The Roles of Public and Private Governance in Promoting Sustainable Bioenergy

Book chapter, 2016

Governance is the sum of formal and informal ways actors and institutions, public and private, manage common affairs. It is a continuing process through which diverging interests may be accommodated and cooperative action may be taken. Sustainability governance is concerned with promoting the positive effects of production or development processes whilst avoiding/mitigating their negative impacts, considering environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability. Bioenergy supply chains involve several layers of governance, including mechanisms that specifically address bioenergy (for example bioenergy sustainability standards and certification systems) and regulation of sectors involved in bioenergy supply chains. This can involve environmental legislation, labour regulations, environmental codes, best-management agriculture/forestry practices and international trade standards. This chapter refers to three forms of governance for the promotion of the sustainable production of biomass and bioenergy: domestic public governance, domestic private governance and international private governance.