Sustainability Barriers and Opportunities of Bioenergy Initiatives: A Case Study of Punjab, India

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Abstract

The global energy sector is plagued by a multi-pronged crisis comprising of declining oil reserves, high ecological damage associated with extensive use of fossil fuels as well as widespread energy poverty across many countries of Asia and Africa. These concerns have led to a global shift towards alternative energy sources. Of all the other renewables, it is bioenergy, which was widely touted as the “fuel of the future” at the beginning of the 21st century. However, after the initial euphoria over bioenergy died down, many adverse impacts of commercial bioenergy production began to come to the forefront. These include direct and indirect land use change, competition with food crops leading to heightened food insecurity across many developing countries and land grabs by commercial bioenergy producers. There is little empirical evidence on how far bioenergy will provide a sustainable solution to energy challenges in developing countries. This study fulfills this gap in literature by developing an alternative conceptual framework based on the eco-socialist perspective for developing sustainable bioenergy policies and then using this framework to explore the opportunities and limitations of bioenergy initiatives through an in-depth case study of these projects in Punjab. This region is being promoted for a leading role in the bioenergy sector in India and is being touted as a “green power” economy. The key results from this research reveal that in order to be a sustainable energy alternative, bioenergy policies need to be more people-centric, address the needs of local communities, and recognize the inherent socio-economic and ecological embeddedness of these initiatives.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationFifth International Conference on Global Business, Economics, Finance and Social Sciences
Subtitle of host publicationMonetary and Financial Stability in Asia! The Way Forward!!
Place of PublicationChennai, India
PublisherGlobal Business Research
Number of pages21
ISBN (Electronic)9781943579747
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2015
EventFifth International Conference on Global Business, Economics, Finance and Social Sciences - Hotel Royal Regency, Chennai, India
Duration: 1 Apr 20163 Apr 2016
http://globalbizresearch.org/Chennai_Conference_2016_April/conference_paper.php

Conference

ConferenceFifth International Conference on Global Business, Economics, Finance and Social Sciences
Abbreviated titleGB16 Chennai Conference
Country/TerritoryIndia
CityChennai
Period1/04/163/04/16
Internet address

Keywords

  • Sustainability
  • bioenergy
  • stakeholder approach
  • green power
  • marginalization
  • eco-socialism
  • local communities

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