1 July 2010: The Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) has published its eighth newsletter, which discusses, inter alia, the recent G8 Summit in Muskoka, Canada, GBEP’s new partners, and new online resources for greenhouse gas (GHG) measurement.

The newsletter opens by noting that G8 leaders renewed GBEP’s mandate, highlighting the need for further progress on sustainability indicators and criteria, and capacity building efforts. The newsletter further highlights that, concerning sustainability indicators, the GBEP Task Force on Sustainability has recently reached agreement in a number of areas including economic, energy security, social and environmental aspects. This is contrasted, however, with hurdles that remain in the areas of food security, government support, trade, land rights and national legal, policy and institutional frameworks.

The newsletter also mentions two GBEP recent publications available online: “Analytical Tools to Assess and Unlock Sustainable Bioenergy Potential” and “Financing Options for Bioenergy Projects and Programmes.” It notes that GBEP now has 33 partners, with the addition of Argentina, Ghana and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) at GBEP’s ninth Steering Committee meeting, held on 7 May 2010. The same meeting saw the African Development Bank (AfDB) join as the 28th observer. [The Newsletter]