Energy production from renewable energy sources is currently on the agenda in many United Nations Member States. This is partly driven by the Kyoto Protocol (1997) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which commits industrialized countries to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to at least 5% below 1990 levels. Countries can achieve the reduction of CO emissions and contribute to sustainable development by using sustainable energies, in particular biomass, to replace fossil fuels. Moreover, this change is in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular Goal 7 “Ensure environmental stability”.

This blueprint for the development of Regional Biomass Action Plans was written to support the regions of the Russian Federation to reach the ambitious targets on the use of renewable energy set by the Federal Government, in e.g. the Executive Directive of 8 January 2009 (1 -Γ).

The present document describes a detailed survey of specific issues: the rationale, objectives, methodology, organization and expected results of a project activity that aims to develop Regional Biomass Action Plans in the regions of the Russian Federation within the framework of the UNECE project ‘Development of Sustainable Biomass Trade and Export Opportunities from Selected Regions of the Russian Federation’. The publication begins with an introduction chapter, which gives an overview of the content of the document, followed by chapter 2 which describes the current UNECE biomass project and focuses on its organization, goal and scope. Chapter 3 identifies the development of federal policies towards biomass use in Russia and discusses governance and development programmes existing at the regional level. Chapter 4 reflects the importance, goals and content of the biomass action plans. Finally, chapter 5 gives information and a number of recommendations regarding how the action plans should be developed, the research and evaluation method, and the creation of commitment to the Plan.

Energy demand can be expected to increase worldwide, while traditional, fossil fuels are becoming increasingly scarce and more costly to extract. In addition to the depletion of fossil fuels, growing environmental concerns with regard to the security and stability of energy production have contributed to a growing demand for renewable energy. Biomass is considered an important pillar in addressing these concerns and meeting future energy demand. In the long term, a new global market of renewable energy carriers derived from biomass will emerge. Certain countries will arise as net exporters of renewable energy, others as net importers. It is inevitable that major power shifts in the energy sector will take place.

The UNECE project ‘Development of Sustainable Biomass Trade and Export Opportunities from Selected Regions of the Russian Federation’ focuses on the development of the biomass sectors in the Russian Federation and assists regional governments in developing a regional biomass action plan. The project started in 2008.

The Government of the Russian Federation is actively reorganizing and modernizing its economy and has developed policies and issued several decrees directly or indirectly related to the development of biomass use. Because the topic is very broad, many governmental departments are involved in this. Regional governments are implementing the federal policies in their development programmes. The project aims at developing regional biomass action plans that contribute to and comply with the federal policies.

This chapter considers the specific action plan itself. Several aspects of importance to the development process do not have to be mentioned and dealt with in detail in the plan (the development process is dealt with in chapters 5, 6, and 7). The plan does make references to the preceding documents, research, stakeholder meetings, legislation, and (subsidy) regulations and to the organizations of importance. In the following paragraphs answers are given on the following questions

This chapter outlines how the responsibilities of the tasks of developing the action plan can be organized and divided. Considering the biomass action plans of the EU Member States, the project organization, research method and the number and scopes of the research (task) groups differ. The general concept developed here (as described below) can be expanded or simplified. Some of the mentioned groups can be joined together, however, this will not reduce the amount of tasks which have to be performed and which, in any case, will need to be divided between the participants. This outline deals with the responsibilities which need to be taken during the action-plan development; it is recommended that some people perform more than one function at the same time and participate in several groups.