| Contributed by
James Robinson |
| 15 May 2008 |
North-South-South Forum on Biofuels for Development in Africa: the Role of Regional Policies and Public Private Partnerships. 27th May 2008, Jönköping, Sweden Organisers: The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
Sub-Saharan Africa has the greatest bioenergy potential of any world region, due to its size, suitable soils and climate, and the low levels of current utilisation of cultivable agricultural lands. A significant amount of infrastructure and investment will be required in order to develop this potential.
Many players in the North are looking towards this potential for international trade, which carries with it both risks and opportunities. In order to harness this bioenergy potential in a way that is sustainable and equitable, new public-private partnerships along with a consistent policy framework are needed.
The North-South-South cooperation model is highly relevant for developing this sector; key actors from leading bioenergy countries in the North (U.S. and EU) and South (Brazil, China and India) could work towards new partnerships with their counterparts in Africa.
Focusing on liquid biofuels for various applications, this side event will explore the various options for such partnerships and the policies that need to accompany them.
An expert panel with several African and international analysts and partnership/project developers will address the key issues through short presentations followed by a panel discussion and an open discussion with the audience.
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