The impact of biogas: reducing emissions, waste management, circular bioeconomy
For the SAF platform, we have prepared a review of the IEA Bioenergy report “Identification and assessment of sustainability effects associated with biogas solutions”, which explores the multifaceted role of biogas in promoting a circular and sustainable bioeconomy. Here are the main findings of the document.
Biogas, produced via anaerobic digestion from various organic feedstocks (wastewater sludge, agricultural residues, food waste, manure), delivers renewable energy, reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and offers additional societal benefits such as nutrient recycling, waste treatment, and improved sanitation.
Key benefits
The main report identifies a wide range of benefits, grouped into five key areas:
- Waste and wastewater treatment sectors: Enhanced sanitation, odor control, water quality improvement.
- Biogas in Agriculture/rural areas: Income diversification, soil fertility improvement through digestate, reduced synthetic fertilizer use.
- The use of digestate/biofertilizers: Closing nutrient loops and protecting soils and water.
- Energy products (biogas, biomethane, CO₂): Secure, renewable energy contributing to energy independence.
- Effects on society at large: Climate mitigation, circular economy, and resilience to supply chain risks.
The analysis highlights that while GHG reduction is widely recognized, other positive sustainability effects are often undervalued in decision-making because they are hard to quantify.
Examples of comprehensive assessments (e.g., Swedish multi-criteria analyses for transport) show biogas is socio-economically competitive compared to both fossil and renewable alternatives when co-benefits are considered.
Read the full material with a chapter on global experience and recommendations of the report on the SAF platform.
We remind you that UABIO is a partner of the Sustainable agribusiness platform (SAF).
SAF is a communication platform that brings together agribusiness stakeholders and aims to establish strong links between market players and introduce sustainable approaches in agriculture. For this platform, our team prepares verified professional content on the bioenergy sector.
