Chapter 13 - An overview of policy framework and measures promoting bioenergy usage in the EU, the United States, and Canada

Abstract

This chapter aims to outline the policy measures for the promotion of sustainable bioenergy resources in developed countries with particular focus on countries of the European Union, the United States, and Canada. The development of bioenergy is growing rapidly as an alternative to fossil fuel. This chapter outlines the status of bioenergy in the global context and analyzes the policy measures adopted by the European Union (EU), particularly the key features of Renewable Energy Directive (RED) of 2009, including how the EU member states are implementing the RED through transposition of the same in their national policies and legislations to promote bioenergy policy. The chapter also provides a brief analysis on bioenergy policy measures adopted by Canada and the United States. Policy implications include how the policy measures or instruments adopted by these countries were supportive to promote bioenergy development in addition to achieving bioenergy development and targets. The overall findings of the chapter indicate that the developed countries (in this case the EU, the United States, and Canada) have taken effective policy measures and are being implemented successfully for the generation of energy from bioenergy sources. Similarly, the United States and Canada have also adopted bioenergy policies with specific goals and introduced policy instruments for the achievement of targets relating to bioenergy generation. These countries are harnessing benefits from the implementation of bioenergy policy measures given that bioenergy sources remain the main contributor for energy generation over the renewable energy sources. The chapter also identifies some challenges while implementing the aforementioned policy measures for energy generation from bioenergy sources. The key challenges include the absence of low tariffs on the imports of equipment for renewable energy, conflicts that exist in different policy goals set by different countries for their own interest, and increasing competition between bioenergy producers and farmers.