Biofuel production has been promoted as a way to reduce dependency on imported fuel, mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increase rural employment and incomes. However, detailed consideration is not given to external factors that can affect the future climate change vulnerability of these crops, such as an increase in the incidence of natural disasters.
An upcoming UNU Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) policy report will place the biofuels debate within a broader context of climate change and the uses of ecosystem services. A special focus is to assess the viability of biofuel feedstock production in light of an expected increase in typhoon intensity due to climate change.
To illustrate this aspect of interlinkages between the climate change mitigation and adaptation agendas, the Philippines biofuels programme is analysed. The Philippines is a major producer of biofuels and is highly vulnerable to typhoons.
Focus areas:
Adaptation
Regions covered:
Global
Publications resulting from or associated with the project:
UNU-IAS Policy Report (forthcoming, 2009): Interlinkages in climate change: vulnerability of a mitigation strategy?
The IPCC has identified local knowledge as an important missing element in its previous assessments and a focus for its next assessment process. The UNU-IAS Traditional Knowledge Initiative looks at this important area.
GEIC is a joint initiative between the United Nations University and the Minstry of the Environment, Japan.
Links
On 7 December 2009, the international community will gather at a conference in Copenhagen to try to find a solution to the gravest danger our planet faces: climate change.
Global Dashboard, edited by David Steven and Alex Evans, offers insightful analysis of vital issues including climate change, the food crisis, and human security. Be sure to read their article Climate Change: The State of the Debate(PDF).
