be reduced to nitrogen gas when fuel is used while N
leaving as protein will provide a high quality service in fodder/food. N-feriliser
incorporated in energy crops and reduced to nitrogen gas when fuel is used can
only contribute modestly to formation of nitrous oxide while N forming protein
and entering fodder-manure circulation has much more significant emission of
nitrous oxide - but this formation must be split and allocated to the various steps
in the circulation.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 N inefficient use may affect bioenergy sustainability during
agricultural production of bioenergy feedstock. N fertilizers applied to
increase agriculture yields can result in excess nutrients flowing into waterways
via surface runoff and infiltration to groundwater. Nutrient pollution can have
significant impacts on water quality.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 377

376
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
377 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
274
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which378 one(s).
 It might be difficult to find aggregated information about N use (especially
for bioenergy feedstock production only), since farmers and agrocompanies might be reluctant to provide this information hence their use
may affect the environment.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)379

378
379
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
275
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO1F.3
Proposed indicator
Pesticides use efficiency
Suggested unit380
(if applicable)
g/kg of active ingredients (pesticide) / unit agricultural land area used for
bioenergy feedstock production
Criterion
Resource availability and use efficiencies in bioenergy production,
conversion, distribution and end-use
Component
(if applicable)
Agrochemical input use efficiencies
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:
 Bioenergy produced from agricultural feedstock
Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 381 for which it is being proposed
 This indicator measures the use of pesticides in agriculture which are
linked to the intensification of agriculture (used as bioenergy feedstock)
(UN DESA, 2007)

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 Measuring the using of pesticides can help to assess their increases or
decreases in relation to changes in the agricultural production as
bioenergy feedstock

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ENV 2, ECO 0

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
380
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
381
276


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:

II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. amount of active ingredients of pesticide / unit of agricultural land area used
for bioenergy feedstock production
2.
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of


Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 data collection implemented by the ministry of agriculture (or
equivalent), national statistics institutes, ministry of environment (or
equivalent), research centers, universities, faculties of agronomy (or
equivalent)
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

277
Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 FAO - International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of
Pesticides
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts382
 This indicator measures the use of pesticides in agriculture, which are
linked to the intensification of the agriculture for the production of
bioenergy feedstocks. Whereas pesticides may increase agricultural
production, they pose challenges to health and environment if there used
in an inefficient way (UNDESA, 2007).

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Pesticides inefficient use may affect bioenergy sustainability during
agricultural production of bioenergy feedstocks. Pesticides tend to
accumulate in the soil and in biota, and residues may reach surface and
groundwater through leaching. Humans can be exposed to pesticides
through food (UNDESA, 2007).

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 383

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which384 one(s).
 It might be difficult to find aggregated information about pesticides use,
since farmers and agro-companies might be reluctant to provide this
information hence their use may affect the environment.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)385
 UN DESA, Indicators of Sustainable Development: Guidelines and
Methodologies, October 2007, Third Edition
382
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
383 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
384 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
385 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
278
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO2A
Proposed indicator
Total current domestic consumption and production of bioenergy
- Liquid biofuels and other bioenergy products, including wastes and residues
- Projections for consumption and production from nationally recognized
sources could also be included for reference and planning purposes
- Potential bioenergy production, including from wastes and residues, could
be estimated separately (though this requires a sophisticated methodology,
taking into account sustainability constraints and competition for resources)
Suggested unit386
(if applicable)
MJ/year and MJ/year/capita
Criterion
Economic development
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 387 for which it is being proposed
 This indicator is meant to give insight in the size of the bioenergy sector
in a country and can therefore help national governments estimate the role
of bioenergy in the economic development of that country.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 see aboveFor reference and planning purposes countries can also evaluate
Projected Domestic Consumption and Production.
Assesment of potential bioenergy production from national biomass
sources (primary production and rest/waste streams) gives insight in the
role bioenergy can play in the national energy mix or in the ammount of
additional import nescesarry to achieve national bioenergy goals. As the
potential bio-energy production should not interfere with the demand for
food and feed production, a realistic estimate of the potential for bioenergy
386
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
387
279
production could help policy makers to make sustainable choices.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ECO 2B, ECO 5C

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 The current consumption and production of bioenergy can be compared
with the domestic fossil fuel consumption and production.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 The current domestic consumption and production of bioenergy can be
compared with the domestic fuel consumption and production from other
renewable sources: wind, water, solar, tidal.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Current domestic bioenergy production (MJ/yr)
2. Current domestic bioenergy consumption (MJ/yr)
3. # of inhabitants (to calculate MJ/yr/capita)
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you are
aware of

- IAE-Bioenergy country reports
(http://www.bioenergytrade.org/t40reportspapers/055f1e9c420c24b02/index.html)
- IEA: Bioenergy - a sustainable and reliable energy source. A review of status
and prospects. (http://www.ieabioenergy.com/LibItem.aspx?id=6479)
- VIEWLS: Clear Views on Clean Fuels, Data, Potentials, Scenarios, Markets and
Trade of Biofuels (http://www.managenergy.net/products/R329.htm)
- REFUEL: Assessment of biomass potentials for biofuel
feedstock production in Europe: Methodology and results
- WAB Biomass Assesment, 2008, Lysen E ; Egmond S van (eds)
(http://www.pbl.nl/en/publications/2008/Assessment_of_global_biomass
_potentials_MainReport.html)
- National reports on bioenergy potential
280

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented to
address key gaps in the available data
 Statistical data from (inter)national statistics agencies, scenario development.
Type of
measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about
other international
processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts388
 Because this indicator will provide insight in the size of the bioenergy
sector in a country it can help to estimate the impact of this sector in
economic development.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 see above

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 389
388
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
389 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
281

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which390
one(s).
( FORMTEXT
The measurement of this indicator is dependant on
the availability of sufficient and reliable data. If a country can't make use
of exsisting data/studies this can lead to considerable effort and costs.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy)
( FORMTEXT
- Macroeconomic impacts of bioenergy production
on surplus agricultural land—A case study of Argentina:
Birka Wickea, Edward Smeets, Andrzej Tabeaub, Jorge Hilbertc and
André Faaij, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Volume 13, Issue 9, December 2009, Pages 2463-2473
- - Smeets et.al. 2006: Bottom-up methodologies for assessing technical
and economic bioenergy production potential, in: Agriculture and climate
beyond 2015 A New Perspective on Future Land Use Patterns, eds: Floor
Brouwer and Bruce A. McCarl
(http://www.springerlink.com/content/g262433564147102/)
- Fischer et al., 2005 Assessment of ecophysiological biomass yields
- Hoogwijk et al., 2005 Integrated assessment based on SRES scenarios
- Hoogwijk et al., 2004 Cost-supply curves of biomass based on
integrated assessment
- Obersteiner et al., 2006 Biomass supply from afforestation/
reforestation activities
- Perlack et al., 2005 Biomass supply study based on outlook studies
from agriculture and forestry
- Rokityanski et al., 2007 Analysis of land use change mitigation options;
- Smeets et al., 2007 Bottom-up assessment of bioenergy potentials
- Wolf et al.,2003 Bottom-up assessment of bioenergy potentials mainly
analyzing food supplies
390
391
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
282
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO2B
Proposed indicator
Total current Export and Imports of Bioenergy Products
- Liquid Biofuels and other products
- Projections for exports and imports from nationally recognized sources
could be included separately for reference or planning purposes
- Potential bioenergy export figures could be estimated separately (though this
may require a sophisticated methodology taking into account projected
domestic production and consumption, parity prices, international demand
and competing suppliers)
Suggested unit392
(if applicable)
MJ/year; $/year; % of total exports
Criterion
Economic Development
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion393 for which it is being proposed
 Importing and/or exporting bioenergy has an impact on the foreign
exchange reserves fo the country. There is close connection between
export expansion and economic development. Adopting a sustained
export-oriented policy provides countries with an additional revenue that if
used properly can promote sustainable economic development.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Trade can play a major role in achieving sustainable development.
Exports from developing countries and from LDCs constitute a major
source of external financing for sustainable development of those
countries.The proposed indicator also indicates the ability of the country
to access markets and remain competitive, and the contribution of the
bioenergy sector to the National Balance of Payments.
392
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
393
283
Aiming to a more complete assessment and if there are data available,
countries can also evaluate potential export and import of bioenergy.
To develop an indicator on potential exports a number of different aspects
need to be taken into consideration, such as production and consumption
of bioenergy and its production surplus, competitiveness of the product in
the international market, international demand, trade barriers, among
others. By the other hand, to calculate potential imports it would need to
take into consideration availability of the bioenergy product worldwide,
trade barriers, competitiveness of the imported product agains locally
produced bioenergy, assessment of potential suppliers and reliability of
supply, among others aspects.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ECO 2C, ECO 3

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Toatl export and imports of Bioenergy products can be compared with
Total Export and imports of fossil fuels equivalent products.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
( FORMTEXT
Total export and imports of bioenergy products can
be compared with Total Export and imports of other renewable energy
products.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Total exports of Liquid biofuels
2. Total exports of other bioenergy products
3. Total Imports of Liquid Biofuels
4. Total imports of other bioenergy products
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Data available for Liquid biofuels export and Primary Solid Biomass
Exports at the International Energy Agency (IEA) Database- Statistics on
Renewables
284
(http://www.iea.org/stats/prodresult.asp?PRODUCT=renewables)

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data

Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts394


Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Total export and import of bioenergy products is an important
information to assess the economic sustainability of the bionergy sector.
However, it is not enough by itself. Other aspects need to be taken into
consideration as well as the specific country conditions and goals.
394
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
285

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 395

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which396
(
References

one(s).
FORMTEXT
List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy)397

395
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
397 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
396
286
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO2C
Proposed indicator
International Currency Flows related to bioenergy production and use
(National Balance of Payments)
Suggested unit398
(if applicable)
$; $/MJ
Criterion
Economic Development
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 399 for which it is being proposed
 This indicator aims to measure the contribution of the bioenergy
production and use to the the country's National Balance of Payments.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 A Balance of Payments is an accounting record of all monetary
trasnsactions between a country and the rest of the world. These
trasnsactions include payments for the country's export and imports of
good and services and financial capital, as well as financial trasnfers.
Assessing the balance of these transactions for the bioenergy production
and use help governments to estimate the contribution of bioenergy to the
economic development of the country.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ECO 2B

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
398
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
399
287
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 It could be compared with the contribution of fossil fuel production and
use to the National Balance of Payments

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 It could be compared with the contribution of other renewable energies
to the National Balance of Payments
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Payments for the country's exports of bioenergy goods, services,
financial capital and financial transfers
2. Payments for the country's imports of bioenergy goods, services,
financial capital and financial transfers
3.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 Data on National Balance of Payments is usually available from national
budget documents, national statistical yearbooks and reports, as well as
from country economic review reports. In the absence of data from these
reports specific technical studies need to be undertaken using a
standardized methodology as guidelines.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data

Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
288


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts400
 This is not an indicator that assess the impact of bioenergy production
and use, but rather indicates the contribution of bioenergy to the National
Balance of Payments, and consequently help assess its role in the
economic development of the country.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion


Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 401

400
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
401 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
289
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which402 one(s).

References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)403

402
403
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
290
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO2D
Proposed indicator
Value added by the bioenergy sector
- Gross value added per unit of energy produced and (for the whole country)
as % of GDP
- Where possible, net value added, where depreciation of fixed capital is
included (in particular depreciation of natural capital, e.g. depletion of fossil
fuel reserves, degradation of land and depletion of forest resources)
Suggested unit404
(if applicable)
$/MJ, $/year and %
Criterion
Economic development
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion405 for which it is being proposed
 The most commonly used indicator of economic development is GDP
or GNP per capita, reflecting an increase in the economic productivity and
average material wellbeing of a country's population. Economic
development is closely linked with economic growth (World Bank). To
reflect the contribution of a sector to GDP, gross value added (GVA) is the
measure normally used. This is defined as difference between sales and
intermediate consumption (see methodology).
There is much criticism of the use of GDP to measure economic
development, particularly in the context of sustainable development, since
conversion of natural resources (natural capital) and into financial gains is
rewarded in GDP with no accounting for the depletion of these natural
resources. For this reason, in green accounting, net domestic product
(NDP, for a country) or net value added (NVA, for a sector or region) is
used, where the depreciation of fixed capital - including natural capital
such as fossil fuel reserves, land and forests - is subtracted from GDP or
GVA.
404
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
405
291
So whilst GVA for the bioenergy sector is proposed as a good measure of
the short-term contribution to economic development of the bioenergy
sector, ideally NVA would be estimated and compared with the NVA of
other energy sources. In this analysis, the depletion of natural capital (as
opposed to produced capital, such as infrastructure) is particularly
important to inform an assessment of the long-term contribution of the
sector to the economic development of the country.
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 The indicator shows the size of the contribution to the national
economy of the bioenergy sector.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ECO 2G, 3D, 3F

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator

Yes
No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison can be made with any industry. As mentioned above,
ideally net value added would be used to show a more meaningful
comparison between different energy sources, particularly regarding the
longer-term outlook.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison can be made with any energy source - see above.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Total output value (= change in inventories + sales revenues + own final
consumption)
2. Intermediate inputs
3. Depreciation of fixed capital
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 National accounts

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Data collection strategies implemented by national statistic institutes,
ministries of energy, finance (or equivalent), agriculture (or equivalent),
292
regional governments, national bioenergy chambers, national central
banks. A value chain analysis system may need to be established prior to
data collection in countries where this kind of accounting is not done.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts406
 Gross value added = Total output value - Intermediate inputs
Net value added = Gross value added - Depreciation of Fixed Capital
Bioenergy producers would be surveyed regarding their production
accounts. The methodological approach would include definig the
bioenergy value chain. If this includes the feedstock production phase,
calculating the GVA of the bioenergy sector (i.e. its contribution to the
economy) requires determining which agricultural feedstock production
is destined for bioenergy production, or making simplifying assumptions
(e.g. if 10% of one crop produced in the country is used for bioenergy, so
10% of the GVA by those producing this crop counts towards bioenergy)
to allow this disaggregation to be made.
For the NVA, disaggregation of the land degradation and deforestation
caused by bioenergy production as opposed to other causes is required.
This might be assisted by other indicators in this set under ENV 2 and
ENV 6 criteria.
406
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
293

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 It may be difficult to define whether GVA or NVA and therefore changes
in GDP or NDP will necessary lead to economic development, and
moreover, to sustainable development. However, the user of these
indicators can make their own assessment, given the stage of economic
development of their country, as to the link between increasing GDP and
economic development, taking into account other factors.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 407

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which408 one(s).
 Gross value added can be obtained quite simply once the appropriate
accounting system is put in place. In the absence of such a system, a
simple alternative to use in order to try to assess the contribution of the
bioenergy sector to the economy would be the evolution of GDP with
national bioenergy production ($/MJ).
Estimation of the depreciation of natural capital is a more complicated
exercice, though simple tools have been created by e.g. FAO and the
World Bank (see references).
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)409
 Value Chain Analysis for Policy Making, soon to be made available on
www.fao.org/easypol
World Bank resources on green accounting, calculation of adjusted net
savings, evaluation of environmental degradation: www.worldbank.org
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/sna1993/toctop.asp?L1=7
407
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
409 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
408
294
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO2E
Proposed indicator
Suggested unit410
(if applicable)
Criterion
Change in foreign exchange balance - due to displacement of fossil fuel
imports by bioenergy production (and/or imports) and bioenergy exports
US$million/year
Economic development
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some,
(
Relation to criteria and
sustainability

please list them:
FORMTEXT
Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion for which it is being
proposed
( Importing and/or exporting fuel (both fossil or bioenergy) has an impact
on the foreign exchange reserves. Also the use of locally sourced and
produced biomass for bioenergy can change the foreign exchange reserves
once fossil fuels are displaced by this domestic production and use of bioenergy.
The changes in the mix of imported/exported/produced fuels therefore have a
direct effect on the foreign exchange reserves, both for countries exporting and
importing or producing fossil fuel or bioenergy.
It is possible that producing bioenergy in a country may itself be more expensive
than importing fossil fuel, however the associated revenues and economic
benefits with building a national bioenergy industry could have a net positive
impact on economic development. It is also possible that importing liquid biofuels
may be more expensive than importing fossil fuel. In this case, blending
mandates would be the driver of such imports.
Foreign exchange reserves are immensely important to the economic
development of all countries, since they provide the means to purchase imports
and to protect the value of their currency.
410
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
411
295

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Net foreign exchange changes in US$million / year for import/export of fossil
fuels and bioenergy will give an indication of whether and to what extent that
country is economically better or worse off due to imports/exports of bioenergy.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 SOC 1B, SOC 1D
 SOC 5B
ECO 2A-C, 2G
ECO
3E
(ECO 5B-E, 5G
Comparison with
alternative energy
options


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
FORMCHECKBOX
Yes
FORMCHECKBOX
No
FORMCHECKBOX
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison can be made with existing foreign exchange balance due to fossil
fuel

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison could be made with foreign exchange balance due to other
renewable energy, or possibly even comparison between different forms of
bioenergy.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

Availability of data
sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Foreign exchange income / outgoings from exports / imports of
bioenergy and fossil fuel
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 National governments – Finance Ministries

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
296
 Where not done so already, countries would need to keep track of foreign
exchange incomes / outgoings for bioenergy and fossil fuel as part of their Gross
National Product statistics
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts412
Methodology:
change in foreign exchange = foreign exchange earnings from bioenergy
exports + foreign exchange earnings from avoided fossil fuel imports – foreign
exchange expenditure on bioenergy imports
(Part of this sum is addressed in ERIA 2007 (see references):
Foreign Exchange Earnings = Price per unit of convertible material x Total
volume of exports
412
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
297
Foreign Exchange Savings = Amount (in weight) of biomass x Density of
biomass x Foreign exchange savings per fossil fuel displacement)
Countries will need to make sure that foreign exchange data is available for
bioenergy separate to fossil fuel data. If the two can be separated out then the
impact of bioenergy on foreign exchange balance can be assessed.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Understanding the net foreign exchange savings from bioenergy exports
and/or avoided bioenergy or fossil fuel imports will allow policy makers to
understand the economic benefits from bioenergy to the country’s economy as a
whole.
However policy makers will also need to carry out assessment of the situation
behind the headline numbers as increasing imports/exports of bioenergy and
fossil fuel can have a number of determining factors.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 413
( Aggregation of regional level data would also be possible (e.g. data
from provinces or local/regional chambers of commerce)
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the
measurement of the indicator
FORMCHECKBOX
Yes
FORMCHECKBOX
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which414 one(s).
 Allocation of foreign exchange to bioenergy for countries where data is not
disaggregated by energy source.
 Accounting for bioenergy not traded in formal markets or for off-grid rural
areas. For example use of locally-gathered wood for burning.
 The link between increasing / decreasing imports / exports of bioenergy and
fossil fuels is not direct. For example, decreasing imports of fossil fuels could be
due to increasing imports of bioenergy or increasing domestic production of
bioenergy. It could also, however, be due to for example lower economic activity
or increasing energy efficiency.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)415
 ERIA Research Project Report 2007 No. 6-3: Investigation on Sustainable
Biomass Utilisation Vision in East Asia
413
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
415 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
414
298
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO2F
Proposed indicator
Impact on economic development of additional infrastructure development
(e.g. roads, telecoms) as a result of bioenergy development
Suggested unit416
(if applicable)
% new infrastructure built for bioenergy production, transport and use
purposes / total national new infrastructure built per year
% bioenergy infrastructure built / GDP per year
Total public and private investment in bioenergy infrastructure building
($/year)
Criterion
Economic development
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion417 for which it is being proposed
 Bioenergy development may directly affect economic development,
since economic development may be helped by large capital investment in
infrastructure such new technologies, roads and networks needed to
produce, consume and transport bioenergy.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 Measuring new infrastructure building influenced by bioenergy
development will contribute to assessment if bioenergy activities are
economically sustainable.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ECO 1A, ECO 1B

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
416
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
417
299

No
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison with infrastructure building used for fossil fuel production,
transport and use

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Infrastructure development of the bioenergy sector and facilities created
through the development of other sectors of renewable energy (such as
wind, solar, hydro, geothermic) could be compared.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. - total public and private investment in new technologies used for
cultivation and harvesting bioenergy crops ($/year)
- number of new roads, networks, rails and electrical interconnections built
less than 50kms far from new liquid biofuel production and blending
plants, cogeneration plants fed by biomass, and bioenergy dedicated lands
/ year
- number of new facilities built for liquid biofuel production, storage,
blending and distribution purposes / year
- number of new heat, power and CHP plants fed by biomass / year
- GDP ($ / year)
- % bioenergy sector / total GDP
- % GDP growth (%/year)
- % bioenergy sector growth / GDP growth
2.
3.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of


Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Data collection strategies implemented by national statistic institutes,
ministries of energy, finance (or equivalent), agriculture (or equivalent),
regional governments, national bioenergy chambers, national central
banks.
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
300
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts418
 Economic development implies a qualitative change and restructuring
in a country's economy in connection with technological and social
progress. The main indicator of economic development is increasing GNP
per capita (or GDP per capita), reflecting an increase in the economic
productivity and average material wellbeing of a country's population.
Economic development is closely linked with economic growth (World
Bank).
Economic development may involve large capital investment in
infrastructure, such as roads, telecoms, and networks. Thus, when
bioenergy development produces an increase in capital investment in
infrastructure, national economic development may be indirectly
influenced. Measuring improvements of infrastructure caused by
increased bioenergy production, transport and use helps to assess the
impact of bioenergy development in GDP growth.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
418
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
301
 The more efficient and modern the bioenergy infrastructure, the more it
will ensure the economic sustainability of bioenergy production, transport
and use.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 419

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which420 one(s).
 It might be difficult to specify which new facilities and networks have
been built as a result of the development of the bioenergy sector. The link
between both variables remains quite abstract and it is difficult to
measure how much the economic development was influenced by
bioenergy sector development.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)421
 The World Bank, "Beyond Economic Growth. An Introduction to
Sustainable Development. Second Edition", 2004
419
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
421 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
420
302
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO2G
Proposed indicator
Possibility of accessing international mechanisms such as CDM and GEF
projects
Suggested unit422
(if applicable)
Contribution of GEF funds and CDM mechanisms (received for the bioenergy
sector) to macroeconomic sustainability [ranking]
Total financial resources received for bioenergy projects by GEF and by CDM /
GDP [ratio]
Criterion
Economic development
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 423 for which it is being proposed
 The indicator provides information about impacts of GEF/CDM projects
on national economy. It also helps to understand the easyness to access
these resources.
Further, a relative (to GDP) large amount of funds received by a country
testimonies access to international opportunities for funding of bioenergy
projects

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 The indicator gives a qualitative idea of the contribution of this type of
funding options to economic sustainability of the bioenergy sector. The
alleviation of the burden on public savings will be measured by the
reduction of direct government (national, provincial and local) investments
(including budgets of state enterprises) made possible by the foreign
private investment in the CDM project (in comparison with the baseline).
One aim of GEF and CDM is to ensure sustainable development

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
422
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
423
303

Comparison with alternative
energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes,
(

specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
FORMTEXT
Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
FORMCHECKBOX
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Similarly the contribution of funds received for other RE could be
assessed against their contribution to alleviate public expenditure
Likewise the total financial resources received through GEF/CDM for other
RE projects could be assessed
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Total funds received by the bioenergy sector through the GEF
2. Total funds received by the bioenergy sector through CDM
3. Info on GDP
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 GEF database and CDM reports

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Only financial flows of last "n" years could be considered
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):

304

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts424
 Correlation between economic development of the bioenergy sector
and financial resources received through CDM mechanisms and GEF
funds.
The challenge is to calculate the saving of public financial resources net
of subsidies and to ascertain the additionality of the foreign private
investment.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion


Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 425

424
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
425 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
305
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which426
one(s).
( FORMTEXT
This indicator applies just to countries that can host
CDM or are entitled for GEF support
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy)
( FORMTEXT
Sustainability Indicators used in the
SouthSouthNorth Project http://www.southsouthnorth.org/
http://www.iied.org/pubs/pdfs/G00083.pdf
426
427
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
306
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO3A
Proposed indicator
Local bioenergy parity prices, compared to competing energy sources
- Local bioenergy parity prices, compared to relevant parity prices of
competing domestic and international energy sources
- Subsidies required to enable domestic bioenergy production to compete with
fossil fuels (domestic and imported) and imported bioenergy
Suggested unit428
(if applicable)
$/MJ, %
Criterion
Economic viability and competitiveness of bioenergy
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 429 for which it is being proposed
 Bioenergy is a renewable energy often used to substitute fossil fuel. For
this reason, its economic viability and competitiveness may depend on
fossil fuels prices (domestic and international), international bioenergy
prices and government subsidies or taxes. This indicator intends to
measure local bioenergy parity prices in relation to those of domestic and
imported fossil fuels and imported bioenergy and define whether local
bioenergy is economically viable and competitive at the national level.
The subsidy required to enable domestic bioenergy to compete with other
energy sources is an indicator of the longer-term viability, competitiveness
and economic sustainability of the domestic bioenergy sector.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 (See above.) This indicator will assess bioenergy prices compared to
competing energy sources since it assumes that prices are directly linked
to the economic viability of the bioenergy production and use. If the
bioenergy sector in a country can be economic viable and competitive will
probably be economically sustainable.
428
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
429
307

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also
inform
ECO 3C, 3F
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes,
specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
( FORMTEXT
Local bioenergy parity prices can be compared with
the equivalent domestic and international fossil fuel parity prices ($/MJ)

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Local bioenergy parity prices can be compared with the equivalent
domestic and international alternative renewable energy parity prices
($/MJ)
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Local/domestic and international bioenergy parity prices and domestic
and international fossil fuel parity prices ($/MJ)
2. Calculation of these parity prices requires data on CIF prices and then
the taxes and subsidies and other costs such as insurance and
transportation along the supply chain.
3. See references for formulae and tools for calculating import and export
parity prices
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 IEA World Economic Outlook 2009, national governments for relevant
taxes and subsidies (e.g. import duty, export duty, export subsidy)

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 IEA WEO 2009, data collection strategies implemented by ministries of
economy/finance (or equivalent), ministries of
production/industry/development (or equivalent), national statistics
institutes, national and regional bioenergy chambers
308
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Comparative method

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts430
 For methodological guidance on how to calculate parity prices, please
see references.
The "economic viability" is "the capability of developing and surviving as
a relatively independent social, economic or political unit". This indicator
assumes that when some economic activity is "viable" it will eventually
become independent as an economic unit. "Competitiveness" is the
"ability of a firm or a nation to offer products and services that meet the
quality standards of the local and world markets at prices that are
competitive and provide adequate returns on the resources employed or
consumed in producing them" (Business Dictionary). Consequently, to
say that the bioenergy sector is competitive means that it may be capable
of competing with the international bioenergy and (local) fossil fuels
markets and guarantee its own economic viability and sustainability. The
method chosen will help to assess whether the local bioenergy
production is sustainable and how does it impact on the national
430
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
309
economy, separate from other sector impacts that are measured
independently.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Local bioenergy parity prices and its relation with alternative energy
sources influence its economic viability and demonstrate its economic
competitiveness. This indicator to some degree assumes that economic
sustainability may be a consequence of the viability and competitiveness
of the bioenergy production. The amount of subsidy required to enable
domestic bioenergy to be competitive is an indicator of the long-term
economic sustainability of the industry, since a country would wish this
figure to decrease over time towards zero and perhaps to then become
negative as taxation becomes possible.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 431
 The comparative method will allow the comparison between a set of
data from different energy sectors (local and international) to define
whether the local bioenergy sector is viable with and without taxes and
subsidies.
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which432 one(s).
 Indirect, cross-cutting and hiden subsidies or taxes can make difficult
the measurement of bioenergy local prices excluding properly theses
aspects.
In addition, if local prices vary widely between regions (within a country)
may be necessary to calculate an average price considering the size of
local markets (thus, the impact of these prices on each local market and
consumers).
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)433
 IEA World Economic Outlook 2009
UNCTAD, "The Biofuels Market: current situation and alternative
scenarios", 2009
Import/Export Parity Price Analysis, USAID:
http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADL964.pdf
Value Chain Analysis for Policy Making, soon to be made available on
www.fao.org/easypol
431
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
433 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
432
310
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO3B
Proposed indicator
Net revenue from bioenergy
Suggested unit434
(if applicable)
$/MJ and $/year
Criterion
Economic viability
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion435 for which it is being proposed
 The net revenue (or profit or loss) of the bioenergy sector is crucial to
their economic viability. This indicator takes into account production
costs, including costs of inputs for feedstock production or recovery and
costs due to interest rate.
It includes the efficiency of use of the bioenergy crop (according to
pathway) determining co-products and by-products.
It is strongly linked to the gross value added (see ECO 2D), but the
difference is that the net revenue subtracts wages, interests, rents and
taxes and shows the profitability or viability of the company or industry.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 An industry is only viable if making a profit. As far as the country is
concerned, the industry might be deemed economically sustainable only if
it can be profitable without long-term reliance on subsidies, however, it
might be considered that the subsidies result in net welfare benefits that
are worth the use of public resources gained from another source.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ECO 1G, ECO 2D, ENV 1A
434
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
435
311
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes,
(

specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
FORMTEXT
Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel
equivalent measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison can be made with any industry.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Total output value (= changes in inventories + sales revenues + own
consumption)
2. Intermediate inputs (e.g. production costs from feedstock to final
product including co-products and by-products)
3. Depreciation of fixed capital
4. Wages + Interests + Rents + Taxes (or subsidies)
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 If bioenergy production already exists national accounts or databases
may contain part of this information

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Surveys applied directly with the producer
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):

312

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts436
 Net revenue = net value added - (wages + interests + rents + taxes)
[where taxes includes subsidies, which are considered negative taxes]
As for indicator 2D (value added), so here the same discussion regarding
defining the bioenergy sector or value chain applies. Once this is done,
the indicator gives a clear value for the profit or loss of the company or,
when aggregated to the national level, the sector.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 As explained above, net revenue is the crucial measure of economic
viability.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 437
 Net revenue for bioenergy producers would be aggregated to a
national value through national accounts or surveying a sample of
producers.
436
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
437 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
313
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which438 one(s).
 If there is no natonial database and if surverys are applied to private
companies they might claim some confidentiality in the data.
If depreciation of natural capital is considered in net value added, this
poses methodological complications, though simple tools are available to
guide this analysis at the national level (see ECO 2D).
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)439
 Macedo, I. 2007. Sugar Cane’s Energy – Twelve studies on Brasilian
sugar cane. UNICA. Brazil.
TODD, M. (LMC International) 2004. “Factors that enable industries to be
internationally competitive“, Conferência Internacional DATAGRO sobre
Açúcar e Álcool, São Paulo, 2004
R.W. Howarth and S. Bringezu, editors. 2009. Biofuels: Environmental
Consequences and Interactions with Changing Land Use . Proceedings of
the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE)
International Biofuels Project Rapid Assessment 22-25 September 2008.
Gummersbach, Germany.
Value Chain Analysis for Policy Making, soon to be made available on
www.fao.org/easypol
World Bank resources on green accounting, calculation of adjusted net
savings, evaluation of environmental degradation: www.worldbank.org
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/sna1993/toctop.asp?L1=7
438
439
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
314
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO3C
Proposed indicator
Bioenergy opportunity costs: difference between prices before and after tax or
subsidy for bioenergy products and alternative products (e.g. foods, materials)
that could be made from the same raw material
Suggested unit440
(if applicable)
$/ Tn of feedstock
Criterion
Economic viability and competitiveness of bioenergy
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy

production
use
production and use
Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion441 for which it is being proposed
 This indicator intends to measure bioenergy prices in relation to food
and feed prices and define whether local bioenergy is economically viable
and competitive at a national level.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to that criterion
 This indicator will assess bioenergy prices compared to similar sectors
since it assumes that prices are directly linked to the economic viability of
the bioenergy production and use. If the bioenergy sector in a country can
be economic viable and competitive will probably be economically
sustainable.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ECO 3A, 3B, 3F

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know
440
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
441
315

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison with food and feed products made from the bioenergy
feedstock, with and without taxes or subsidies
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

Availability of data sources

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Local bioenergy prices with and without taxes or subsidies / local prices
of food and feed made from the same raw material with and without taxes
or subsidies ($/Tn of feedstock)
2. Local bioenergy prices with and without taxes or subsidies /
international prices of food and feed made from the same raw material with
and without taxes or subsidies ($/Tn of feedstock)
3.
Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 FAO "The State of Food and Agriculture"

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Data collection strategies implemented by ministries of
economy/finance (or equivalent), ministries of
production/industry/development (or equivalent), ministries of agriculture,
national statistics institutes, national and regional bioenergy or farmers
chambers, research centers
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Comparative method

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
316
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts442
 The method chosen will help to assess whether the local bioenergy
production is sustainable and how does it impact on the national
economy, separate from other sector impacts that are measured
independently.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Local bioenergy prices and its relation with alternative prodcuts (such
as food and feed) influence its economic viability. This indicator assumes
that economic sustainability may be a consequence of the viability and
competitiveness of the bioenergy production. If bioenergy opportunity
costs are decreased by taxes and subsidies, bioenergy feedstock may be
used for bioenergy production instead of food or feed.

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 443
 The comparative method will allow the comparison between the feed,
food and biofuel industry (local and international) to define whether the
local bioenergy sector is viable with and without taxes and subsidies.
Aggregate of statistical information and calculation from existing data will
enable to measure local bioenergy opportunity costs regarding other
bioenergy feedstock end-products.
442
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
443 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
317
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which444 one(s).
 Indirect, cross-cutting and hiden subsidies or taxes can make difficult
the measurement of food, feed and bioenergy local prices.
In addition, if local prices vary widely between regions (within a country)
may be necessary to calculate an average price considering the size of
local markets (thus, the impact of these prices on each local market and
consumers).
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)445
 OECD-FAO "Agricultural Outlook 2008-2017", 2008
FAO "The State of Food and Agriculture"
444
445
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
318
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO3D
Proposed indicator
Suggested unit446
(if applicable)
Criterion
Net total public expenditure on bioenergy – total government support of
bioenergy minus total tax receipts from bioenergy
US$million / year
Economic viability and competitiveness of bioenergy
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use
(depending on the country’s tax regime)

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 447 for which it is being proposed
 Government revenues from taxes collected from the different players in the
bioenergy supply chain, including the end user, are a potential economic benefit
to a country. Government expenditures with subsidies for the bioenergy sector
should also be taken into consideration to better reflect Government net
expenditures from the bioenergy sector.
 Note that in some cases bioenergy may be granted a tax reduction compared
to fossil fuel, hereby increasing the relative competitiveness of bioenergy and
directly reflecting on the total taxes collected by the Government.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Total Government expenditures or revenues from bioenergy activities will give
an indication of the economic income to the exchequer related to bioenergy
production and use.
 Note that if bioenergy is subject to a lower tax rate than the fossil fuel
equivalent, there may be missed excise income from increased use of
bioenergy.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also
446
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
447
319
inform
( ECO 1A, ECO 2C, ECO 2E, ECO 3B
Comparison with
alternative energy
options


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
FORMCHECKBOX
Yes
FORMCHECKBOX
No
FORMCHECKBOX
Do not know
If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison could be made with total Government expenditure or revenues
from fossil fuel

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Comparison could be made with total Government expenditure or revenues
from other non-fossil fuels
II. Practicality
Quantitative and
qualitative data
requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
2. Total subsidies for the bioenergy industry
3. Total revenue from tax on end sale of bioenergy (priority)
4. Total tax revenue from bioenergy-related activities along the supply chain
(e.g. corporation taxes, income taxes from employees of the bioenergy
industry etc)
Availability of data
sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of
 National governments – Financial ministries and/or tax departments
 Local chambers of commerce.

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Countries may wish to start making an additional breakdown of excise
revenues attributable to bioenergy. For example attributing the proportion of a
company’s corporation taxes to the proportion of their business that is in the
bioenergy industry. The same could be applicable and developed for subsidies.
320
Type of measurements
and scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts448
 Summing tax revenue from end point sales taxes on bioenergy can be fully
attributed to bioenergy. For other taxes e.g. corporation taxes or income taxes,
calculations will have to be made to attribute an appropriate proportion to
bioenergy. This might be done, for example, on the basis of the percentage of a
company’s turnover attributable to bioenergy.
The same calculation could be developed for subsidies.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 Total annual revenue from bioenergy activities will give an indication of the
economic income to the exchequer related to bioenergy production and use.
448
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
321

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level449
 Aggregation of regional level data would also be possible, although tax
revenues are on the whole administered at the national level.
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which450 one(s).
 If corporation tax and/or income tax revenues are also part of the calculation,
it may in some cases be difficult to distil exactly the revenue attributable to
bioenergy (particularly if the company is involved in other industries, such as in
the example of a sugar cane mill which might supply the bioethanol market and
the food market).
( Where bioenergy is given a tax reduction compared to the fossil fuel
equivalent, a further calculation will have to be made in order to directly
compare bioenergy tax revenues with fossil fuel revenues.
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO
studies, technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that
explain or support the chosen methodological approach (including from
sectors other than bioenergy)

449
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
451 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
450
322
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO4A
Proposed indicator
Total RD&D Investments in Bioenergy (Public and private)
Suggested unit452
(if applicable)
$/year
Criterion
Access to technology and technological capabilities
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 453 for which it is being proposed
 The amount of investments dedicated to RD&D could indicate the
technological development level of a country, reflecting on its ability to
develop its own technological capabilities, and on its access to
technology.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 Technological development is critical to transition to a cleaner and
more sustainable energy path. R,D&D has a special economic significance
apart from its conventional association with scientific and technological
development. R,D&D investment generally reflects a government's or
organization's willingness to forgo current operations to improve future
performance reflecting on its competitiveness in the market. Public
investment in R,D&D can leverage private investments, and ensure a wider
RD&D portfolio, facilitating public-private partnerships, and research
cooperation.

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ECO 1A, ECO 1B
452
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
453
323
Comparison with alternative
energy options

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Total R,D&D investments in bioenergy could be compared with total
R,D&D investment for the development of fossil fuel production and use.

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Total R,D&D investment in bioenergy could be compared with total
R,D&D investment for the development in other renewable sources: solar,
wind, tidal, etc.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Public RD&D investments in Bioenergy
2. Private RD&D investments in Bioenergy
3.
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you are
aware of
 Total Public Investment in R&D for bioenergy: IEA Dataservice provides
data on RD&D budget for bioenergy. The database covers IEA countries.
Database available at:
http://wds.iea.org/WDS/ReportFolders/ReportFolders.aspx?CS_referer=&CS_
ChosenLang=en

Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented to
address key gaps in the available data
 Total Private investment in R,D&D for bioenergy needs to take into
consideration private investments made by domestic institutions, as well as
private international inflows directed to R,D&D in bioenergy.
Total Investmet in R,D&D could be informed by statistical data from national
and international statistics agencies, government reports, national budget
documents. In the absence of data from these reports specific technical
studies need to be undertaken using a standardized methodology as
guidelines.
324
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 Internationally comparable data on agricultural R&D investments for
developing countries are collected by initiatives like the Agricultutal Science
and Technology Indicators (ASTI), one of the few sources of information on
agricultural research and development (R&D) statistics in low and middle
income countries. The initiative is managed by the International Food Policy
Research Institute (IFPRI).
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts454
 Rather than mesuring the impact of bioenergy production and use this
indicator gives insights of the level of technological development in a
country based on investments in R,D&D from public and private sectors.

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
 The amount of investments dedicated for R,D&D of bioenergy influence
the ability of the bioenergy sector to develop its own technological
capabilities and provide incentives for innovations, reflecting on its
competitiveness and sustained activity.
454
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
325

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 455

Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which456 one(s).

References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)457

455
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
457 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
456
326
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO4A
Proposed indicator
Access to required intellectual property rights and patents for the purpose of
bioenergy
Suggested unit458
(if applicable)
- Number of international/total patents employed for the construction of the
"n" newest bioenergy production plants (biofuels, heat, power) [ratio or
percent]
- If the feedstock is produced locally, number of patents needed for feedstock
production (processed in the "n" newest plants and main "n" energy crops
exported) that are not nationally registered / total number of patents needed
[ratio (feedstock-specific)]
- If modern bioenergy is used in the country (reliying on efficient conversion
technologies for applications at household, SMEs and industrial scales), do
foreign patents are widely employed to make use of this bioenergy (e.g. flexfuel)? [Yes/No]
- Number of crop varieties locally available for bioenergy production
Criterion
Access to technology and technological capabilities
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion459 for which it is being proposed
 A low number of foreign patents to build the newest bioenergy
production/conversion plants could be a proxy for a good technological
capability of a country and the easiness to access this technology.
Likewise, the need of making use of foreign patents for the production of
the feedstock (e.g. for seeds production) could be a proxy for a low
technological capability of a country and difficulties to technology access

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
458
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
459
327
 The availability of bioenergy technology patents needed within a
country translates into lower costs to be beared at the country level to
make use of innovative and efficient technologies. Trend of this indicator
in the feedstock production sector will also inform about potential
spillovers in agriculture
Comparison with alternative
energy options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 ECO4C, ECO4B, ECO 1D, ENV5

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Similar considerations could be done for the fossil fuel sector.
The feedstock production phase could be compared with the upstream
phase of fossil fuels

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Some similar considerations could be done for other RE sector.
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. n° of patents needed to build a certain plant
2. n of patents needed at the farming level for a certain feedstock
production
3. n° of these patents that are not owned in the country
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of


Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Survey at the field level for the different feedstocks processed in the "n"
newest plants or main n energy crops exported
Type of measurements and

Indicate which measuring methods are used
328
scale
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):
 Market studies (automotive sector)

Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts460


Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion


Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level461
 the "n" newest (already running) bioenergy plants could be considered
and data collected through a survey
Data could be aggregated my means of surveys at the farming level of the
feedstocks processed in the "n" newest bioenergy plants or exported
460
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
461 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
329
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which462
one(s).
( FORMTEXT It will be difficult to identify patents that purely relate to
bioenergy when also co-products are processed in the same plant.
It could be easier to consider "imported machinery" used in the bioenergy
plant instead of n° of patents.
If the feedstock is imported the indicator is not measured and the data
could be not available (but hopefully the exporter country measured it).
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)463

462
463
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
330
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO4B
Proposed indicator
Level of technology cooperation, including technology transfer and financing
Suggested unit464
(if applicable)
- Number of partnerships in which the country take part and MoUs in place, in
the bioenergy sector [ratio or percent]
- Amount of international financial resources provided and spent for capacitybuilding in the development and transfer of bioenergy technology: [$received
+ $spent]
Criterion
Access to technology and technological capabilities
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability
Comparison with alternative

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 465 for which it is being proposed
 The number of partnership and MoU on bioenergy in which a country is
involved can be used as a proxy for the "level of technology cooperation"
in one specific sector.

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy at the
national level with regard to the that criterion
 An high level of technology cooperation is beneficial to improve access
to technology and capabilities of a country

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also inform
 There is apparent overlap with ECO2H but ECO2 is intended to inform
about the type of external financial resources that contribute to the
national economy, while ECO4 is intended to cover resources for tech
capability development

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
464
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
465
331
energy options
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Similar analysis can be done for the fossil fuel sector

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Similar analysis can be done for specific sectors alike
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. Number of partnership and MoU in the bioenergy sector in which the
country is involved
2. ODA financial resources received/spent
3. FDI financial resources received/spent
4. Private financial resources received/spent
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of


Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Data can be collected at the governmental (ministerial) level
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
332
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information
 Internationally comparable data on agricultural R&D investments and
capacity for developing countries are collected by initiatives like the
Agricultutal Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI), one of the few
sources of information on agricultural research and development (R&D)
statistics in low and middle income countries. The initiative is managed by
the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts466


Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion


Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 467
 International financial resources include ODA, FDI, private financial
flows. The final value could be adapted to the richness of the country
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which468 one(s).
 It is difficult to disaggregate international financial resources received
for bioenergy with other sectors like climate mitigation/adaptation or
renewable energy
466
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
467 Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
468 Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
333
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)469

469
Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
334
Template for candidate GBEP sustainability indicator ECO4C
Proposed indicator
Training and re-qualification of the workforce
Suggested unit470
(if applicable)
- Number of national workforce in the bioenergy sector with an university
degree / total bioenergy workforce [ratio or percent, number]
- Employed former bioenergy workforce after 1 year of unemployment / total
bioenergy workforce [ratio or percent]
- Number of training programmes and workshops for building capacity and
share information in bioenergy technology
Criterion
Access to technology and technological capabilities
Component
(if applicable)
I. Relevance
Context of application

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to bioenergy
production
use
production and use

Indicate whether this indicator is applicable to
all bioenergy feedstocks/end uses/pathways
only some feedstocks/end uses/pathways
If only some, please list them:

Relation to criteria and
sustainability

Explain how the indicator relates to the criterion 471 for which it is being proposed
 The indicator will inform about the level of training (skills) of national
workforce
It will also inform about the percentage of total workforce in the bioenergy
sector that have found a new employment (in the bioenergy sector or
others alike) after one year of loss of their job
The indicator will also encompass the level of training of the bioenergy
workforce provided in a country (or to quantify the efforts made for
training)

Explain how the indicator will help assess the sustainability of bioenergy
at the national level with regard to the that criterion
( FORMTEXT
The indicator will help to assess the level of
education provided to the bioenergy workforce.
It will aslo help to assess the capacity of re-qualification of the workforce
and, therefore, how new and less labour-intensive technologies and
470
Please use SI unit system (metric) as much as possible
Description of relevance without going into details of the science involved since this will be covered in the Scientific Basis
section
471
335
tecniques can be absorbed by the labour market.
Trained and skilled workforce also facilitate the absorbtion of new
technology and provide an enabling environment for its development
Comparison with
alternative energy
options

List, if any, other provisional GBEP criteria that this indicator will also
inform
( FORMTEXT
SOC4B, ECO4D on "technology transfer" and
"technology financing"

Indicate whether comparison can be made with the fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:


Indicate whether comparison can be made with the non-fossil fuel equivalent
measured by this indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, specify with which alternatives comparison can be made:
 Similar analysis can be done for workforce in other specific sectors
II. Practicality
Quantitative and qualitative
data requirements

List the data needed to compile the indicator
1. yearly statistics of employed workforce in the bioenergy sector
2. yearly statistics of level of instruction of bioenergy workforce
3. yearly statistics of bioenergy workforce that lost their job
4. n° of training programmes/workshops/events of the last "n" years on
bioenergy technology
Availability of data sources

Please list any readily-available national or international data sources that you
are aware of


Please suggest a data collection strategy that could be realistically implemented
to address key gaps in the available data
 Surveys in selected areas of the bioenergy production and use chain
(equally spread according to a criterion to be agreed. e.g. territorial
distribution)
336
Realistically some data could be collected at the ministerial level and could
indicate the number of events (on bioenergy technology) where the
ministry participated to some extent (funding, co-funding, participating in,
promoting the event)
Type of measurements and
scale

Indicate which measuring methods are used
Statistical (national/international accounts)
Calculation/computation of (existing) data
Physical, biological or chemical measurements
Interviews and surveys
Other, specify which one(s):


Indicate at which geographic scale the data will be collected
National
Regional
Watershed
Field (farming)
Site (processing plant)
Household
Other, specify which one(s):

Information about other
international processes

If you know of other international processes which use a similar indicator, please
provide relevant information

III. Scientific basis
Methodological approach

Briefly describe how the methodological approach for this indicator will allow one
to assess the impact of bioenergy production and/or use, and separate it from
other possible impacts472
 Only training that addresses bioenergy should be considered. General
training on renewables and agricultural tecniques should be considered if
they relate directly or indirectly to bioenergy development

Briefly explain the link between the measurement given by this indicator and the
assessment of the aspect of sustainability addressed by the corresponding
criterion
472
Details here might include whether and how a baseline is established, which factors other than bioenergy might cause
changes in the variable being measured, whether and how the effects of these factors are distinguished from the effect of
bioenergy and accounted for, and how fluctuations in the external environment are addressed.
337
 This indicator gives an information on the skills and training provided
to the bioenergy workforce. The third value addresses directly the
"technological capabilities" component of the criterion

Briefly describe the aggregation method used to build the indicator at the
national level for data that are not collected at that level 473
 Data can be collected at bioenergy processing and end-use plants
level, and farming level, and the resulting two numbers are to be averaged
on an agreed basis.
Anticipated limitations

Indicate whether there are any anticipated limitations for the measurement of the
indicator
Yes
No
Do not know

If Yes, indicate which474
one(s).
( FORMTEXT As for other indicators, it is difficult to identify the
'bioenergy sector' outside the processing facilities
Further the flexibility of the labour market is a rather complex issue to
address and this may go beyond the scope of this exercise. It could be
considered as a "status quo" that is difficult to modify
References
 List any available peer-reviewed publications, government and NGO studies,
technical manuals, or case studies that you are aware of that explain or support
the chosen methodological approach (including from sectors other than
bioenergy)475

473
Details here might include the size of the sample and method for selecting the sample.
Missing data, Measurement uncertainty, Inherent difficulty in matching measurements to the intent of the indicator, etc
475 Methods such as estimations by interpolating between the known data, approximations by using proxies, etc.
474
338