MEDIA ALERT

“Sustainable Pro-poor Development of Aviation Biofuels”

Possible ways to reduce aviation CO2 emissions, to allow airlines to cut spending due to fuel cost increase and to favour opportunities of agricultural and non-agricultural
employment for poor countries.

Rome, Thursday 22 November 2012 – h 8:45 am
RomaTre University, Great Hall - Via Ostiense, 159

 

Rome, 20 November 2012 - “Sustainable Pro-poor Development of Aviation Biofuels”, the International workshop promoted by IFAD – International Fund for Agricultural Development, will take place in Rome on Thursday 22 November 2012 (h 8:45 am) at the RomaTre University – Great hall (Via Ostiense, 159).

The initiative, realized in cooperation with the Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea, the Vicariate of  Rome - Ufficio Pastorale Universitaria, the RomaTre University and with the support of Boeing, is focused on promoting discussion between global stakeholders, identifying the way forward to guide the development of the commercial and military aviation biofuels industry assuring its sustainability.

Biofuels originating from biomass crops represents one of the possible ways to reduce aviation CO2 emissions, to allow airlines to cut spending due to fuel cost increase.

The workshop will be introduced by Corrado Clini, Minister for the Environment, Land and Sea, and  will follow with greetings from Guido Fabiani, RomaTre University Chancellor, and from Paolo Mele, Dean of Engineering Faculty, RomaTre University. Antonio Agostini, General Secretary, Minister for the Environment, Land and Sea, Italy, Rinaldo Petrignani, President Boeing Italy and former Italian ambassador to the United States, and Carlos Seré, Chief Development Strategist IFAD, will highlight the policies and the orientation of the development of biofuel originated from biomass crops. The panel will be guided by Alessandro Toscano, member of the Applied Electronics Department, Engineering Faculty, RomaTre University.

The panel “Social and environmental consideration” (h 10:15 am) will be guided by Vineet Raswant, Senior Technical Advisor IFAD as moderator. Don Emilio Bettini, Professor of Theology, Universitá Cattolica Sacro Cuore and Universitá Europea di Roma, Shantanu Mathur, Head Quality Assurance and Grants Unit, Strategy and Knowledge Management Department IFAD, and Constanza di Nucci, Policy Specialist, Statistics & Studies for Development Division IFAD will intervene. The objective of this panel will be to discuss the social risks from the development of biofuels and explore options to benefit the poor through the creation of employment and additional on-farm income.

The last panel (h 11:15 am) “Biofuel policy and technical aspects”, will be guided by Antonio De Palmas, President Boeing European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Among the panelists:  Franco Cotana, Director, Biomass Research Centre, Perugia, Giacomo Rispoli, Executive Vice President Research, Technological & Projects ENI, Paolo Ghersina, Project Coordinator Enalg, Yves Bannel, Executive Vice President, Solena Group, and Vineet Raswant, Senior Technical Advisor IFAD. The panel will present a broad overview of research and technological advances in the industry and in the aviation market.

“Sustainable Pro-poor Development of Aviation Biofuels” originates from the need to propose ways to strike a balance between the three pillars for sustainability (economic, social and environmental) as endorsed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) and the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) to ensure sound development of biofuels. And, to explore ways for developing responsible public-private partnerships that would benefit not only the industry, but also the environment and the poor.
The target audience of the workshop “Sustainable Pro-poor Development of Aviation Biofuels”  includes a diverse range of stakeholders, such as policy makers, governments, international and multilateral development organizations, private sector, academia, civil society, and the media.

 

Agenda

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Sustainable Pro-poor Development of Aviation Biofuelsaims to promote discussion between global stakeholders, identifying the way forward to guide the development of the aviation biofuels industry assuring its sustainability and pro-poor focus.
Biofuels, originating from biomass crops represent one of the possible ways to reduce aviation CO2 emissions, to allow airlines to cut spending due to fuel cost increases and to favour opportunities of agricultural and non-agricultural employment for poor countries.
The target audience includes a diverse range of stakeholders, such as policy makers, governments, international and multilateral development organizations, private sector, academia, civil society and media.www.eventoonline.it/biofuels

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Media Alert No: IFAD/10/2012

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) works with poor rural people to enable them to grow and sell more food, increase their incomes and determine the direction of their own lives. Since 1978, IFAD has invested almost US$14.3 billion in grants and low-interest loans to developing countries through projects empowering over 400 million people to break out of poverty, thereby helping to create vibrant rural communities. IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized UN agency based in Rome – the United Nations’ food and agriculture hub. It is a unique partnership of 168 members from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), other developing countries and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)