BBSRC Bioenergy Champion responds to Committee on Climate Change’s Renewable Energy Review

Duncan Eggar, BBSRC Bioenergy Champion and chair of the RCUK Cross Council Bioenergy Strategic Coordination Group said “The Research Councils welcome the Committee on Climate Change’s report: Renewable Energy Review. We are particularly pleased to see the committee’s recommendations that the government should invest in a ‘portfolio’ of technologies, confirming that a mixture of energy sources will be required in the future.

“Recognising comments made at the launch of the report, the CCC expresses concerns around the sustainability of conventional biofuels and advises a cautious approach unless there is a breakthrough in the development of advanced technologies. The Research Councils and others invest in research for the development of just such biofuels from inedible plant parts, non-food crops and agricultural waste – energy sources that should not compete with food production – as well as considering the implications to ecosystem services of new energy crops. The Research Councils also fund research into other aspects of biofuel research, development and production such as market structure, infrastructure and social and economic issues.

“We submitted evidence to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics review of the ethical issues associated with biofuels and were pleased to note that our approaches to these important issues are substantially aligned. Given our research around bioenergy, and the fact that the CCC will be exploring biofuels in more depth in the coming months, we would welcome the opportunity to develop a shared understanding with the CCC of the role of advanced biofuels in the future energy mix.”

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Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research Councils. We invest annually around £3 billion in research. Our focus is on excellence with impact. We nurture the highest quality research, as judged by international peer review providing the UK with a competitive advantage. Global research requires we sustain a diversity of funding approaches, fostering international collaborations, and providing access to the best facilities and infrastructure, and locating skilled researchers in stimulating environments. Our research achieves impact – the demonstrable contribution to society and the economy made by knowledge and skilled people. To deliver impact, researchers and businesses need to engage and collaborate with the public, business, government and charitable organisations. www.rcuk.ac.uk.

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