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Approximately 40% of the global population relies on traditional bioenergy, accounting for 9% of global energy use and 55% of global wood harvest. However, knowledge about the environmental impacts of traditional bioenergy is fragmented. This review addresses several persistent questions and summarizes recent research on land cover change (LCC) and pollution emissions resulting from traditional bioenergy use. We also review recent studies analyzing transitions from traditional bioenergy to cleaner stoves and fuels. Between 27 and 34% of the wood fuel harvest in 2009 was unsustainable, with large geographical variations. Almost 300 million rural people live in wood fuel 'hotspots,' concentrated in South Asia and East Africa, creating risks of wood-fuel-driven degradation. Different fuels and stoves show variation in climate-forcing emissions. Many, but not all, nontraditional stoves result in lower emissions than traditional models. Traditional bioenergy makes substantial contributions to anthropogenic black carbon (BC) emissions (18-30%) and small contributions to total anthropogenic climate impacts (2-8%). Transitions from traditional fuels and devices have proven difficult. Stacking, i.e., the use of multiple devices and fuels to satisfy household energy needs, is common, showing the need to shift stove interventions from the common approach that promotes one fuel and one device to integrated approaches that incorporate deep understanding of local needs and practices, and multiple fuels and devices, while monitoring residual use of traditional technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Current carbon accounting methodologies do not accommodate activities that involve emissions reductions from both land-use change and energy production. This paper analyzes the climate change mitigation potential of charcoal production in East Africa by examining the impact of changing both land management and technology. Current production in a major charcoal producing region of Kenya where charcoal is made as a by-product of land clearance for commercial grain production is modeled as the “business-as-usual” scenario. Alternative production systems are proposed based on coppice management of native or exotic trees. Improved kilns are also considered. Changes in aboveground, belowground, and soil carbon are modeled and two distinct baseline assessments are analyzed: one is based on a fixed area of land and one is based on the quantity of non-renewable fuel that is displaced by project activities. The magnitude of carbon emissions reductions varies depending on land management as well as the choice of carbonization technology. However, these variations are smaller than the variations arising from the choice of baseline methodology. The fixed-land baseline yields annualized carbon emission reductions equivalent to 0.5–2.8tons per year (ty−1) with no change in production technology and 0.7–3.5ty−1 with improved kilns. In contrast, the baseline defined by the quantity of displaced non-renewable fuel is 2–6 times larger, yielding carbon emissions reductions of 1.4–12.9ty−1 with no change in production technology and 3.2–20.4ty−1 with improved kilns. The results demonstrate the choice of baseline, often a political rather than scientific decision, is critical in assessing carbon emissions reductions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article discusses the links between sustainable development and carbon sequestration as a climate change mitigation (CCM) strategy with a focus on Latin America, which has hosted the majority of sequestration activities to date. The global potential for CCM through a combination of sequestration and reduced deforestation is projected to be roughly 60-80 billion tonnes of carbon (GtC) by mid-century, with a large fraction of that potential lying in Latin America. Such activities can, in theory, contribute to sustainable development by contributing to rural livelihoods, providing fuel and timber, and enhancing biodiversity and other environmental services. However, due to political-economic constraints and the nature of the carbon market itself only a small fraction of this technical potential is likely to be reached. Moreover, the degree to which carbon sequestration and forest conservation activities contribute to positive social and environmental outcomes is not clear. To date, carbon sequestration and forest conservation projects in Latin America have had mixed results. Some of these experiences are reviewed and alternative policy options are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plant oil is a key commodity in the global economy, particularly for food and bioenergy markets. However, current production practices often impair smallholder livelihoods, cause land use changes, and compete for food production. The neotropical palm Acrocomia aculeata is currently being promoted as a novel sustainable biomass feedstock, particularly for bioenergy, but only little is known about the palm’s ecological requirements. Based on a comprehensive literature and database search for recorded occurrences of A. aculeata in Latin America, we computed an ecological niche modeling to determine the palm’s potential distribution area based on climatic and soil variables. We subsequently considered current land cover and predicted future climate change scenarios to discuss the cultivation potential of A. aculeata within its possible distribution area. The results revealed a large potential to cultivate A. aculeata in Latin America under current abiotic environmental conditions. The two core distribution regions identified were (1) Central America including the Caribbean, northern Colombia and Venezuela, and (2) southern Brazil and eastern Paraguay. A considerable proportion of the medium to highly suitable growing areas were found to be currently used for agricultural production or covered by land types with high conservation and carbon sequestration value. Applying the model under the IPCC’s A2A ‘business as usual’ emission scenario suggested that by 2080 the vast majority of suitable growing areas severely decline in extent or disappear entirely. Our ecological niche modeling thus shows that despite the palm’s high cultivation potential, a sustainable deployment of A. aculeata requires a precautious, evidence-based approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]