The project ETIP-B-SABS 2 supported the ETIP Bioenergy to engage with stakeholders from the bioenergy sector and to link their needs to policy making of the European Commission. ETIP-B-SABS 2 highlighted the key elements of the Implementation Plan for Action 8 of the SET-Plan since the start of the project. The project supported the ETIP Bioenergy as the industry led, R&I oriented platform in the renewable fuel and bioenergy universe. The team of the ETIP-B-SABS 2 project initiated discussions and interaction between stakeholders and working groups of the ETIP Bioenergy on 'hot topics' related to the accelerated deployment of the most promising value chains for bioenergy, advanced biofuels and renewable fuels technologies. Informing debates with scientifically correct, unbiased information served to stakeholders to get policy, legal framework and technical support to their investment strategies in the near future. A key instrument to achieve this aim was the ETIP Bioenergy website with all the useful resources as factsheets, reports, newsletters, videos on interviews by experts and narrative videos.
The project activities since March 2020 were strongly influenced by the impact of the COV-19 pandemic, resulting in solely virtual meetings, workshops and conferences in the second half of the project. Important events that were organised comprise the 10th Stakeholder Plenary Meeting (SPM), the series of five online workshops entitled “REDII Implementation and Beyond”, organised by ETIP Bioenergy, IEA Bioenergy and the Sustainable Biomass Program as well as two seminars on the climate impact of bioenergy organised jointly by ETIP Bioenergy, IEA Bioenergy and Renewable transportation fuels and systems, a collaborative research program financed by the Swedish Energy Agency and f3 Swedish Knowledge Centre for Renewable Transportation Fuels. Further important events that were the 13 online workshops of the four WGs in the second project period, covering the topics biomass availability, conversion, end use, policy & sustainability.
A constant provision of scientifically sound, unbiased, up-to-date information on renewable fuels and the bioenergy sector has been implemented via constant and regular updates of the ETIP Bioenergy website, the creation of new website sections, the development of a status report on advanced biofuel demonstrations in Europe, review articles as well as user guides related to the search for patents, publications and research projects. ETIP Bioenergy provided input to relevant stakeholder consultations and in expert groups. The extended Steering Committee meetings (together with the Advisory Board) were a central instrument to intensify the exchange with Member States.
