United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
in cooperation with Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar
Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship of the Republic of Croatia
Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Slovenia
Environment Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund
Growing concerns about security of energy supply, the impacts of energy use on climate change as well as the need to revitalize rural economy have drawn the attention to biofuels as an alternative source to diversify the supply to the world's growing energy demand.
As several countries in Central and Eastern Europe region attempt to revitalize the economy through employment creation and boosting rural development, reducing the dependence on imported fossil fuels (both gas and oil) and increasing the share of biofuels and bioenergy in the total energy mix are considered a way forward to achieving these objectives. The CEE countries are also facing the challenge of maximizing the aforementioned benefits and meeting pre-set target market share, while avoiding the potential negative impacts on the biodiversity, food security and social economical issues.
Hence, there is an urgent need for a regional forum to provide a platform for reviewing the status of biofuels production and use, sharing experiences and highlighting concerns, looking into models adopted by leading countries in the region, providing insight into possible national and regional way forward, to capturing the environmental and economic benefits and minimizing potential risks.
Within the overall objective of promoting the sustainable production and use of biofuels, the conference aims at providing a forum for discussion between multi-sectoral stakeholders to share knowledge and experience and to formulate recommendations as to possible national and regional way forward towards increasing competitiveness, environmental and social sustainability of the biofuels value chains and strengthening the regional integration.
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