U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) Director in South Korea Haksoo Kim and USGBC Regional Director for Southeast Asia & Oceania (SEA&O) Caleb Wurth recently attended the 16th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM16) in Busan, South Korea to engage public and private sector leaders about the role of biofuels in the global energy sector.
More than 1,000 policymakers and industry leaders attended CEM16, underscoring the conference’s significance in the international energy community
“Few events foster international collaboration like CEM, with initiatives for scaling clean energy solutions routinely being agreed upon at each iteration,” Kim said.
“This year was certainly no different, with action plans for the advancement of biofuel integration in gasoline and cooking coming as a result.”
Each day of programming had its own focus, starting with technical seminars on the structure of bio-integrated refineries and sustainable fuel production.
Time was also set aside for high-level meetings among policymakers about the logistics of biofuel use and how to generate further consumer trust and demand in the sector.
Finally, attendees came together for a workshop to define international roles for the coalition’s ambitions for decarbonization in the coming years, with agreements on clean cooking and biofuel use in mass transport among the highlights.
“It was very timely to have this meeting in Asia this year, with many countries looking to incorporate bioproducts into transportation and home use for the financial, environmental and human health benefits they provide,” Wurth said.
“We look forward to using the event as a springboard for further engagement in countries throughout the region and create widespread demand for U.S. biofuels while improving the lives of consumers.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in ethanol here.