biofuels. Climate change.

Increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions are cause of global concern. The Kyoto Protocol shares the ultimate objective of the Convention to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of Green House Gases at a level that will prevent dangerous interference with the climate system. . Current biomass use,although not sustainable in some cases, replaces fossil fuel consumption and results in avoided CO2 emissions, representing about 2.7 to 8.8 % of 1998 anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The global biomass energy potential is large, estimated at about 104 EJ/a. hence, biomass has the potential to avoid significant fossil fuel consumption, potentially between 17 and 36 % of the current level and CO2 emissions potentially between 12 and 44 % of the 1998 level. There is significant scope then to integrate biomass energy with agriculture, forestry and climate change policies. Improved agronomic practices of well managed biomass plantations will also provide a basis for environmental improvement by helping to stabilize certain soils, avoiding desertification which is already occurring rapidly in tropical countries.