TY - JOUR

T1 - The sustainability of forestry biomass supply for EU bioenergy

T2 - A post-normal approach to environmental risk and uncertainty

AU - Upham, Paul

AU - Riesch, Hauke

AU - Tomei, Julia

AU - Thornley Patricia, P.

PY - 2011/8

Y1 - 2011/8

N2 - Most bioenergy supply scenarios suggest that a substantial fraction of future European energy supply could be biomass-based. Yet stakeholder opinion on the risks posed by a high level of bioenergy supply varies and the related science base is relatively undeveloped. Thinking on post-normal science advocates that issues with contested sustainability and risk implications are best resolved or negotiated via inclusive stakeholder fora, in which a variety of values and ways of thinking are respected. As the potential impacts of a large scale supply of forestry biomass for bioenergy have generally received less attention than the potential impacts of first generation biofuels, we use woody biomass risks to illustrate a novel risk perception typology that is consistent with thinking on post normal science. The typology is intended to both strengthen the case for inclusive decision-making in general and to clarify the nature of the risks posed by global solid biomass supply for European bioenergy.

AB - Most bioenergy supply scenarios suggest that a substantial fraction of future European energy supply could be biomass-based. Yet stakeholder opinion on the risks posed by a high level of bioenergy supply varies and the related science base is relatively undeveloped. Thinking on post-normal science advocates that issues with contested sustainability and risk implications are best resolved or negotiated via inclusive stakeholder fora, in which a variety of values and ways of thinking are respected. As the potential impacts of a large scale supply of forestry biomass for bioenergy have generally received less attention than the potential impacts of first generation biofuels, we use woody biomass risks to illustrate a novel risk perception typology that is consistent with thinking on post normal science. The typology is intended to both strengthen the case for inclusive decision-making in general and to clarify the nature of the risks posed by global solid biomass supply for European bioenergy.

KW - Bioenergy

KW - Biofuel

KW - Post-normal science

KW - Risk perception

KW - Sustainability

KW - Sustainability sciences, Communication

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79958163163&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.envsci.2011.02.010

DO - 10.1016/j.envsci.2011.02.010

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:79958163163

VL - 14

SP - 510

EP - 518

JO - Environmental Science & Policy

JF - Environmental Science & Policy

SN - 1462-9011

IS - 5

ER -