Policy priorities for the sustainable use of forest-based bioenergy

The Regulatory Governance Initiative (RGI) held a workshop on the future of bioenergy use from Canadian forests at Carleton University (Ottawa) on November 26, 2009. The event was co-hosted by the Ivey Foundation, the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) and the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC). The purpose of the event was open debate among a diverse group of informed opinion leaders on the following question: What should the Canadian approach look like when it comes to the use of bioenergy from forests? In response to this question, we aimed at compiling a ranked list of priorities and principles from the perspective of policy makers, regulators, industry, non-government organizations, and subject matter experts. A priority was characterized as an action item that is simultaneously important, urgent, and feasible. A guiding principle was characterized as a lesson learned (in particular from the agricultural bioenergy context), an ambition, a standard, or a constraint.